The buzz

All Buzz Articles

  • Glass lizard moving across a stick on ground

    Amazing find: Extremely rare glass lizard caught on camera in Will County

    5/18/2020

    Every now and then, you can get very lucky when out in the preserves and spot something truly amazing. 

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  • Red microarthropod on the ground

    Things we love: Those teeny, tiny microarthropods

    5/14/2020

    Tiny but mighty microarthropods are tiny bugs that do a lot of good despite their small size. 

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  • Female wood ducks.

    What's the difference?: Ducks vs. geese

    5/12/2020

    Most 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

    5/8/2020

    Brown-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

    5/7/2020

    Cellar 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

    5/6/2020

    A 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

    5/4/2020

    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.

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  • Woodchuck walking across grass

    Things we love: Those layabout woodchucks

    5/1/2020

    Photographing 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

    4/28/2020

    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.

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  • A common grackle perched on a fence

    Things we love: Those exquisite common grackles

    4/27/2020

    Common 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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Current Headlines

Start your autumn with family-friendly fun at Fall on the Farm event on Sept. 14

8/31/2024

Fall on the Farm is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, at Riverview Farmstead Preserve. Attendees can explore the 19th-century buildings, visit a petting zoo, try their hand at farm chores, view antique tractors and enjoy live bluegrass music. 

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Visitor centers to close on Labor Day, bait shops will be open

8/30/2024

Forest Preserve visitor centers will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2, for the Labor Day holiday, but concession stands will be open at Monee Reservoir in Monee Township and Hidden Lakes Trout Farm at Hidden Oaks Preserve in Bolingbrook.

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