[BCNnet] Visits to two great bird habitats

[BLAZER, Rebecca]

There are still a few spots left in this month's Chicago Wilderness Habitat Clinics... please join us!

Restoration volunteers, monitors, interpreters and advocates are enjoying these opportunities to hear about successes and grapple with restoration challenges of all types at natural areas where volunteers are making significant contributions.   This month, we will explore two outstanding sites and hear from a wonderful and experienced group of presenters. (Registration information below.)
 
1.  Next Saturday's clinic at Springbrook Prairie features restoration of native prairie at a large grassland site.  Steward and bird monitor Joe Suchecki will lead us to three spots where the restoration efforts have had differing results.  He will share his 11 years of bird data and lessons his team has learned about large-scale prairie restoration in general and grassland bird habitat in particular.  Land Manager Leslie Berns of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will share her experiences restoring the stream that runs through the preserve.  Conservation activist Bob Fisher will lead a discussion about working with the local political system to support good habitat restoration.  As always, there will be plenty of lively and informative dialogue.    Springbrook Prairie is home to a variety of species of rare grassland and shrubland birds including the latest addition to our local breeding bird list, the clay-colored sparrow.  
 
Springbrook Prairie, DuPage County
Saturday, July 10, 9 a.m. - noon
Location: Meet in the parking lot marked "Model Airplane Field" in the west side of Plainfield/Naperville Road, a half mile south of 175th Street.  
 
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2.  At the end of the month, a clinic at Spring Creek Valley in Northern Cook County will showcase a 4000-acre county forest preserve - a huge complex of wetland, grassland and woodland with many rare plant and animal communities.  A partnership is forming to plan restoration at this site, and clinic participants can contribute their ideas as well as hear the thinking of various experts that have made recommendations.  Jean Sellar, ecologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers will comment on hydrology issues, Brad Semel, wildlife biologist with the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources will share his extensive experience with wetland restoration,  Stephen Packard, Audubon Chicago Region's director will describe the beginning steps in this new large-scale project, and Bill Koenig, volunteer manager with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County will talk about the way the project is involving the local community from the ground up.  As an additional treat, the meeting spot is at the end of the most fun little dirt road in all of Cook County!

Spring Creek Valley Forest Preserve, Cook County
Saturday, July 31, 9 a.m. - noon
Location:  Meet in the former Dog Training Area Parking Lot at the end of Wichems Road - on the North side of West Higgins Road between Beverly Lake and Old Sutton Road.           

Please register by emailing Rebecca Blazer at rblazer@audubon.org or calling 847-965-9239 ext. 21. These workshops are free and open to conservation volunteers in Chicago Wilderness.

More information is posted at www.habitatproject.org.


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Rebecca Blazer
Field Representative
Audubon - Chicago Region
5225 Old Orchard Rd., Suite 37
Skokie, IL 60077
Tel: 847-965-1150 ext. 10
Fax: 847-965-9282
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