Stories by Patty Wetli

We separate fact from hype about the upcoming “planet parade.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in four rats submitted for testing.

A 1,300-acre restoration project at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie has ground to a halt after federal grant funds, awarded in 2023, were frozen by the Trump Administration.

Tens of thousands of federal employees were fired in the last week. Here's the story of two former members of the U.S. Forest Service, who, up until a few days ago, worked at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County.

Reports of wild bird deaths continue to mount, and not just in Illinois. Meanwhile, a vaccine for chickens could be on the horizon.

Sub-zero wind chills will be the norm until Friday.

A band of dry air crashed Chicago's snowstorm party Wednesday.

The state of Illinois has pressed pause on a barrier designed to keep invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, saying it can no longer count on the federal government to honor its funding obligation to the $1.15 billion project.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Chicago area and much of northern Illinois from 9 a.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday.

Freezing mist and drizzle could turn sidewalks into treacherous sheets of ice on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Shedd Aquarium’s 6-month-old baby beluga is hitting key development milestones, and now it needs a name.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

Adler Planetarium announced Wednesday that Michelle Larson is stepping down as president and CEO after more than a decade on the job.

Wildlife professionals and advocates are grappling with an avian influenza outbreak that seems to be growing more virulent among Chicago's wild birds.

Illinois officials announced $60 million in funding for improvement projects at five parks and historic sites, with the lion's share being funneled to Starved Rock.

Three new species of king cobras have recently been identified, and the Field Museum’s collection has been harboring one of the rarest for nearly 80 years.

Snowy owl sightings have been thrilling people across northern Illinois this winter, but these occasional visitors from the Arctic face a lot of hazards — including humans and cars — when they venture outside their normal isolated tundra environment.

Four Chicago teens have been charged with conservation-related violations in the killing of a coyote earlier this month near the Mount Greenwood neighborhood, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The screenings will take place at parks in communities where residents have some of Chicago's lowest life expectancies.

According to Streets and Sanitation, thousands of people voted in the contest, now in its third year.

If there were snow pack on the ground, Tuesday's temperatures could be closer to approaching record lows.

On the evenings of Jan. 17 and 18, the planets will appear virtually side by side, in what's called a “planetary conjunction.”

A Chilean flamingo died Jan. 8 and a harbor seal died Jan. 9, with testing confirming highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as the cause, Lincoln Park Zoo officials said.

Allie, one of Brookfield Zoo’s bottlenose dolphins, is expecting a calf in late spring/early summer.

The certification is a validation that the forest preserve district is providing an appropriate home and care for its ambassador animals, officials said. Some animal rights activists disagree.

Chicago Bird Collision Monitors has been responding to an increase in calls for help in rescuing wild birds suffering from avian influenza.