World Wildlife Day, celebrated March 3, raises awareness of the beauty and importance of wildlife. Explore nature by observing animals, plants and their signs, then record and share your findings. Visit local preserves, nature centers or zoos to learn more. Celebrate year round by journaling, taking photos and sharing your discoveries to help others appreciate and protect the wildlife around us.

2024 is a leap year which means we get an extra day on February 29 to keep our calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit which takes about 365.24 days. Every four years we add a day to make up for the extra time. Century years are only leap years if divisible by 400. Leap day is in February due to the ancient Roman calendar. Without leap years the seasons would slowly shift. Take time to enjoy the extra day with a walk or bike ride in the forest preserves.

Contrails are manmade clouds formed when hot, humid jet exhaust mixes with cold, dry air, creating ice crystals. Seen high in the sky, they resemble clouds and can last from seconds to hours depending on humidity. Contrails can spread wide, affect cloud cover, and even impact climate by reflecting sunlight and altering atmospheric chemistry. They’re most common in areas with heavy air traffic like the U.S. and Europe.

Make a fun winter treat for birds with a snow cake. Just shape fresh snow into layers and decorate with birdseed, nuts, and fruit. Black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, raw peanuts, and fruits like apples, raisins, and oranges attract a variety of birds. Watch who visits, experiment with ingredients, and refill as needed. It’s a creative, eco-friendly way to feed and observe winter wildlife.

European starlings are glossy, dark birds whose feather color changes with the seasons. Known for mimicry and complex songs, they eat insects, seeds, and fruit. They gather in large flocks that create stunning sky patterns called murmurations. Native to Europe, they were introduced to the U.S. in 1890 and have since spread widely. Though non-native, they remain one of the most abundant and fascinating birds in North America.

Most native bees in Illinois spend winter right here, resting in the ground, hollow stems, or under logs. Bumblebee queens hibernate alone after their colony dies, while solitary bees like mason bees develop inside nests and pause their growth until spring. You can help by growing native plants, leaving gardens “messy” for shelter, and sharing this info to support these vital pollinators.

Virginia opossums are tropical animals that now live as far north as Illinois, surviving harsh winters despite their thin fur and exposed skin. They often get frostbite and rarely live past three years, but they adapt by rotating between multiple homes, scavenging during the day, and using leaves for insulation. Their diet is varied, and their survival is helped by human food waste. Though winter is tough, these resilient marsupials continue to thrive up north.

Myths blend facts with exaggerations and misunderstandings. For example, the full moon doesn’t affect behavior; lightning can strike the same place twice; “heat lightning” is distant storm lightning; mother birds usually don’t abandon babies touched by humans; bats aren’t blind; daddy long legs aren’t venomous spiders; not all bees die after stinging; it’s never too cold to snow; and fawns have faint scents to avoid predators. These myths are widely believed but often untrue.