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!
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.
Dandeline Wine Arts & Music Fest
Save the date!
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 & 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!
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!!
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
World Migratory Bird Day Event at Volo Bog
Join Lake County Audubon Society at the World Migratory Bird Day Celebration at Volo Bog! We’ll have information about our Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan initiative, including lots of updates about the Lake County Piping Plover pair, Blaze and Pepper, and their chicks!!!
Bird Walk: Ryerson Conservation Area
Trip leaders:
Doug Reitz & Charlotte Pavelka (847) 347-8416
Matt Tobin (847) 951-1483
Join Charlotte and Doug for a late-April walk around Ryerson Conservation Area, one of the most popular sites in Lake County for spring migrating birds. Year-round woodland residents like Red-bellied Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches will be joined by a slew of species arriving throughout April, which may include Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Northern House Wrens, White-crowned Sparrows, and Palm Warblers. Many species will be actively singing during this time as they try to attract a mate.
The trip will begin in the Brushwood Center parking lot, which is pinned on the registration page linked below.
Bird Walk for Beginners: Independence Grove Forest Preserve
Trip Leader:
Donna Kenski, 847-347-3474
Calling all beginning birders! Join experienced Lake County Audubon Society bird walk leaders for a trip around Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville. This is a perfect preserve for both new and seasoned birders, with a large lake offering expansive views, and a stretch along the Des Plaines River that attracts many land species to the adjacent vegetation, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, sparrows, and finches.
Trip leaders will be happy to help with identification questions during the trip. Please bring a pair of binoculars if you have them, but we will have some loaners available at the walk.
The trip will begin in the North Bay parking lot, pinned on the registration page linked below.
Bird Walk: Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve
Trip Leader: Beau Schaefer
Trip Coordinator: Matt Tobin, 847-951-1483
Join expert birder Beau Schaefer for a walk around one of the largest forest preserves in Lake County. The expansive wetland and grassland habitats offer a home for many species, while providing countless more with the resources needed for a recharge on their migratory journeys. A number of waterfowl species are present in mid-April, including Blue- and Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Northern Shovelers, while breeding grassland birds like Eastern Meadowlarks and Field Sparrows may be observed from the trail.
The trip will start from the Drury Lane parking lot in the northern part of the preserve.
Directions to the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve parking lot are included in the registration link below.
Bird Walk: Greene Nature Preserve
EVENT REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED - EVENT FULL
Trip Leaders:
Matt Hayner (608-213-2382)
Matt Tobin (847-951-1483)
Come out for a joint walk with Lake Forest Open Lands as we explore Greene Nature Preserve, a hidden gem tucked away just north of Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve. With its spectacular ravine, bluff, and lakeshore habitats, many resident and migratory species are found at Greene, including a nice variety of woodpeckers and sparrows.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. This walk will be limited to 12 participants.
Directions to the preserve are included on the registration page linked below.
Evening Bird Walk: Woodcock Walk at Middlefork Savanna
EVENT REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED - EVENT FULL
Trip leader:
Matt Tobin (847) 951-1483
Enjoy an evening walk as we listen for American Woodcocks and look for their aerial displays against the dimming evening light. We'll also keep a lookout for Wilson's Snipes, which are often found at Middlefork in April. We'll start the trip with a quick visit over to the nearby wetland and then set up to await the woodcock activity after sunset.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. This walk is limited to 20 participants. Please dress accordingly for cooler evening temperatures.
The parking lot meeting location is pinned on the registration page linked below.