Headlines

A mother won't reject her babies if you touch them, but most young birds don't need your help.

When it comes to animal poop, it's not all the same. Dog poop can be harmful to the environment if left behind, but that's not true of wildlife waste. That's why it's important to always pick up after your dog, no matter where you are.

Photographing wildlife can be an adventure, but the woodchuck is an easy subject.

Not all plants sold at local garden centers and home improvement stores are native; in fact, many are not.

The need to have a perfect lawn has to do with peer pressure, according to a recent study. But doing so isn't really good for the environment.

Common grackles might seem ordinary, their name even implies it. But while these birds may be common, there is something quite special about them.

The garter snake is the most common snake in the United States, living from coast to coast. But these snakes are still interesting creatures, despite being ubiquitous. 

You woke up to a blanket of fog covering the neighborhood, but where did it come from? 

Raccoons have a well-earned reputation for being trash bandits, but they deserve our respect too. 

Spring wildflowers are beautiful but fleeting. Keep your eyes trained to the ground when out for a walk to see if you can spot bloodroot, a fascinating ephemeral. 

A look at some of the favorite species of Forest Preserve staff and volunteers.

Lightning can — and will — strike the same place twice, so always head indoors when thunder roars. 

Spring is spawning season for crappies, which offers an opportunity to get a good look at these fish. 

Have you ever seen a blue-spotted salamander? Most people haven't, but they do live in Will County. Finding one is a matter of knowing where to look. 

Is that snake you saw a dangerous eastern massasauga rattlesnake or a nonvenomous fox snake? If you saw it in Will County, it was a fox snake. The massasauga does not live in Will County. In fact, no venomous snakes do.

Lichens are little known and not well understood, but they deserve our appreciation.