EVENTS
Eastern Wood-Peewee, Christian Deme
Program Meetings:
Current plans are for all LCAS program meetings to use the hybrid format, with Zoom and in-person attendance as options.
The in-person portion of meetings is held at Cook Memorial Library, 413 N Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, OR at Aspen Drive Library, 701 Aspen Dr, Vernon Hills. Please check individual event details for the library location. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome.
View recordings of past presentations on our YouTube page.
Bird & Nature Outings:
Unless noted otherwise, registration is mandatory for all outings (see included registration links). It helps us know how many participants to expect and allows for easier communication with you in case of potential changes. Be sure to check your email before heading out!
J'orge Garcia on Migration
Join us for a tour of the Piping Plover Special Exhibit followed by a presentation about the latest technologies used for tracking migration.
J’orge Garcia, Windy City Bird Lab Director
J'orge Garcia is a Chicago-area birder who brings his unique skill set from working to support Chicago's maker community into our great birding community. He first discovered birding after modeling a 3D-printed lens mount to attach vintage lenses to a mirrorless camera. Jorge shared his birding journey online through Twitter as he explored printing postcards and learning about Chicago's avian diversity.
His online sharing led him to become increasingly involved in the local birding community. He previously served on the board of the Illinois Ornithological Society and coordinated the Birds in My Neighborhood program at Openlands.
He now serves as the Director of the Windy City Bird Lab, leading projects like the Chicago Bird Migration Monitoring Network, which studies bird migration across the region. The program has since grown to support monitoring efforts in Minnesota, California, Colorado, and Mexico.
Dr. Francesca Cuthbert
Join us for a tour of the Piping Plover Special Exhibit at the Carnegie Museum followed by a presentation by Dr. Francesca Cuthbert.
The Endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover Population: History and Hope
Forty years ago, Piping Plovers were close to extinction in the Great Lakes. Only 12-17 pairs were known to nest in Michigan and the population was listed as Endangered in 1985. By the summer of 2025, the number of pairs increased to 88 and plovers were nesting on all 5 Great Lakes and in 4 states and the province of Ontario. How did this change in numbers happen and is it possible for this population to recover to the point of delisting at 150 pairs? This presentation will provide an overview of the efforts to increase nesting numbers and the lessons learned along the way. The history of plovers in the Great Lakes is marked by many challenges but significant hope exists for the future of this still small and vulnerable group of birds.
Francesca J Cuthbert is a Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
She has studied waterbirds in the North American Great Lakes for more than 40 years. Her research has focused on distribution and abundance (based on aerial and ground survey methodology) of colonial waterbirds as well as breeding ecology, demography, winter and migration ecology of waterbirds including the federally endangered population of the Great Lakes piping plover. For her work on piping plovers, she received a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Champion Award, the Ralph Schreiber Conservation Award from the American Ornithological Society and the Kai Curry Lindahl Conservation Award from the Waterbird Society.
Cuthbert has coordinated research and field season activities for the Great Lakes piping plover recovery effort as well as the US portion of the binational (with Canada) colonial waterbird survey in the Great Lakes. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and many reports on various topics of avian ecology, conservation and management. Her research has been supported by over 60 grants from federal and state agencies as well as non-profit organizations. Additionally, she has advised over 50 graduate students on diverse aspects of avian biology.
She is a member of the Waterbird Council of the Americas, Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and past-president of the Waterbird Society.
Nature Fun Fest
Join us for an afternoon full of nature-related activities with the Lake County Nature Network partners!
Pond Dipping - Food Trucks, Live Music Nature Crafts- Live Animals - Scavenger Hunt - Bird Watching - Plant Identification, and more! 15+ organizations will be represented and providing fun nature activities for the whole family!!
Lake County Audubon will offer Bird and Nature walks, nature crafts and more!
Complete an Activity Bingo Card and get prizes!!
Dandelion Wine Arts & Music Fest
Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine Fine Arts & Music Festival is a free annual family event that celebrates and remembers one of Waukegan’s favorite sons, author Ray Bradbury. The festival’s name comes from Bradbury’s iconic novel, “Dandelion Wine,” which celebrates Green Town (Waukegan) as well as summer. The festival is dedicated to showcasing local and regional artists and venues, championing the arts, remaining free to the public, and offering low participation fees to artists. Varieties of fine arts and crafts are encouraged including ceramics, drawing, glass, fiber arts, graphics, leather, metal, painting, printmaking, photography.
Lake County Audubon Society will be there providing information about the Waukegan Piping Plovers, Blaze & Pepper, Plants for Birds, World Migratory Bird Day and more!
Don’t miss our bird, Butterly and animals earrings that will be offered for sale during the event! Cash or credit accepted.
Green Bay Trail Day
Join us on July 26th at Green Bay Trail Day! We'll have our tent and table at LOCATION 14 on the trail and will be distributing lots of information about birds, Plants for Birds, bird walks, the Waukegan Piping Plover family and more!
