2010 Heron Rookery
Thank You
Dear Volunteer,
Thanks to the hard work, cooperation, and ingenuity of the Monday and Tuesday Heron Platform
Teams, all eleven of our platforms have been installed. We finished before noon today with great
feelings of pride and satisfaction at a job well done, enjoyed in the beautiful winter environment of
that frozen pond. We also have a bit of curiosity, wondering which platforms will have nests, will all
of them capture a nesting pair's attention, how many new blue herons will be produced as a result
of our efforts? This is just the beginning!
There are many many people to thank in addition to our intrepid volunteers: The staff members of
the Lake County Forest Preserve District headed by Tim Preuss who did a great job organizing the
tasks in advance and directed us on the ice; Jack Nowak whose idea it was long ago to enlist the
Lake County Audubon Society in a plan to replace the fallen trees with artificial trees, along with
other staff members from the Almond Marsh facility. Don Rambadt, sculptor extraordinaire,
donated his time to fabricate the platforms and spent all those hours on the ice with us. Elliott
Bennett, from REI in Northbrook, not only pitched in but also brought hand warmers and energy
bars and helped many of our volunteers learn about this project with the REI email list and bulletin
board. Starbucks and Caribou Coffee in Libertyville donated coffee to keep us warm and
energized. A big thank you to Judy Pollock whose efforts brought this project to the attention of
BCN (Bird Conservation Network) and IBET (Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts) members.
We had people of all ages helping, from McHenry, DuPage, and Kane Counties, and Chicago,
places near and far. And thanks, too, to the Friday volunteers who will get the day off. Perhaps
we'll have future opportunities.
I think we learned a great deal as we installed each platform, something that helped with each
successive one. I learned that volunteerism is still alive and well, and that perfect strangers can
work well together to accomplish a great deal of quality work in a relatively short period of time. I
learned long ago that you meet the nicest people when you're working outdoors to improve some
facet of the environment, and that hasn't changed at all.
Thank you to everyone for a job well done! Visit the New Sun website for a great photo, and story,
and click on the video to relive your experience.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/index.html
Mark your calendar for Lake County Audubon Society's "Cheese and Crackers with the Birds" at
Almond Marsh on Wednesday, June 16, 6:00 in the evening. We'll have binoculars, spotting
scopes etc. plus nibbles. Children are welcome. Info at www.lakecountyaudubon.org
Best regards,
Chris Geiselhart
President
Lake County Audubon Society
PS
*Heron Facts: average life span is 15 years
*Body length 3.2-4.5 feet
*Wingspan 5.5-6.6 feet
*Weight 4.6-7.3 lb.
*Group name Colony
*Females can produce 2-7 eggs per season
*Both parents incubate and protect
*Can leave the nest after two months
*Love fish, insects, and especially mice.
Source: National Geographic's animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
birds/great-blue-heron/
Thanks to the hard work, cooperation, and ingenuity of the Monday and Tuesday Heron Platform
Teams, all eleven of our platforms have been installed. We finished before noon today with great
feelings of pride and satisfaction at a job well done, enjoyed in the beautiful winter environment of
that frozen pond. We also have a bit of curiosity, wondering which platforms will have nests, will all
of them capture a nesting pair's attention, how many new blue herons will be produced as a result
of our efforts? This is just the beginning!
There are many many people to thank in addition to our intrepid volunteers: The staff members of
the Lake County Forest Preserve District headed by Tim Preuss who did a great job organizing the
tasks in advance and directed us on the ice; Jack Nowak whose idea it was long ago to enlist the
Lake County Audubon Society in a plan to replace the fallen trees with artificial trees, along with
other staff members from the Almond Marsh facility. Don Rambadt, sculptor extraordinaire,
donated his time to fabricate the platforms and spent all those hours on the ice with us. Elliott
Bennett, from REI in Northbrook, not only pitched in but also brought hand warmers and energy
bars and helped many of our volunteers learn about this project with the REI email list and bulletin
board. Starbucks and Caribou Coffee in Libertyville donated coffee to keep us warm and
energized. A big thank you to Judy Pollock whose efforts brought this project to the attention of
BCN (Bird Conservation Network) and IBET (Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts) members.
We had people of all ages helping, from McHenry, DuPage, and Kane Counties, and Chicago,
places near and far. And thanks, too, to the Friday volunteers who will get the day off. Perhaps
we'll have future opportunities.
I think we learned a great deal as we installed each platform, something that helped with each
successive one. I learned that volunteerism is still alive and well, and that perfect strangers can
work well together to accomplish a great deal of quality work in a relatively short period of time. I
learned long ago that you meet the nicest people when you're working outdoors to improve some
facet of the environment, and that hasn't changed at all.
Thank you to everyone for a job well done! Visit the New Sun website for a great photo, and story,
and click on the video to relive your experience.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/index.html
Mark your calendar for Lake County Audubon Society's "Cheese and Crackers with the Birds" at
Almond Marsh on Wednesday, June 16, 6:00 in the evening. We'll have binoculars, spotting
scopes etc. plus nibbles. Children are welcome. Info at www.lakecountyaudubon.org
Best regards,
Chris Geiselhart
President
Lake County Audubon Society
PS
*Heron Facts: average life span is 15 years
*Body length 3.2-4.5 feet
*Wingspan 5.5-6.6 feet
*Weight 4.6-7.3 lb.
*Group name Colony
*Females can produce 2-7 eggs per season
*Both parents incubate and protect
*Can leave the nest after two months
*Love fish, insects, and especially mice.
Source: National Geographic's animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
birds/great-blue-heron/
February 1, 2010
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