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Birding Tour of the Illinois River
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Ashley Maybanks & Tarik Shahzad: Nature Conservancy & A Big Year
Wednesday, December 10 @ 7:00 p.m. CST In Person at Forest Park and Live-streamed on Zoom Send email to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for link to live-stream
Join us at Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights with Ashley Maybanks, and Tarik Shahzad; both from The Nature Conservancy of Illinois. Ashley plans to summarize current events in the Illinois State Government and Tarik, who works with Ashley, will talk about his Big Year - when he set a Cook County record for spotting and documenting the most bird species in a year.
State Rep. Jeff Keicher Receiving Legislative Leadership Award from The Nature Conservancy Director of Government Relations Ashley Maybanks; Alongside District 70 Interns
In the above image, Ashley provided a Leadership Award from The Nature Conservancy of Illinois to Illinois State Rep. Jeff Keicher for his work at raising further awareness about the benefits of prescribed burning and prairie restoration. According to Jeff, "If you haven’t had a chance to witness the prairie restoration happening in Lee and Ogle Counties at the Nachusa Grasslands, you owe it to yourself to take a trip out there to see the Buffalo in the fields that controlled burns have helped revitalize.”
The Nachusa Grasslands and Emiquon Preserve, are two of the major restoration projects sponsored and managed by The Nature Conservancy.
Tarik Shahzad: Birding the "Big Year" (Photo by Chicago Tribune)
Short-tailed Shearwater (Photo by Tarik Shahzad) Tarik Shahzad in 2024 documented 294 bird species in Cook County - a record for the county in a single year. This included spotting and documenting the Short-tailed Shearwater, a seabird whose usual habitat is the ocean and only rarely seen around the Great Lakes. This was the first documented sighting in Illinois. Tarik will be able to talk about his passion for birding as well as the importance of conserving natural habitat.
- Send email to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for link to live-stream.
Keep watching our Calendar of Events for the latest updated information on meetings, field trips and special events.
Peoria Audubon meetings always feature timely topics and everyone is welcome. And, the meetings are always FREE!
---------------------- Public is Always Welcome Meetings are free and open to the public
Monthly meetings of Peoria Audubon Society are held at |
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Peoria Audubon Society Local Natural Areas Open to Public for Birding The Peoria Audubon Society is inviting members and visitors on to its conservation properties. The Oak Bluff Savanna Nature Preserve and the Brimfield Railroad Prairie Nature Preserve are now birding hotspots open for public birding.
The Oak Bluff Savanna Nature Preserve is a 22-acre high quality oak woodlands, savanna and hill prairie in Marshall County. It is located about 4 miles southwest of Henry, Illinois; 2 miles west of Route 29 on County Road 1150N. Dozens of warbler species may be found in the preserve during spring and fall migration. Resident birds such as Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting and Baltimore Orioles can be found nesting on the site. Bird Surveys have shown over 150 species of birds utilize this natural area.
Oak Bluff Savanna Nature Preserve
The Brimfield Railroad Prairie Nature Preserve is a 6-acre restored native prairie in Peoria County. It is a ˝ mile long strip near Brimfield that was once railroad right of way, located at 18320 W Forney Road, Brimfield. The Jubilee Prairie Dawgs, a volunteer group dedicated to native prairie restoration, have partnered with Peoria Audubon Society to help maintain this prairie. It contains over 100 native prairie plant species, which are a critical part of the food web for many species of birds, butterflies and bees.
Black Swallowtail on Thistle at Brimfield RR Prairie Nature Preserve
Both of these high quality habitats are listed as protected lands by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission to assist with the protection of high quality natural areas and habitats of endangered and threatened species. Peoria Audubon Society is committed to long term conservation of these areas and is excited to share them with the public.
Peoria Audubon Society encourages visitors to record their bird sightings on these properties at eBird.org. Both nature preserves are listed as public birding hotspots. The nature preserves are open for hiking, viewing and enjoying the natural areas. No camping, no fires, no hunting or fishing, no collecting, and no restroom facilities are available. Visitors are asked to follow “Leave no Trace” principles when visiting Peoria Audubon properties, or any natural area.
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Keep watching the Calendar of Events for details on Peoria Audubon and other local activities. The public are always welcome! We would like to see you there!