The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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Female wood ducks.
What's the difference?: Ducks vs. geese
5/12/2020Most people can identify a mallard duck and a Canada goose, but do you know the difference between ducks and geese?
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Brown headed cowbird on a log
Clever or cruel? Brown-headed cowbirds make other birds do all the work of raising their young
5/8/2020Brown-headed cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, outsourcing incubation and newborn care entirely to other birds. This may not win them any mother-of-the-year awards, but it is the only way they know.
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Cellar spider closeup
Things we love: Those human-friendly cellar spiders
5/7/2020Cellar spiders love to live in human habitats, but they're beneficial to us to.
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Killdeer with two babies underneath her.
Myth buster: Mother birds won't reject their babies if you touch them
5/6/2020A mother won't reject her babies if you touch them, but most young birds don't need your help.
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Woman picking up dog poop while her dog watches
Dog poop vs. wildlife poop: Not all animal excrement is equal
5/4/2020When 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.
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Woodchuck walking across grass
Things we love: Those layabout woodchucks
5/1/2020Photographing wildlife can be an adventure, but the woodchuck is an easy subject.
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Person spraying pesticides on lawn
When it comes to our lawns, many of us are keeping up with the Joneses
4/28/2020The 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.
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A common grackle perched on a fence
Things we love: Those exquisite common grackles
4/27/2020Common grackles might seem ordinary, their name even implies it. But while these birds may be common, there is something quite special about them.
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Garter snake slithering through leaf litter
Creature feature: The ubiquitous garter snake
4/26/2020The 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.
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A foggy forest
Nature curiosity: Where does fog come from?
4/21/2020You woke up to a blanket of fog covering the neighborhood, but where did it come from?
Current Headlines
Be a Trailblazer turns outdoor fun into a family affair
Liz Lyons of New Lenox has turned the Forest Preserve District’s Be a Trailblazer challenge into a fun-filled family tradition. From dancing in the rain to spotting tiny critters on the trail, challenge missions have become cherished memories.
Wild Science: Rare mussel search in Will County aids DuPage restocking effort
Forest preserve staff from Will and DuPage counties recently searched a Will County creek for rare mussels to support a native species restoration project. The collaboration could help reintroduce the ellipse mussel to DuPage waterways, where it has disappeared.