The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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A spiny softshell turtle on a rock.
Quiz: Test your spiny softshell turtle knowledge
5/13/2025Find out on this 10-question quiz.
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Quiz: Which wild bird are you?
5/8/2025Take this 10-question quiz to find out.
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An indigo bunting with its wings outstretched in flight just after taking off from a tree snag.
Indigo buntings shine brightly in summer skies
5/7/2025We see plenty of blue birds here in northern Illinois, but none as brilliantly blue as the indigo bunting.
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A Cape May warbler perched at the end of a broken tree branch. Small spots of lichen dot the branch.
Warblers in the woods are one of spring's spectacles
5/2/2025Spring is a busy time for birds — and birders — as wave after wave of birds arrives locally. Included in the seasonal arrivals are the warblers, a group of tiny birds that flock to our forests.
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A river otter with just its head above the water.
Quiz: Can you ace this river otter quiz?
4/30/2025Test your knowledge on this 10-question quiz.
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A fennec fox laying in sand.
Wild Relatives: The fennec fox
4/22/2025Fennec foxes are the smallest fox species in the world, and they thrive in the extreme conditions of the Sahara Desert.
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A badger emerging from a hole in the ground.
Quiz: How much do you know about badgers?
4/22/2025Find out by answering these 10 questions.
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A monarch butterfly atop a green leaf.
Migration watch: Monarchs have landed in Illinois
4/17/2025We're charting migrations this season, announcing when a variety of species hit major milestones on their travels north.
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The pink blooms of an eastern redbud tree in a forest.
Pretty in pink: Eastern redbuds provide pop of color in spring landscape
4/15/2025Eastern redbuds are one of the first pops of color in the forest each spring, providing splashes of pink in the canopy before the green creeps in.
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A ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a hummingbird feeder.
Migration watch: Hummingbirds have landed in Will County
4/14/2025Get your hummingbird feeders out! The tiny birds have been spotted in Will County.
Current Headlines
Be a Trailblazer turns outdoor fun into a family affair
Liz Lyons of New Lenox has turned the Forest Preserve District’s Be a Trailblazer challenge into a fun-filled family tradition. From dancing in the rain to spotting tiny critters on the trail, challenge missions have become cherished memories.
Wild Science: Rare mussel search in Will County aids DuPage restocking effort
Forest preserve staff from Will and DuPage counties recently searched a Will County creek for rare mussels to support a native species restoration project. The collaboration could help reintroduce the ellipse mussel to DuPage waterways, where it has disappeared.