The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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A woman sits on a log in the woods.
Preserves We Love: O'Hara Woods, for delivering nature's gifts
9/11/2023Interpretive naturalist Sara Russell tells us why she loves O'Hara Woods Preserve.
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A woman stands along a boardwalk.
Preserves We Love: Thorn Creek, for the endless discoveries
9/5/2023Interpretive naturalist Brittany Schaller tells us why she loves Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve.
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A cricket on a leaf.
Myth buster: Can a cricket really tell you the temperature?
9/1/2023There's no way you can actually rely on a cricket to tell you the temperature, right? Actually, this widely held myth is really true.
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A green frog on the left and a bullfrog on the right.
What's the difference?: Green frog vs. bullfrog
8/31/2023Can you tell a bullfrog from a green frog? Here are a few clues to help tell these two similar frog species apart.
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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.
Current Headlines
Half-price dog park permits go on sale July 1
Half-price dog park permits will be available for purchase starting July 1 online and at Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet. The permits can be used at all six Forest Preserve dog parks through the end of 2025.
Volunteer opportunities abound in the preserves this summer
The Forest Preserve District is offering a variety of short-term volunteer opportunities this summer, from hands-on habitat restoration to helping at public programs and events. With limited space and high demand, early registration is encouraged.