The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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Feet in hiking boot walking along a natural surface trail.
Earbuds out for the latest fitness trend: Silent walking gaining traction
8/30/2023Keeping up with the latest fitness trends? Then put your earbuds away and enjoy the silence on your next walk.
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A person standing on a wooden bridge with a lake in the background.
Preserves We Love: Lake Chaminwood, for its transformation to tranquility
8/29/2023Director of planning and land preservation Colleen Novander tells us why she loves Lake Chaminwood Preserve.
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A woman standing in a prairie
Preserves We Love: Kankakee Sands, for its parallels to parenthood
8/24/2023Restoration program coordinator Juli Mason tells us why she loves Kankakee Sands Preserve.
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A differential grasshopper on a leaf.
Hop to it with these five grasshopper facts
8/22/2023Grasshoppers are one of our more familiar insects, and this is your chance to learn all about them.
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A ruby-throated hummingbird drinking nectar from a feeder.
Hummingbirds have started migrating, but don't pack away your feeders quite yet
8/22/2023Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate in waves, and some have already departed for their wintering grounds. But we'll continue to see the birds in Will County for weeks, so keep filling your feeders.
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A ruby-throated hummingbird at a feeder.
Hummingbird feeders abuzz with bees and wasps? Here's why — and how to fix it
8/21/2023If you are seeing more bees than hummingbirds at your hummingbird feeders lately, you're not alone. Learn why we see them more at this time of year and how you might keep them away from your hummingbird feeders.
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A reddish-pink water lily in bloom, next to a whitish-yellow American lotus in bloom.
What's the difference?: Water lily vs. American lotus
8/15/2023Not all those big green leaves growing on the water's surface are lily pads. American lotus can also be found in Illinois waterways. Learn to tell the difference between these two plants.
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A person standing next to a bridge on a trail.
Preserves We Love: McKinley Woods, because there's something for everyone
8/14/2023Guest services associate Kylee Beckwith tells us why she loves McKinley Woods — Frederick's Grove.
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An American coot standing on a log over the water.
Odd duck out: Coots share space with ducks, but aren't closely related
8/8/2023Is that a funny-looking duck or a chicken you saw by the water? It might be neither. American coots are a common sight by our waterways during breeding season, but they might have you doing a double take.
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A person standing along a dirt trail in a forest.
Preserves We Love: Raccoon Grove, for its fairy-tale feel
8/3/2023Interpretive naturalist Heather Van Zyl tells us why she loves Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve.
Current Headlines
Visitor centers to close for Easter weekend
Forest Preserve visitor centers will be closed on Friday, April 18, and Easter Sunday, April 20. Preserves, trails and dog parks will remain open. The Tackle Box bait shop at Hidden Oaks Preserve will be open on Friday but closed Sunday.
'Contagious passion' earns Fuqua Volunteer of the Year Award
John Fuqua received the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Volunteer of the Year Award and Don and Espie Nelson were given a Lifetime Achievement Award during the annual volunteer banquet.