Chicago’s bungalows may be modest in size, but that doesn’t keep their owners from having grand ambitions when it comes to gardening.

The event will mark the first open water swim in the Chicago River in nearly 100 years, according to organizers.

On Saturday, people of all ages are invited to join the rodeo in Kane County and wrangle the rusty crayfish, an invasive species that's infiltrated local waterways.

Elizabeth Babcock comes to the Adler Planetarium following a short stint as the founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

On Wednesday, Governor JB Pritzker announced the creation of a new endowment for Illinois state parks, with the intention of providing a permanent source of funds that can't be redirected or taken away.

A zoo in Denmark made headlines when it solicited donations of pets to feed to its predators. WTTW News asked Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo Chicago to share their policies regarding feed sources.

Armadillos have been making a slow but steady push north. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, they’ll turn up in Chicago, according to one expert.

Experts say the increases are driven by warmer temperatures due to climate change and the expanding presence of ticks in more areas in the U.S. and Canada — including places where people are less familiar with the risks and how to prevent disease.

A key split is whether the treaty should require cutting plastic production, with powerful oil-producing nations opposed; most plastic is made from fossil fuels. They say redesign, recycling and reuse can solve the problem, while other countries and some major companies say that’s not enough.

Starting in 2013, a mysterious sea star wasting disease sparked a mass die-off from Mexico to Alaska. The epidemic has devastated more than 20 species and continues today. Worst hit was a species called the sunflower sea star, which lost around 90% of its population in the outbreak’s first five years.

Ferris, one of three chicks hatched at Montrose in 2025, was killed by a red-tailed hawk midday Saturday, according to Chicago Piping Plovers.

Research vessel Blue Heron trawls the Great Lakes, gathering data from the water. The floating laboratory’s most recent discovery, however, came from an unexpected location: its own rudder.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires settled over Chicago Thursday, with air quality reaching “unhealthy” levels for everyone. Air quality was far worse in parts of Canada closer to the fires.

The particles are likely the result of the degradation of plastic-filled objects such as carpet, curtains, furniture and textiles and the plastic parts of car interiors, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

In these extreme environments, the crushing pressure, scant food and lack of sunlight can make it hard to survive. Scientists know that tiny microbes prosper there, but less is known about evidence of larger marine life.

Amur leopards are critically endangered, with fewer than 100 estimated remaining in the wild.