COS Breaking News!
Read below for the latest Chicago Ornithological Society updates!
Thanks Nathan!
COS is sad to announce that this spring Nathan Goldberg resigned from the COS Board to devote more time to other personal and professional pursuits far from the land of Chicago. We would like to thank Nathan for his contributions to COS over the years and wish him luck in his new endeavors.
Welcome Jake!
In May the COS Board elected Jake Vinsel to the Board of Directors. Jake was already the fundraising chair and has been active in the Calumet Project Committee and as a field trip leader. We are excited to see what Jake will contribute to the organization as an educator and as a champion for the Calumet Region.
2023 Fundraiser
The time and place for COS’s annual fundraiser are set. Join us on August 26 at Metropolitan Brewing for an event featuring live music, raffles, silent auctions, a major announcement, birding from the riverside deck, and the company of fellow bird and nature enthusiasts. Every dollar raised will be going directly into COS’s bird conservation projects. For more information, visit the COS website.
New Membership Platform
COS has completed the transition to the Join It membership management platform. Join It will provide COS with a more streamlined way to manage memberships, and it will allow members a simple way to begin and renew membership.
To access Join It as an existing COS member, click here. Then choose the “Log In” option at the top of the page and enter the email address associated with your COS membership. For help, email chicagobirder@gmail.com.
Bird Banding
Bird Banding has resumed at Big Marsh. As part of COS’s Calumet Initiative, the COS bird banding station is a part of the MAPS program, which deploys a standardized bird banding protocol for studying breeding birds. Banding takes place on 7 days between June and August and provides valuable information on how breeding birds are responded to the restoration of Big Marsh and the larger Calumet Region.
We Need You!
The COS communications and technology team is looking for a website designer, a social media guru, and writers for The Chicago Birder magazine and blog. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at ChicagoBirder@gmail.com.
Chicago Nighthawk Project
This summer approximately 40 volunteers monitored for the first official season of COS’s Chicago Nighthawk Project. The project hopes to fill in the data gaps on the breeding habits of Common Nighthawks in the Chicago area.
LaBagh Woods
This spring, volunteers planted an additional 190 native shrubs and trees at LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve. All the plants and the fencing necessary to protect them from voracious deer are paid for by COS. We are into our ninth year of this unique avian-based restoration effort, and have put more than 4,400 shrubs and trees into the ground. It is a joy to see migratory and resident birds using our plantings!