Explore with Willy

Most of us go out of our way to avoid piles of animal poop on the ground, but dung beetles are right at home in all that manure.  And it's lucky for us that they are because these insects do some important work in there.

Coyotes and other canids like to roam, and African painted dogs can cover huge amounts of territory in their range.

Looking for a place to let the kids explore this fall? Check out Hickory Creek Preserve.

Check out this sweet activity to learn how archaeologists dig into the earth to learn about the past.

Pumpkin Jack is having the time of his life this autumn, but are his days of fun numbered? They don't have to be if his family extends the fun by bringing him to the Forest Preserve's Pumpkin Smash events on Nov. 8.

Interpretive naturalist Jenna Krukowski helps us dig into the history of the Forest Preserve District's Joliet Iron Works Historic Site.

What’s your favorite part of fall? Picking apples? Trick-or-treating? Those are all fun fall activities, and watching as the leaves change color each autumn is another one of the hallmarks of the season. Learn why the leaves change color each fall.

What's that eerie green glow in the forest? It could be mushrooms glowing in the dark.

If you’ve ever heard someone calling out in the woods, “Who cooks for you?” there’s probably a barred owl nearby. These distinctive-looking owls are best known for their hard-to-miss call, which sounds like they are calling out: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"