The buzz
All Buzz Articles
-
A periodical cicada on a tree branch.
Brooding about cicadas? Here's the reason for all the hype this year
4/22/2024Read moreTo not have heard the buzz about this year's cicada emergence you would have to have been where the cicadas themselves are right now — underground. Why all the hype? This year is the first time since 1803 that two broods of cicadas will have emerged in Illinois at the same time.
-
Earth as seen from space.
Five must-know facts about our home planet Earth
4/17/2024Read moreYou can define Earth in many ways, but above all else it is home. Here is your chance to learn all about our home planet.
-
(Photo via Shutterstock)
Want your kids to respect nature? Get your garden growing with them
4/16/2024Read moreGardening with your kids can be a great way to make them good stewards of the environment.
-
A ruby-throated hummingbird perched on the tip of a branch.
Migration watch: Hummingbirds have landed in Will County
4/15/2024Read moreFor those of you eagerly anticipating the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds, it won't be long now. The tiny birds have been spotted in Will County and elsewhere in Illinois.
-
A male cardinal singing while perched on a branch.
Nature curiosity: Why do birds sing in the morning?
4/8/2024Read moreAre the birds waking you up before dawn? There's a good reason for their morning concert.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Current Headlines
Joliet Junction Trail section to close in December for Interstate 80 work
A section of the Joliet Junction Trail is scheduled to be closed for several days in December due to an Interstate 80 improvement project. The trail will be closed from McDonough Street to Moen Avenue.
Healing With Nature: Crete man battling cancer finds health and hope on paths at Goodenow Grove
Tom Scott of Crete is giving thanks this year for the people in his life who pushed him to start walking at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve as he was recovering from cancer. The daily hikes have given him better health, hope for the future and a new appreciation of nature.