The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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A crow on a branch.
Five things about misunderstood crows
11/22/2023Crows are highly sociable and among the most intelligent animals around, but they don't have the best reputation.
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The green glow of the northern lights in the night sky.
Nature curiosity: What are the northern lights?
11/17/2023The northern lights are always happening, but you have to be at the right place at the right time to view them.
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Side-by-side photos of a long-eared owl and a short-eared owl perched atop tree stumps.
What's the difference: long-eared owl vs. short-eared owl
11/13/2023Their so-called ears aren't the only difference between short-eared owls and long-eared owls.
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A red fox standing in a forest with the ground covered by fallen leaves.
Nature curiosity: Why don't humans have tails?
11/3/2023Being tailless is a rare trait among mammals, but us humans aren't quite alone.
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A bison in a prairie.
Five fun facts about our national mammal, the American bison
11/2/2023What you don’t know about these scraggly bearded giants might surprise you.
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A woman poses in a forest.
Meet a Naturalist: Alexis Lyons, helping people connect to nature
11/1/2023Meet Alexis Lyons, an interpretive naturalist at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center.
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A ladybug on a green leaf.
Myth buster: Can you tell a ladybug's age by its spots? In a word, no
10/27/2023What can a ladybug's spots tell us? Not much, although in some cases you may be able to determine the species from its spot pattern.
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A male wood duck standing on a tree branch.
Five fast facts about ornate wood ducks
10/24/2023It should come as no surprise that wood ducks love trees, but that's not all that is unique about them.
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An oak tree with the sun shining through its leaf-filled branches.
Mighty oak trees have a long and storied history
10/13/2023All trees provide us benefits, but oak trees are particularly vital and important because of how much life they support.
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A coyote is seen on the left and a grey wolf on the right.
What's the difference?: Coyote vs. wolf
10/5/2023While coyotes are a common sight in Illinois, wolves are seen only very rarely, having been extirpated since the 1800s. In areas where both coyotes and wolves live, however, it can be tricky to tell them apart without knowing the key differences.
Current Headlines
Two Forest Preserve interpreters win national awards
Forest Preserve program coordinators Jessica McQuown and Heather Van Zyl both received Distinguished Frontline Interpreter awards recently from the National Association for Interpretation.
Hidden Oaks Nature Center reopens with oak-tastic vibes and family fun
More than 1,400 people attended the grand reopening celebration for the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook on May 3. The site was closed for 15 months for a $2 million makeover.