Lake Cook Chapter welcomes voluntary donations in support of its free programs. If you are not already a member of the Illinois Audubon Society, consider joining.
Winter 2010 Program Events
Following is our 2009 -2010 program. Lake Cook Audubon programs are free and open to the public. We invite your participation. Sign up to be notified by email for program updates.
Programs are held at Heller Nature Center at 2821 Ridge Road in Highland Park, Illinois 60035 (directions) unless otherwise noted.
The following is paid advertising. We invite you to investigate the offers of our advertisers who appear here:
The Greater Prairie Chicken: Boom or Bust
Tues., Feb. 16, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
The greater prairie-chicken is the signature bird of the tallgrass prairie - it is also emblematic of endangered species in The Prairie State. From an estimated abundance of more than 10 million birds in the mid-1800s, just a few hundred remain in Illinois today at Prairie Ridge State Natural Area. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of conservationists, these populations have persisted for 50 years in spite of an insufficient amount of grassland habitat, competition from ring-necked pheasants, inbreeding depression, and other threats. New initiatives have breathed new hope into recovery efforts for the prairie-chicken in Illinois.
Dr. Jeff Walk is the conservation planner for the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He earned his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying grassland birds, and authored the recovery plan for greater prairie-chickens in Illinois.
Note: This program was originally scheduled for March 16. The date has been changed to accommodate the schedules of the presenters.
SPECIAL PROGRAM: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark: Birding Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
Tuesday, March 9
Ryerson Woods Welcome Center, 21950 Riverwoods Rd.,
Riverwoods, 7:30pm
Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery was a ground-breaking scientific expedition sent by Thomas Jefferson to “observe the animals of the country.” They collected more than 50 bird species, many of them new to science. With quotes from their journals and his own ornithological field notes, our favorite storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis brings to life this important chapter of American natural history. This program is jointly sponsored by the Lake County Chapter of National Audubon Society.
The Illinois Swainson’s Hawk Project
Tues., March. 16, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
The Illinois Swainson's Hawk Project (ISHP) studies the small remnant population of breeding Swainson's Hawks in Kane and McHenry Counties of northern Illinois, the only known nesting areas east of the Mississippi. Bob Morgan, professor of biology at Loyola University, will share his research and talk about the work being done to ensure that Swainson’s Hawks have a healthy future in Illinois.
This program was originally scheduled for February 16. The date has been changed to accommodate the schedule of the presenters.
Birding Fermilab Tues., Apr. 20, Heller Nature Center, 7:00 PM
Peter Kasper is both a Fermilab physicist and an expert birder and Internet author of The Birds of Fermilab. He’ll share some of the secrets of why this research campus has become one of the foremost birding areas in northeastern Illinois and those birds that call it home in preparation for our visit on April 25.
Saving the Cerulean Warbler: The ABC in Action
Tues., May 18, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
Neotropical migratory songbirds such as the Cerulean Warbler are threatened by the dwindling habitat of breeding grounds, wintering grounds, and migration routes in between. Jane Fitzgerald of the American Bird Conservancy will talk about this spectacular bird and the efforts of ABC to stem its decline.
Annual Spring Potluck Dinner & Meeting
Tues., June 22, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
Bring a dish to share and your own place setting. After dinner, we’ll
hold our annual meeting and election of officers for the coming year.
This is a chance to socialize, help set chapter policy and get in on
future planning.
This is an open meeting and our last program for the 2009 - 2010
season. If you are interested in our activities, you are welcome to
attend.
Fall & Winter 2009/Spring 2010 Past Program Events
Here is a list of programs that have already been held during our 2009 - 2010 program year.
Whippoorwill Farm: A Study in Savannah Restoration
Tues., Oct. 20, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
Whippoorwill Farms is an historic 7-acre tract in Mettawa that became invaded with highly dense buckthorn growth. Learn about the research by DePaul University and Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA) to transform the property into an oak and hickory savannah harboring native flowers, grasses, and wildlife. Urban Ecologist Lauren Umek will describe the research to determine the best restoration method and its dramatically different results after only two growing seasons. This is an excellent introduction to our field trip to the property on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Birding & Botany: Plants & the Birds That Love Them
Tues., Nov. 17, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
Ever wonder why Northern Orioles build their nest in elms while avoiding other tree species? Why a vireo singing in a cottonwood is most likely a Warbling Vireo? What a thistle-bird is? Ever see a wood pewee in a maple forest? Identifying the tree or shrub on which a bird is perched is often an aid to the bird’s identification. Ken Klick, restoration ecologist for Lake County Forest Preserves, will combine birding and botany and help us improve our birding skills.
Ken is is a botanist specializing in the ecology
and taxonomy of our region's flora. His projects at the Lake County
Forest Preserve include large scale habitat restorations involving
hydrologic restoration, large-scale planting, ecological monitoring,
and follow-up management planning. Ken's has a B.S. in Botany and is an
avid birder.
Wind Power and Wildlife
Tuesday, December 15, Heller Nature Center, 7:00 PM
With the increase in wind generators across the country and right here in Illinois, the effect on wildlife has become an issue of concern. Keith Shank, Endangered Species Consultant for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, who works extensively with the wind energy industry and local governments to address wildlife issues, will bring us up to date on what we do and do not know about the impact of wind generators, and what is and isn’t being done currently to protect wildlife in general and birds in particular.
The Cranes of Korea: Preserving the DMZ
Tuesday, Jan. 19, Heller Nature Center, 7:00pm
The Korean Demilitarized Zone was created as a 155-mile buffer zone between the North and South in 1953. It has become a wildlife sanctuary providing refuge for endangered-plant and animal life including some of the world's rarest birds including the Red-crowned and White-naped Cranes. The DMZ Forum, supported by notables such as Ted Turner, works to ensure the preservation of this sanctuary through the creation of an international peace park. Hall Healy, president of the Forum, will tell us about this initiative and what is means for the future of these highly endangered birds.
The following is paid advertising. Please patronize our advertisers:
Birding Fermilab
Saving the Cerulean Warbler: The ABC in Action 
Whippoorwill Farm: A Study in Savannah Restoration
