Given the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation, stewardship workdays are cancelled till May 11. Please visit our blog for more information: https://www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2020/3/13/cos-trips-cancelled

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day at Montrose Beach, Chicago’s largest and wildest beach! Birdwatchers are encouraged to give back to birds by joining the effort on Saturday, April 18, to remove trash so it doesn’t blow back into Lake Michigan, pollute our water supply and pose dangers for native fish and diving ducks. Another very important reason to give Montrose Beach a thorough spring cleaning is that Monty and Rose, the endangered Piping Plovers who nested there last summer, are very likely to come back and nest here again. Piping Plover chicks need a clean beach, free of plastics and other litter!

Here’s a suggestion for the day: Go to Montrose and bird the beach, the point, the harbor and the area around Golf Course Pond all morning. Come back to Montrose Beach, sit down for a while on the steps of the Montrose Beach House, enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks, then grab a bucket and some gloves and clean the beach for a couple of hours. Sierra Club Chicago Group has been cleaning Montrose Beach twice a year for 23 years. This is our third year of partnering with Truman College’s Environmental Club.

Equipment, snacks and water will be provided for the beach cleanup. The beach cleanup is from noon to 3 p.m. and begins at the Beach House, 4400 Montrose Harbor Drive.
For more information about how to participate, please contact Jeff Shelden at jeffshelden@gmail.com

Directions: Meet on the east side of the beach house at Montrose Beach at noon. Parking is free and bike racks are provided at the beach house. It is a 10 to 15-minute walk to Montrose Beach house from the bus stops at Montrose and Marine Drive.