COVID-19 Notice

At the present time, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, all previously scheduled Peoria Audubon Society membership meetings - that would normally be held at Forest Park Nature Center - are hereby cancelled or postponed until further notice out of concern for the health and safety of our members and the community.

Instead, we will be offering programs virtually via Zoom. A Zoom link will be provided to our email subscribers prior to the event. All programs are open to the public and free.

Note that this fall, we will be transitioning back to hosting in-person membership meetings at Forest Park Nature Center.  We will announce the meetings on this webpage. 

As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a limited number of outdoor activities are being scheduled.  Please check with, and subscribe to our Facebook account for late breaking information and the scheduling of birding walks and informal birding events.  These will be limited in scope and in the outdoors where physical distancing and safety can effectively be practiced.  We encourage everyone to enjoy the outdoors while remaining safe. 

Bob Dolgan: Piping Plovers in Chicago      

Filmaker, Bob Dolgan will speak and show a film that tells the story of "Monty & Rose," a pair of endangered Piping Plovers attempting to nest on a busy beach in Chicago.  The short independent documentary chronicles these special birds and an unpredictable series of events including a proposed music festival that propelled them to national headlines. 

Monty and Rose became the first piping plovers to nest within the city limits of Chicago since 1955. In addition to the showing the film, Bob will provide additional information, stories and answer questions regarding this marvelous event.  Click HERE to watch the official trailer of Monty and Rose.    

Click HERE to watch a YouTube recording of the virtual meeting

Statewide survey of birds.  This bird count is timed to be at the peak of spring migration.  The Peoria Audubon Society organizes teams to participate in the Statewide count.  Contact Mike Miller at (309) 681-2858, Peoria County compiler, for more information and to volunteer. 

Statewide survey of birds.  This bird count is timed to be at the peak of spring migration.  Contact Rick Fox at (309) 369-5330, Fulton County compiler, for more information and to volunteer. 

Sommer Park, West of Peoria

Peoria Audubon is teaming up with the Peoria Park District to host a Hummingbird Banding Event at Sommer Park in Edwards, IL.  Verne Kleen, a licensed hummingbird bander will be present to band hummingbirds and answer any questions you have about our little feathered friends.  Entrance to Sommer Park

Event is free and open to the public.  Come as you are! 

Ken Robertson, from the Illinois Natural History Survey, will be with us to provide information on tallgrass prairies in Illinois.  This includes a historical perspective as well as what is needed for their restoration and plans for future generations. 

Send email request to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for more information and a link to attend/watch the free virtual Zoom meeting

Dr. Mike Ward, Associate Professor in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign, will be with us to discuss bird migration and what we can do in Illinois to help migrating birds. Dr. Ward's research focuses on species of conservation concern, and he has developed novel approaches to species conservation. He uses telemetry to radio monitor the behavior and migration of birds. 

Send email request to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for more information and a link to attend/watch the free virtual Zoom meeting

Ornithologist Tara Beveroth of the Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign will join us via Zoom and discuss her portfolio of avian research projects, including the Annual Spring Bird Count and the monitoring of nightjars and owls as well (Project MOON).  The Spring Bird Count has been ongoing since 1972 and includes data from all 102 Illinois counties. 

Send email request to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for more information and a link to attend/watch the free virtual Zoom meeting

Julie Robinson from Local OPAL (Outdoor Playing And Learning), will be with us to describe all the local outdoor recreational opportunities and how the Local OPAL system works to: "Find things to do, connect with others, and Learn about our local outdoors." 

Peoria Audubon Society coordinates three local Christmas Bird Counts.  Local details for the 122nd annual Christmas bird count, which will occur between December 14, 2021 and Jan. 5, 2022 for all the individual count circles, are still being finalized