The buzz
All Buzz Articles
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Save yourself from heartbreak: Check your yard for rabbit nests before mowing
4/1/2024Read moreBefore you cut your grass, it's a good idea to give your yard a once-over to look for rabbit nests. These nests often look just like a small patch of dead grass, but the babies are just under the surface, leaving them vulnerable to lawnmowers.
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A person posing for a photo with a forest as the backdrop.
Meet a Naturalist: Michelle Cipiti, fulfilling a dream
3/26/2024Read moreMeet Michelle Cipiti, an interpretive naturalist at Hidden Oaks Nature Center.
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A northern flicker standing in the grass.
Northern flickers buck some common woodpecker trends
3/20/2024Read moreNorthern flickers look a little different than most of our local woodpecker species, and we see them on the ground much more than you might expect for a woodpecker.
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A red-winged blackbird on a cattail with its mouth open.
Two words perfectly describe red-winged blackbirds: Feisty and familiar
2/29/2024Read moreSeveral birds are known for their aggressive behavior, but perhaps none as much as the red-winged blackbird, a bird that isn't afraid to pick on creatures much larger than itself.
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A person standing in front of a forest.
Meet a Naturalist: Jess McQuown, an inquisitive mind
2/26/2024Read moreMeet Jess McQuown, a program coordinator at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center.
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A block calendar showing the date changing to Feb. 29
Why do we have leap days? Get ready for a math lesson — and a history lesson
2/23/2024Read moreIt's a leap year, and here's your chance to learn why we add an extra day every four years and why that day is on Feb. 29.
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A vole on the ground surrounded by dried and green grasses.
Five fast facts about little-known voles
2/22/2024Read moreAmong rodents, mice, rats, squirrels and chipmunks are all well known. Voles, however, often fly under the radar, either because they aren't known or because they are confused with another species.
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Contrails criss-crossing the sky with thin, scattered clouds above them.
Nature curiosity: What are contrails and how do they form?
2/9/2024Read moreThose long, thin clouds trailing behind airplanes are called contrails, and here's a look at the science behind them.
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A male common goldeneye swimming in the water.
Watch out for goldeneyes on local lakes throughout winter
2/7/2024Read moreCommon goldeneyes arrive in northern Illinois each winter. Look for them strutting their stuff on our local lakes.
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A turtle with a muddy shell sitting on a log in the water.
Nature curiosity: Why and how do turtles breathe with their butts?
2/2/2024Read moreHow do turtles breathe while they are underwater all winter? Through their butts, so to speak.
Current Headlines
Everyone is welcome at Four Rivers for All Abilities on July 24
Enjoy an outing for people of all abilities at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center during Four Rivers for All Abilities on July 24. Take part in hands-on activities, tour the building and enjoy being in nature as a family, group or individual.
Lake Chaminwood loop trail section closed for path connection, fishing pier project
A portion of the Lake Chaminwood loop trail in Channahon is closed for a Forest Preserve District path connection and fishing pier project.