Urban Bird Walk and Water Tour

11555 South Stony Island Avenue,Chicago IL 60633

15 October, 2021

Description

Hosted by Audubon Great Lakes Experts from Audubon Great Lakes, The Wetlands Initiative and Chicago Park District will lead a bird walk and water tour through some of Chicago's hidden gem wetlands. The walk will take you through Big Marsh, an urban wetland and amazing place to discover birds and other wildlife. Big Marsh and nearby Lake Calumet have been tremendously important for wildlife, especially marsh birds like state-threatened least bittern and state-endangered common gallinule, both as a breeding area and a site for birds to rest and refuel during migration. Participants will learn more about the history of the region and important habitat restoration work and water control structures that re-create or simulate the natural ebb and flow of wetlands, efforts resulting in species making a comeback at Big Marsh. This walking tour will be lead by Daniel Suarez (Audubon Great Lakes), Paul Botts (The Wetlands Initiative), and Matt Freer (Chicago Park District). For questions pertaining to this specific event, please email [email protected]. NOTE: This is an in-person event. The meeting address is specified in the event details to the right. The group will meet at the Ford Calumet Environmental Center and will depart at 8:00 am, rain or shine. In case of lightning, you can go inside the Center. Be prepared to pull up your registration confirmation email or Eventbrite page on your phone before the start of the tour. Tour Guides' BiosDaniel Suarez is the Conservation Manager for Audubon Great Lakes, where he builds partnerships and implements conservation projects across Illinois and Indiana. He works closely with public agencies, tribes, NGO partners, and Audubon’s network of chapters and volunteers to restore habitat for birds and people while supporting Audubon’s policy and engagement teams in building a diverse constituency that defends and creates strong public policy across the Great Lakes region. Daniel is also a steering committee member of Chicago Wilderness, where he co-chairs the Agriculture Team and the Grassland Bird Task Force. Matt Freer has worked at the intersection of people and nature for over 20 years. Matt has spent most of his career working in urban environments. Currently overseeing the Chicago Park District’s Environmental Conservation and Engagement team, his recent work has focused on access to nature for Chicagoans. Matt is thrilled to share the myriad of benefits of nature with a greater audience. Matt and his team are planning and expanding nature areas in Chicago that benefit all Chicagoans as a resources to address individual and community health, increasing urban heat, flooding, air pollution and rising lake levels. Audubon Great Lakes is a regional office of The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. The Chicago Park District manages parks, recreation and event facilities, beaches, museums, lagoons, conservatories, and gardens throughout Chicago. The Chicago Park District owns more than 8,800 acres of green space, making it the largest municipal park manager in the nation. The Chicago Park District's more than 600 parks offer thousands of sports and physical activities as well as cultural and environmental programs for youth, adults, and seniors. The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) is a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. TWI combines two basic strategies in its work: on-the-ground restoration of wetland landscapes both independently and in partnership with other organizations, and innovation of ways to promote and finance large-scale wetland restoration by others. Started in 2020, Chicago Water Week is an annual 5-day celebration of the importance of water and its many forms and functions. The week is scheduled and anchored by Current with participation from its many partners in Chicago, the Great Lakes region, and beyond. To participate in this or a future Chicago Water Week, please visit https://www.currentwater.org/chicago-water-week.