Stories by Patty Wetli

Something appears to be lurking in the water at Lincoln Park’s North Pond, and some swear it’s an alligator.

If the Bally’s hotel and casino on the Chicago River aren’t built with birds in mind, the question isn’t whether birds will die in collisions but how many. “It could rival the carnage at McCormick Place,” one advocate said.

After confirming several black bear sightings in southern Illinois in recent weeks, wildlife officials issued a reminder to residents in northern Illinois that furry guests might also pay a visit here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $4.3 billion in funding Monday as part of its Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, and Illinois was a big winner, nabbing $430 million.

Several other areas also suffered damage from straight-line winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Say hello to Nagamo (Na-GA-mo), the sole surviving piping plover hatchling at Montrose Beach.

Chicago’s trees bore the brunt of damage caused by back-to-back storms July 14-15, which spawned a total of five tornadoes in the city.

Butterfly sculptures have landed at nearly 20 parks across Chicago as part of the ongoing Flight of the Butterflies exhibit that kicked off this spring.

The tally could continue to rise as survey crews are still in the field investigating damage at numerous additional sites across the region.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is asking voters to approve a 0.035% increase in property taxes when they head to the polls on Nov. 5.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago is planning an expansion that, over the next 15 years, will see traditional exhibit spaces transformed into multi-species “eco-regions” designed to mimic natural environments.

The National Weather Service has so far confirmed 11 tornadoes on Monday, and 17 total between Sunday and Monday.

Multiple tornado warnings were issued throughout the region, and the weather service will send out survey teams to confirm how many tornadoes actually touched down Monday. 

These are not your “ordinary run-of-the-mill winds,” the weather service said.

The chicks have seemed healthy, but then become lethargic. Necropsies have been performed to help determine the cause.

The 3.4 magnitude tremor struck just before 3 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Less than two weeks after celebrating the hatching of four endangered piping plover chicks at Montrose Beach, Chicago is mourning the loss of two of the little ones.

The swim had been planned for Sept. 22, billed as the first such event in nearly 100 years.

Bird-friendly window film is being installed on the convention center’s approximately two football fields’ worth of glass. Work on the $1.2 million project began in early June and is expected to take approximately three months.

The nearly 20-acre parcel will expand the existing Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.

Chicago’s piping plover monitors are mourning the loss of one of the recently hatched chicks at Montrose Beach. Parents Imani and Searocket are watching over the remaining three.

The boil order had been in place since Tuesday night following an outage at the Roseland Pumping Station.

Residents of several Chicago South Side neighborhoods are under a boil order following a service disruption at the Roseland Pumping Station Tuesday night.

The Chicago Park District board approved the deal Wednesday, along with an option to extend the contract another five years.

From emergence holes in the parkway to molted shells on trees to ear-splitting mating calls, cicadas have very much arrived in Chicago. Just not the ones everybody was obsessing over a month ago.

The remnants of Beryl are expected to sideswipe northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.