Please join us in the beautifully crisp fall weather for an easy restoration activity at Carruthers Nature Preserve in Lake Forest.  We are continuing our collaboration with Lake Forest Open Lands Association, transitioning this property into a bird-friendly habitat along the north-south greenway of a branch of the Chicago River. Today we will distribute the native plant seeds that we collected on last month’s workday so they settle in for spring growth.

Please wear sturdy footwear and consider bug repellent as we will walk a small distance off the trail/boardwalks. The ground is dry at present.  Snacks and hot drinks will be provided.

Directions: If you are heading north of Route 41, turn left (west) on Westleigh Rd and drive 1/2 mile to Wallace Rd.  Turn right and park on the street. If you are on Waukegan Rd (Route 43), turn east onto Westleigh Rd, pass the West Skokie River entrance, turn left (north) and park along Wallace.  The sign for Carruthers is on the corner.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/RGFAG74a9zKFtm3C6?g_st=i&utm_campaign=ac-im

Registration: Please email Maureen Marsh at firefeats@hotmail.com to let her know you will participate.

Every fall, the entire North American population of Broad-winged Hawks fill the sky in what is often called “a river of raptors” as they journey thousands of miles to their wintering grounds in South America. In 2012 and 2013, however, monitoring data suggested a population decline of 10 to 40% in some Eastern states. The next year, to better understand the threats to this forest-nesting raptor, biologists at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania began tagging adult and juvenile birds with transmitters to track them year-round. Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Director of Conservation Science at the sanctuary, will join us to discuss what’s been discovered about the bird’s migration patterns, stopover habits, nesting behavior, and other data that can help set conservation priorities for this species.