Bluebird Boxes & a Purple Martin House:
We have a small team of Member Volunteers: JoEllen Raby, John & Mary Beth Witcher have started assessing the condition of the boxes located at Coffee Creek Watershed as part of their Bluebird Trail. They have found old nests and a few wintering mice! This team could use a few more volunteers. (dunes.calumet@gmail) The Purple Martin House needs some repair before it can welcome new residents.


​Common Milkweed & Butterfly Weed is growing in the Greenhouse:
Our Greenhouse Team: Barbara Endoy, Cookie Ferguson, Barbara & Marc Meijer, and Loyce Fandrei met at the end of February to plant purchased and donated seed into flats. A week later we had lots of sprouts! A big thank you to the USGS Great Lakes Science Center and Noel Pavlovik for allowing us space in their Greenhouse.

Miller Beach & Marquette Park Shorebird Project:
We will be presenting a Shorebird ID & Monitoring Workshop on March 23 (Zoom). We will be looking for volunteers to help monitor shorebirds at Miller Beach on select dates in April & May.
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With the excitement of nesting Piping Plovers in Chicago the last few years, Dunes-Calumet engaged in activities in 2021 & 2022 at Miller Beach & Marquette Park with the idea that nesting shorebirds could be encouraged along our part of Lake Michigan. Some activities have included Miller Beach Clean Ups, Power Point presentations, Shorebird ID Workshops & Bird Walks, and outreach information at Miller Beach Farmer's Market and Miller Garden Club's Bulbs, Beer, & Brats.
The Miller Beach & Marquette Park lakefront access is limited by available parking. The Lake Street lots should open by 9:00 am daily from Memorial Day - Labor Day, but closed for rain or "hazardous beach days". Free parking at Marquette Park is at the very west end of Oak Avenue with access to Lake Street using the Octave Chanute Trail. Total walking from this parking to Lake Street and then along the beach to the breakwall and back is over 3 miles. 
NEEDED: Volunteer to lead phone calls, attend meetings, and pursue research (Shorebird Monitoring) access to Lake Street.