Rock Run Preserve

08/27/2026

No, owls can't turn their heads all the way around. But they can rotate them a whopping 270 degrees in either direction. That means they do have full 360-degree vision if they look to the left and the right.

While it’s a common misconception that owls can turn their heads 360 degrees, they still can perform some pretty dramatic feats when it comes to checking out their environment.

08/20/2026

Find out why northern flickers are a little different than many other woodpeckers.

08/14/2026

We can’t quite tell what this turkey vulture is feasting on, but we appreciate the work it is doing to keep the environment clean. Turkey vultures have a great sense of smell, and they use it to sniff out animal carcasses from more than 1 mile away. Their love of eating carrion is a boon to us because not many animals like eating animal carcasses. Turkey vultures eat carrion almost exclusively, so they are heroes in keeping the environments free of stinking, rotting flesh. Can you tell what this vulture is eating? (Photo courtesy of Joe Viola)

08/06/2026

Looking to attract some new feathered friends to your yard? Goldfinches are an easy bird to entice. They will eat both nyjer and sunflower seeds, and they will eat from just about any kind of feeder, including tube feeders, platform feeds and hoppers. You’ll even find them on the ground foraging for seed. While goldfinches are frequent feeder visitors, they will also feast on seeds of native plants. Native thistles, coneflowers and milkw**ds are among the plants they will visit to eat seed.

07/30/2026

The myth that bats are blind may stem from the fact that bats often fly very close to objects, but that's because bats don't rely on their eyesight to navigate. Instead, these use echolocation.

07/23/2026

Today's cool 360-degree scenery out here today, where a blue sky and some puffy clouds really do add a little something extra to the scenery.

Rock Run Preserve is a perfect place, whether you're looking for a short walk around the loop or using it as a way to connect to other trails to extend your journey.

(Photo by Glenn P. Knoblock)

07/16/2026

Cicadas and locusts are not the same kind of insect. They aren't even closely related. Only one of them — the cicada — lives in the U.S. Locusts are a type of grasshopper, and they can be destructive in some of the places where they are found.

We often call cicadas locusts, but they are not even closely related insects. Learn the differences between them and why we never see locusts in Illinois or anywhere else in the United States.

07/09/2026

Flying squirrels don't fly so much as they glide, and the same is true of sugar gliders, a marsupial species that soars through the forests of Australia.

Australia is full of marsupials, including the sugar glider, a curious-looking creature that is reminiscent of the tree squirrels we are familiar with. 

07/02/2026

Our volunteers help the Forest Preserve accomplish so much more than we could without their commitment and dedication. If you want to join in, consider signing up for a Volunteer Morning being help this summer at various preserves. Summer projects include invasive w**d removal, brush control and seed collection.

Sign up for a summer Volunteer Morning program today. Help improve Will County's preserves while getting exercise and meeting new people.

06/30/2026

Seen any squirrels splooting this week?

Word of the week: Sploot.

Thanks to the heat wave, you may be seeing wildlife demonstrating this behavior on sidewalks, patios, or other cool surfaces. And if you're stuck outside in the heat, feel free to do your best squirrel impression and sploot.