The buzz

All Buzz Articles

• A black-and-white warbler on a tree trunk.

  Want to know if birds are on the move? Check the weather forecast

  10/11/2022

  Birds make the same migratory journeys year after year, but weather can play a big role on how many birds are traveling at any given time.

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• Ants moving from leaf to leaf.

  Five fast facts about hard-working ants

  10/7/2022

  Ants are powerhouses in the animal kingdom, always busy and able to carry many times their body weight. There's plenty about them that makes them interesting.

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• The sun setting behind a tree.

  Love a good sunset? Visit these preserves to soak up the setting sun

  10/1/2022

  Love a good sunset? We have plenty of preserves that really shine when the sun starts to set.

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• A stand of trees with the sun peeking through the trunks.

  Trees and climate change: Even small actions can make a difference

  9/29/2022

  Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas, and release oxygen into the atmosphere, which can help limit the effects of climate change. 

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• A stink bug on a leaf.

  What's the difference: Bug vs. insect

  9/16/2022

  It turns out bugs and insects actually exactly one and the same, but we'll look the other way if you use the words interchangeably.

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• A raccoon laying on a tree branch.

  Five fast facts about those rascally raccoons

  9/15/2022

  Raccoons are known for their mischievous ways, making them both beloved and bemoaned by the humans they live alongside.

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• A spider web in a tree.

  Nature curiosity: Why is spider silk sticky?

  9/9/2022

  Have you ever walked face first into a spiderweb and cursed the spider that spun it? Find out why those webs are so sticky. 

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• A blue jay in the grass with a peanut in its mouth.

  Seen a bird looking a little worse for the wear? It's probably molting

  9/2/2022

  If you've spotted a bird that looks sickly or just downright strange, there's a good chance it's molting and will be back to its stylish self soon.

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• A crayfish in the water.

  Lobsters in Illinois? Maybe not, but we have plenty of their miniature relatives, crayfish

  8/30/2022

  We, of course, have no lobsters here in landlocked Will County, but their miniature-sized relative, the crayfish, populates our waterways.

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• A snapping turtle on a trail.

  Five fast facts about those not-so-ferocious snapping turtles

  8/25/2022

  The imposing-looking snapping turtle is nothing to fear, but they are pretty interesting creatures.

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