Lake County Audubon Society

10/28/2026

10/27/2026

We loved exploring the Great Lakes with Oakdale’s third graders! 🌊 Thank you to the Carnegie for bringing local history and nature together for Waukegan students.

10/27/2026

This past Saturday, on a picture-perfect October day, Lake County Audubon Society board members traveled to Baraboo, Wisconsin, for a visit to the International Crane Foundation (ICF) to learn more about its efforts to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable bird species.

Our sincere thanks to Kate Fitzwilliams, Director of Philanthropy; Akiko Nakagawa, Interpretive Program Coordinator; and Cynthia Gitter, Assistant Curator of Birds, for so generously sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with us. From exploring the grounds and learning about ICF’s history and vision to gaining a behind-the-scenes perspective on their breeding and conservation programs, they gave us a much deeper appreciation for the scope of ICF’s efforts to protect cranes around the world.

Throughout our visit, we couldn’t help but recognize some parallels with the Great Lakes Piping Plover conservation efforts our Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan initiative supports here in Lake County. Different species and different challenges, but a shared commitment to bringing vulnerable bird populations back from the brink of extinction. It’s encouraging to see what years of persistence, collaboration, and dedication can accomplish.

We enjoyed the camaraderie, the exchange of ideas, and the opportunity to spend time with people who share our passion for protecting birds.

A special thank you to Hall Healy, former Board Chair and Director Emeritus of the International Crane Foundation, for helping make this visit possible.

We left Baraboo with new perspectives, renewed enthusiasm, and plenty to think about as we continue our own conservation efforts.

International Crane Foundation , Lake Forest College Bird Alliance , BirdConservation Audubon Great Lakes National Audubon Society

10/26/2026

10/23/2026

Keeping up with the birds means keeping up with their names! A little homework for your next birding adventure. 🪶

Taxonomy changes are a bit later this year, but they have arrived! North American Birds Editor Michael Retter fills us in on why Prairie Willet, American Egret, Western Marsh-Wren, and Painted Whitestart now appear on our checklists.

10/22/2026

10/22/2026

This past weekend, a mass collision event in the Chicago-area killed or injured more than 1,000 migrating birds, one of the deadliest single days in recent memory for the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors.

Chicago is the deadliest US city for migrating birds, but you can help change that. Located in the middle of the Mississippi Flyway, Chicago welcomes huge numbers of migrating birds—like this Tennessee Warbler—from across the hemisphere. Bird-friendly glass can help keep them safe from fatal collisions.

The proposed Bird-Friendly Building Design Ordinance would mandate bird-friendly glass for new commercial buildings, larger residential buildings and major renovations of those buildings across Chicago.

If you live or work in the city of Chicago, sign Chicago Bird Alliance's petition to let your alderperson know you want them to vote “yes” for the Bird-friendly Building Ordinance.

https://chicagobirdalliance.app.neoncrm.com/forms/bird-friendly-petition?

📷 Tennessee Warbler. Photo: Zachary Vaughan/Audubon Photography Awards.

10/21/2026

Growing curiosity and a love of nature, one field trip at a time! We love helping Waukegan’s third graders discover the natural world through our partnership with the Waukegan Parks Foundation at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie. 🌳