The buzz

Cellar spiders love to live in human habitats, but they're beneficial to us to. 

A mother won't reject her babies if you touch them, but most young birds don't need your help.

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.

Photographing wildlife can be an adventure, but the woodchuck is an easy subject.

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.

Common grackles might seem ordinary, their name even implies it. But while these birds may be common, there is something quite special about them.

The 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. 

Sometimes, the things we come to love are the things that surprise us. Learning the six-lined racerunner lives in Will County is what made interpretive naturalist Erin Ward fall in love with them.

You woke up to a blanket of fog covering the neighborhood, but where did it come from? 

The blooms of spring wildflowers can be fleeting, and that's certainly true of the mayapple. But what makes this plant all the more special is that its flowers hide under umbrella-like leaves, making them even harder to catch a glimpse of.