The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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A striped skunk walking in grass.
Quiz: What's your skunk IQ?
3/13/2025Find out by answering these 10 questions.
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A common loon in the water.
Happening now: Common loons are passing through. Have you seen one on a local waterway?
3/10/2025Have you spotted a common loon in a local waterway? Their time here will be brief.
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A side-by-side comparison of a bobcat and a lynx. Both cats are walking through snowy landscapes.
What's the difference?: Bobcat vs. Canada lynx
3/7/2025Only one wild cat — the bobcat — lives in Illinois, but in other areas of its range the bobcat can be confused with its close relative the Canada lynx.
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A group of more than a dozen American white pelicans standing on and around a log in shallow water.
Migration watch: Pelicans are back in Will County
3/5/2025One of the most anticipated events among birders each spring and fall is the arrival of the American white pelicans, and now is the time you'll once again start seeing these birds along waterways in the area.
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A woodcock walking across grass.
Quiz: Are you wise about woodcocks?
3/5/2025Test your knowledge with these 10 questions.
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Two sandhill cranes flying overhead.
Migration watch: Eyes to the skies for sandhill cranes passing through
3/3/2025It's peak migration season for sandhill cranes, so don't be surprised if you hear their loud, bugling call overhead.
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A downy woodpecker perched on a tree trunk with a spot visible where they have cleared the bark.
Quiz: Are you a downy woodpecker whiz?
2/26/2025Can you ace this 10-question quiz?
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A badger peering out from a hole in the ground with dirt covering its face.
Five fast facts about fast-digging American badgers
2/20/2025Get to know the American badger, one of the animal kingdom's more renowned diggers.
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A woolly bear caterpillar on a wooden surface.
Nature curiosity: Why don't woolly bear caterpillars freeze to death?
2/19/2025Despite what you may have heard, woolly bear caterpillars can't predict how bad the winter weather will be. But they do have a pretty cool way to survive even the most frigid temperatures.
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An eastern screech owl perched atop a tree snag.
Quiz: Are you an expert on screech owls?
2/18/2025Take this 10-question quiz to find out.
Current Headlines
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.
From college to colony: Meet Plum Creek's new beekeeper
New beekeeper Dade Bradley brings curiosity, conservation and community spirit to Plum Creek Nature Center. Get to know him and more about bees at the monthly Meet a Beekeeper programs at Plum Creek starting Saturday, May 10.