Calumet Initiative

About Calumet

Located on Chicago’s southeast side are the resilient and irreplaceable wetlands of the Calumet region. Five hundred acres of marshes and waterways provide critical habitat for more than 250 species of birds that rely on the region for migration, nesting, and overwintering. The habitat is a remnant of a freshwater wetland system that once stretched over tens of thousands of acres before being nearly decimated by industrial development.

MOTUS

Sitting atop the Ford Calumet Environmental Center in Big Marsh Park is an antenna array that picks up and records the movement of birds, bats, and butterflies on their epic migration through Chicagoland. In partnership with the Chicago Park District, COS installed the antennas in 2021, connecting them to the Motus wildlife tracking system of more than 850 stations around the world. This receiver—the first in Cook County—feeds data to scientists working to reveal the secrets of global migration. The Calumet region’s position on the Mississippi flyway and its significance to birds year-round, makes it an ideal location for the tower.

About the Project

COS has long been an advocate for birds in the region and is committed to the ongoing restoration and preservation of this distinctive landscape. We also see the potential in the Calumet area for a new type of urban park—one that provides high-quality outdoor spaces for its neighbors, while supporting a flourishing wetland ecosystem.

Guided by a multi-year master plan, we are working with public and private partners to help build a future for the Calumet region with thriving parks, communities, and birds.

Park 566, State of the Birds Report

For several years, former COS board member Dan Lory has meticulously documented the slow environmental transformation and growing avian diversity at Park 566, which stretches along the Chicago lakefront from 78th to 85th streets and is a remnant of the once massive U.S. Steel South Works site. His annual “State of the Birds” reports tell a story of common and endangered species returning to the park after recent work to restore and improve the site. The changes captured in these reports speak not only to the importance of conserving this site, but to its immense potential as restoration work continues. We are excited to contribute to efforts to monitor, protect, and enhance this unique park and proud of the work Dan Lory has done to document its journey.

Read the 2023 Report.

2023 Report

MAPS Bird Banding Station

Since 2020, COS has sponsored the Big Marsh bird banding station, giving scientists a glimpse into the lives of the birds of the Calumet region. The station is part of the Institute for Bird Populations’ MAPS Program (Monitoring Avian Productivity & Survivorship). The insights gathered at the station paint a picture of the health and success of birds breeding in the area. The few minutes a bird is in the hand of a trained bird bander can help answer questions about the species’ longevity, whether they are returning to Big Marsh year after year, and whether they are producing many young. All birds are captured, banded, and released in accordance to permits obtained through the US Bird Banding Lab and the State of Illinois.