Nature Show - 'The Buzz' - Features Feathered And Furry Creatures

Start your Thanksgiving Eve off right with interesting and entertaining nuggets of nature information as the Forest Preserve District of Will County airs November's episode of "The Buzz."

Episode five features owls, sandhill cranes, bones and furs. You can tune in to “The Buzz” at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, by going to the Forest Preserve’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/WillCoForests. You can even set a reminder to watch the online show.

If you miss it the first time around, it will be available for viewing later via Facebook, You Tube, YouTube.com/WillCoForests and local cable stations in Joliet, Naperville, New Lenox, Romeoville and Tinley Park.

This month’s episode features a fun menu of feathered and furry critter segments including :

Owls: Winter is prime time for owl activity in the preserves. As the temperatures drop, you may hear more owls calling as nesting season gets underway and in later months as the birds begin to raise their young. During the segment, program coordinator Suzy Lyttle heads out to explore some hot spots in search of owls while also sharing information about the owls that live in the preserves. View incredible close-ups that you might otherwise not be able to get while out for a stroll.

Sandhill cranes: Sandhill crane migration is in full swing and there is a whole swoop flying through the area from late October to early December. Will County forest preserves are located right in the middle of a migration flyway, meaning you have a great chance to hear (and maybe see) this aerial symphony passing through high in the sky. “The Buzz” captures them on camera and shows them strutting their stuff as they take a break on their trip south for the winter.

Furs and bones: While seeing a deer, coyote, opossum or many other critters in the preserves isn’t anything unusual, “The Buzz” gives you an inside look at many of these critters. How can you tell the difference between a fox and a coyote skull? Why is it so easy to ID a beaver skull? How does a special fur adaptation keep deer warm in winter? Thanks to a wide collection of specimens, Lyttle will be able to dig deeply into all these topics.

So, don't forget to tune in to see “The Buzz” and enjoy learning about and seeing the creatures that live in or pass high above the forest preserves of Will County.

For more information on the Forest Preserve District, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.