News and Events

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Program: Bicycling with Butterflies

Tuesday, January 3, 2023
7 p.m.
St. John United Church of Christ, Fellowship Hall, 1010 Park Blvd., Freeport, IL
Presenter: Sara Dykman

Zoom (from home) or in-person at St John United Church of Christ (Sara will be Zooming from Mexico).

In 2017, Sara Dykman became the first person to follow by bicycle-the eastern population of monarch butterflies on their roundtrip, multinational, multigenerational migration. From Mexico to Canada and back, her 10,201- mile adventure on a beat-up bicycle, was a call to action. Sara then wrote a book, Bicycling with Butterflies that deftly combines a travel memoir and popular science and recounts Dykman’s inspirational ride alongside the monarchs.

HYBRID PROGRAM: All members of Northwest Illinois Audubon Society (that we have emails for), will receive the Zoom link the week before the program. If you are not a member, we want you to join us for this great program, but you need to email, nwilaudubon@gmail.com to receive your Zoom link.

Meeting: Conservation Committee

Wednesday, January 4, 2023
6 p.m.

The Conservation Committee meeting is open to anyone interested in conservation. Contact Teresa at 815-238-3963 if you would like to participate.

Field Trip: Open Land Birding

Saturday, January 21, 2023
9 a.m. – noon
Carpool from Harbor Freight, 1722 S West Ave, Freeport, IL
Coordinator: Mary Blackmore, 815-938-3204

This year we plan to resume our group open land birding outings, with a few changes. Masks will be required for car-poolers. If pandemic or flu conditions worsen we will cancel, so registration is required. We will carpool and cruise country roads in local areas that were historically prairie. Viewing will be done predominantly from vehicles, using the cars as blinds. You may drive separately in your own vehicle, but be aware that we have a limited number of radios for communicating sightings. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s travel preferences.

Typically we’ll see several species – notably Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur and Horned Lark – on roadsides or in fields, often in abundance if there is adequate snow cover. Snowy Owls have been spotted in past years. Other species we’ll search for include Rough-Legged Hawk, Northern Shrike and Merlin. Of course we’ll enjoy any bird we see, including our many year round residents.

Carpool from the Harbor-Freight lot (east side) in Freeport at 9:00 a.m.

Event: To Build a Fire

Saturday, January 21, 2023
11 a.m.
Oakdale Nature Preserve, 4433 S Cranes Grove Rd, Freeport, IL
Coordinator: Adam Moderow, 815-541-5842

A campfire is an integral part of enjoying the outdoors for many people. It can also be a necessary one. When it’s cold and you’re in the wild, the knowledge of how to build a fire can be a vital difference in how the day turns out. During this demonstration, we will talk about building a fire in the winter, and how to manage it properly to keep you and the nature around you safe. Dress warmly. Meet by the Mogle building, just off of the parking lot. Contact Adam Moderow at adamoderow@gmail.com or at 815-541-5842 to register in case it becomes necessary to limit the number of participants.

Field Trip: Open Land Birding

Monday, January 30, 2023
9 a.m. – noon
Carpool from Harbor Freight, 1722 S West Ave, Freeport, IL
Coordinator: Mary Blackmore, 815-938-3204

This year we plan to resume our group open land birding outings, with a few changes. Masks will be required for car-poolers. If pandemic or flu conditions worsen we will cancel, so registration is required. We will carpool and cruise country roads in local areas that were historically prairie. Viewing will be done predominantly from vehicles, using the cars as blinds. You may drive separately in your own vehicle, but be aware that we have a limited number of radios for communicating sightings. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s travel preferences.

Typically we’ll see several species – notably Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur and Horned Lark – on roadsides or in fields, often in abundance if there is adequate snow cover. Snowy Owls have been spotted in past years. Other species we’ll search for include Rough-Legged Hawk, Northern Shrike and Merlin. Of course we’ll enjoy any bird we see, including our many year round residents.

Carpool from the Harbor-Freight lot (east side) in Freeport at 9:00 a.m.