Stories by Patty Wetli

The medical and animal care staff at Shedd Aquarium have been on an emotional rollercoaster the past few months as the institution participated in an unprecedented rescue of 10 beluga whales.

A researcher at Shedd Aquarium tracked a single bluegill traveling nearly 7.5 miles in a single day, or the equivalent of a 52-mile swim for a human.

A new report outlines investments made by the forest preserve district between 2023 and 2025 that wouldn’t have happened without additional tax dollars.

WTTW News spoke with Ron Pitelka, the guy who extracted a 50-ton prehistoric boulder at O’Hare Airport.

The Chicago Department of Aviation launched a naming contest for a giant boulder unearthed at the airfield.

The park, which serves as an entry to the 606 Bloomingdale Trail, would honor one of Chicago’s most acclaimed street artists.

Organizers have announced an addition to the upcoming open water Chicago River Swim: the Big Jump.

Work on the critical carp barrier was halted in late July. On Wednesday, the White House lifted the stop-work order.

“At this time, it is impossible to know if these passings are isolated or related,” Shedd said in a statement.

Members of Teamsters Local 700 and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has come to terms on a contract extension, ending a 16-day strike by approximately 230 forest preserve employees.

Chicagoans are invited to vote on the next improvement to the city’s front yard, Grant Park.

Wednesday is expected to be a repeat of Tuesday, when the heat index reached 106 degrees at Chicago's Midway Airport and 103 degrees at O'Hare.

The last beluga whales remaining at a defunct marine park in Canada are now on their way to new homes in the U.S. A pair arrived at Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday morning.

Starting Saturday, thrill-seeking bike riders will get to test their skills on the newest additions to Big Marsh Park’s complex of BMX and mountain biking trails.

The eclipse will peak Thursday night at 11:12 p.m., with almost the entire moon darkened by Earth's shadow.

The American Society of Landscape Architects announced Lurie Garden as the 2026 recipient of the organization’s Landmark Award.

The 23-year-old female whale was part of a second group of four whales that arrived at Shedd in mid-August, following a pod of four who came to Shedd in late July.

Deep in Barrington's horse country, a former equestrian farm is being restored to native wetland and grassland habitat. How's it going?

Sampling crews removed hundreds of small silver carp from a stretch of the Illinois River that's just 80 miles from Lake Michigan,

Nearly 200 employees at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County went on strike Monday after failing to come to terms with management on a new contract.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center preliminarily confirmed Tuesday's widespread storms as a derecho.

The Chicago area was under a tornado warning Tuesday morning, as fast-moving storms swept into the region.

The Chicago Park District is extending the outdoor pool season at select locations across the city.

“Working with wildlife comes with such highs and lows,” said Carolyn Lueck, president of Lake County Audubon Society.

Calling for reinforcements! It’s a piping plover-palooza in Waukegan where the ratio of hatchlings to adults is suddenly 6 to 1.

“I had a better chance of photographing a unicorn,” Luke Dahlberg said of discovering the rare bird.