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025.
Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Location: Green Bay Trail, between Shelton Park and Hubbard Woods in Glencoe, IL.
Activities: The event will feature numerous stations along the trail with free food, live music, activities, and exhibits for all ages.
Highlights: Prepare to be blown away by the trail's habitat restoration! Check out the butterfly hatchery, lots of recreational opportunities, and also learn about the trail's history.
Parking: Parking is available at Shelton Park.
To learn more, please visit the Friends of the Green Bay Trail Instagram page.
Lake County Audubon will be offering our gorgeous Jabebo earrings for sale at our table. Don't miss the special edition Monarch and Caterpillar earrings! Cash or Credit, limited to stock at hand.
Then & Now: History and Nature Walking Tour of the Lakefront
Location: Stiner Pavilion, 201 E. Seahorse Dr, Waukegan
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Duration: 1 hr
The Waukegan Park District is partnering with the Waukegan Historical Society, the Lake County Audubon Society, and Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan to offer the Then & Now Lakefront & Nature Tour on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 from 6pm to 7pm at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, located at 201 E. Seahorse Drive.
The free tour will begin at the Stiner Pavilion. Participants are encouraged to stay after the tour to enjoy the Waukegan Band's concert.
Preregistration is not required.
For more information, go to waukeganparks.org/history.
Lake County Audubon will be offering our gorgeous Jabebo earrings for sale at our table. Cash or Credit, limited to stock at hand.
Plover Palooza at Waukegan Library
Make your own felt and fluff piping plover to celebrate the official City of Waukegan bird with the Lake County Audubon Society.
Piping Plover Film Screening
In celebration of the return of our Waukegan Piping Plover Pair, Blaze and Pepper, Green Drink Libertyville is hosting a screening of the Lake County Audubon Society film “Sharing Our Shore and the Return of the Piping Plover to Waukegan Shores.” Written and produced by Carolyn Lueck, this film tells the story of the endangered Great Lakes piping plovers, the history making release of 4 plover fledglings in 2023, the successful nesting season of 2024 and the role Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan plays in this important conservation effort.
She’ll also share updates from the current nesting season with attendees!
Support the Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan by purchasing Limited Edition Piping Plover Earrings at the event.
This event is free and is open to the community.
Please patronize our host with a dinner order and arrive by 6:00 pm to order your food and drink.
Libertyville Hidden Gems Garden Walk
JOIN LAKE COUNTY AUDUBON SOCIETY at the Libertyville Hidden Gems Garden Walk sponsored by the Town & County Garden Club.
Tour Five Exceptional Gardens in the Libertyville Area
Meet the gardeners and be inspired to create your own home oasis.
Master Gardener table at one home site - bring your questions!
Lake County Audubon and Lake County Forest Preserves provide info on native plants, buckthorn removal, and supporting local wildlife.
*** Please note: there is a fee for this event. For more details click here:
Piping Plover Film Screening at the Carnegie
In celebration of the return of our Waukegan Piping Plover Pair, Blaze and Pepper, we are hosting a screening of the Lake County Audubon Society film “Sharing Our Shore and the Return of the Piping Plover to Waukegan Shores.” Written and produced by Carolyn Lueck, this film tells the story of the endangered Great Lakes piping plovers, the history making release of 4 plover fledglings in 2023, the successful nesting season of 2024 and the role Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan plays in this important conservation effort.
Support Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan by purchasing Limited Edition Piping Plover Earrings at the event.
This event is free and is open to the community. Join us at newly opened Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie before the film screening to view the exhibits.
Annual Birds & Breakfast Event at Ryerson Conservation Area
Scarlet Tanager, Matt Tobin
ArtWauk - Waukegan
Join Lake County Audubon Society at this month’s ArtWauk in downtown Waukegan.
ArtWauk is a monthly art event with galleries, shops, live entertainment and more. Area restaurants will be open with special offerings for attendees.
We’ll be hosting a table with Piping Plover themed information and activities.
Upscale Rummage Fundraiser for Lake County Audubon
Lake County Audubon Society (LCAS) encourages you to visit Upscale Rummage this Saturday, May 17, to find some treasures and/or donate your unwanted furniture or clothing to a great cause. Upscale Rummage is donating 100% of its profits for the day to LCAS, so your purchases will benefit birds, support our educational programs, and help us spread love for birds across generational and geographic boundaries. Plus, you help the planet by keeping useable goods out of landfills.
Upscale Rummage's amazing warehouse is packed with furniture, lamps, rugs, artwork, jewelry, clothing, antiques, and much more.
Be sure to stop at our LCAS table and say hi to your LCAS volunteers when you visit!
Special Partner Program: Hoy Audubon Bird Walk and screening of “Sharing Our Shore and the Return of the Piping Plover to Waukegan Shores” film
Great Lakes Endangered Piping Plover, Carolyn Lueck