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2016 Calendar of Events

  • April 3 7:30 AM Bird Walk Leader: Jill Niland, Chicago Ornithological Society
  • April 16-23 all day Get Kids Outdoors Week Turn off the TV and computer and spend the day outdoors
  • April 30 7:30 AM Bird Walk: Chicago Ornithological Society
  • Apr 30 10:00 AM Last Saturday Bird themed activities (watching/feeding/housing)
  • May 14* Bird Walk Chicago Ornithological Society at WRNP
  • May 28 10:00 AM Last Saturday Aquatic themed activities (fish/amphibian/macroinvertebrate)
  • June 25 10:00 AM Last Saturday Flying insect themed activities (butterfly/dragonfly/damselfly)
  • June 27-30 all day Fishing Clinics Lessons for first timers--equipment available
  • July 14 all day Amnesty Day Return artifacts you have from WRNP (bones, arrowheads, etc.)
  • July 25 10:00 AM Last Saturday Wildflower themed activities (native/non-native/invasive)
  • Aug 27 10:00 AM Last Saturday Crawly critter themed activities (insect/spider/worm)
  • Sept 16 dusk Full Moon BYOTelescope
  • Sept 27 10:00 AM Last Saturday Tree themed activities (native/non-native/invasive)
  • Oct 15 9:00 AM Teacher Workshop Field trip/creative writing ideas
  • Oct 29 10:00 AM Last Saturday Spooky themed activities (bones/mammal)

TBD Events:

  • Calling Frog Monitoring
  • Odonate Monitoring
  • Water Quality Testing
  • Stewardship Days
  • HS Concert/Chorus Frogs
  • Nature Play Dates
  • Art/Photo/Writing Contests
  • Yoga/Pilates/Walking

* West Ridge Nature Preserve Trip - May 14, 2016, 7:30 a.m.

Explore one of Chicago's newest parks, Saturday, May 14th, 7:30 a.m.

Join COS for a migration walk-through of the emerging West Ridge Nature Preserve. Opened in September 2015, West Ridge was carved out of the north-west corner of Rosehill Cemetery around a small fishing pond. For a fairly small preserve (20 acres) it has a good variety of habitats - oak woods, brushy edges, forest/openland verge, water and a small seasonal marshy patch. Besides mid-May migrants, who knows what we'll find! 

After making a loop or two of the park, if we have some time on our hands and good birds in the area, we may head over to the nearby Chicago River parks between Lawrence and Peterson or into Rosehill Cemetery itself which is also a birding West Ridge Nature Center is at 5801 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60659. Parking is street-side on Western and side streets to the west. Meet at the main gate at the intersection of Western and Ardmore. The trails are paved and easily walked.

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