Touching frogs or toads won’t give you warts - that’s a myth. Warts are caused when human papillomavirus enters the body through a cut or scrape, not animals. Most viruses that cause warts are specific to a particular species. The bumps on frogs and toads are glands, not warts. While you can’t catch warts from them, some amphibians secrete toxins or carry bacteria that can irritate skin or make you sick. Always handle them gently with clean hands and wash thoroughly afterward

Head outside to catch snowflakes for fun and for science! Try catching them on your tongue or use frozen black construction paper to observe their shapes. Use a magnifying glass for a closer look and keep a journal of what you have observed. Are the flakes big or small? Falling fast, slow or at an angle? Snow is not just fun - it’s a great way to explore nature too!

Fur, a collection of individual hairs that covers an animal’s skin, is one of the adaptations that sorts an animal into the mammal group. Fur is made up of keratin and contains multiple layers (down hairs and guard hairs) that can trap heat, create a water-resistant surface, protect skin from UV rays, and can help camouflage animals to their habitats. Other specialized hairs include whiskers, quills, and bristles. Fur is crucial to an animal's survival.

Woolly bear caterpillars are often seen during the colder months and can survive at temperatures as low as 90 degrees F below zero. They slowly freeze in the winter, but they produce a substance called glycerol that prevents their inner cells from freezing. During the fall, woolly bear caterpillars search for food and look for a place to spend winter. If the temperatures are above freezing, they "defrost." They can repeat this freeze-and-thaw cycle many times over the winter.

Will County’s Forest Preserve has protected local habitats and species for over 90 years. Illinois is home to about 54,000 species—around 3% of the world’s known biodiversity—thanks to its overlap with four of the U.S.'s ten biomes. Illinois has 15 natural divisions; Will County includes two – the Northeaster Morainal and the Grand Prairie. The Northeastern Morainal is the most diverse division in the state. The Grand Prairie is the largest division in our state.

Turn old CDs/DVDs into a fun wind chime or sun catcher! Decorate discs with Sharpies, then use a plastic lid as the base. With an adult's help, poke holes in the lid using a nail and hammer: three in the center for hanging and one for each disc. Tie strings through the holes and attach decorated discs. You can add pony beads if you want. Knot the top strings together to hang your creation from a tree or hook. This a great family project to reuse materials and brighten your sp

Black bears once roamed Illinois and were important to Native tribes around the Great Lakes. By 1865, they were gone due to fear-driven killings and fur trade. Today, bears occasionally visit Illinois from nearby states and are protected by the law. Black bears are stocky with dark fur, climb well, and can run up to 30 mph. They are omnivores, eating 11 to 18 pounds of food a day. Black bears are deep sleepers - not true hibernators.

Muskrats are rodents that can be found in every county in Illinois. They have brown fur that darkens in the colder months and are about the size of a cottontail rabbit. They spend most of their time in and around marshes, swamps, wetlands and rivers. Muskrats are active all day and eat mostly plants but also hunt for fish. They are closely related to rats and produce a musky odor. Muskrats are great swimmers thanks to their long tails and webbed back feet.