Stories by Patty Wetli

A new report offers the first comprehensive update on the state of birds since a 2019 study announced the loss of 3 billion birds. The news remains nearly as sobering, though there are some wins for conservationists to celebrate. 

More than 50 fencing cages erected to protect plantings of native shrubs have been systematically destroyed, leaving the plants vulnerable to grazing by deer. Within days, tender seedlines were eaten to nubs.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 51 people were shot in 43 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The two people — about whom no other information was shared — both had underlying health conditions, including weakened immune systems, and were diagnosed with the virus more than six weeks ago, officials said.

Chicagoans get to experience two seasons simultaneously this weekend: summer-like temperatures hitting the upper 70s and peak fall color.

Shedd researcher Karen Murchie has been singing the praises of suckers for years in service of drawing more attention to the overlooked fish. Now the broader scientific community is taking note. 

For the eighth year in a row, Chicago reigns supreme over Orkin’s Rattiest Cities list, but not everyone is convinced the city deserves the dubious distinction.

Meltwater carries dissolved road salt into streams and rivers, which can cause salinity to spike to deadly concentrations for freshwater fish and other wildlife. 

A mountain lion that ventured into Illinois has met with a tragic end, confirmed to have been struck and killed by a vehicle on I-88 in DeKalb County on Sunday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced.

It wasn't exactly a winter wonderland, but the first snowflakes of the season were recorded Monday morning at O'Hare, according to the National Weather Service.

Some 50 miles south of Champaign-Urbana, a tree stump in the middle of otherwise tilled acreage has become the stuff of legends. And now it's the subject of a short documentary, "The Magic Stump."

Whether you plan to watch the Chicago Marathon from your couch, are excited to join the cheering throng of spectators or just want to steer clear of traffic jams, here's what you need to know.

Early voting sites will open to all Chicago voters and voter registration services will be available.

"Chicago Sings Karaoke," a citywide competition, launches Oct. 9. The winner will receive $5,000.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in Sackett v. EPA, which challenges the scope of the Clean Water Act and could have far-reaching implications for the nation's wetlands.

Chicago bills itself as a world-class city, but when it comes to recycling, its performance has been less than first-rate. 

Nominations for the city's official Christmas tree are being accepted through Friday.

Between 1841 and 1872, the building served as the seat of Illinois Supreme Court, during which time justices heard several cases linked to Illinois' Underground Railroad.

Along with accepting items for donation, experts will be on hand to share tips not only about recycling but re-using, re-purposing and reducing consumption.

His alter ego, Ron Swanson, may have been an anti-government government employee, but in real life, actor Nick Offerman has thrown his support behind a referendum that would increase the property tax levy for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

The beloved duo live on in limestone, their instantly recognizable images carved into a block of the rock wall that separates the dunes from an adjacent paved path. They now join the thousands of modern-day “petroglyphs” that date back to at least the 1930s.

Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday night, and the views should be especially spectacular.

Hundreds of millions of birds are currently on the move every night across North America as they wing their way south during fall migration. Chicago is under a high alert Sunday, with a massive number of birds expected to pass overhead.

Officials are reporting that nine of the endangered bees were found during a recent survey of Lake County forest preserves.

Chicago's City Council approved a pilot program that will allow restaurants and grocery stores to make deliveries via "personal delivery devices (PDDs)," aka, robots.

The two-day architecture festival, set for Oct. 15-16, is back to in-person tours, with new sites and new communities — hello, Chatham and Hermosa — making their debut. Time to start mapping out a plan of attack.