Upcoming Events and News
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PROGRAM: Bald Eagle Release - Members Only
EVENT POSTPONED - DUE TO HIGH WINDS! Important Update: Bald Eagle Release Postponed Due to predicted strong winds this afternoon and the potential for severe weather conditions Friday evening, the decision has been made to postpone the Bald Eagle release event at the Highland Rookery. Certain protocols exist for releasing animals back into the wild, and the safety of the animal is always put first. We appreciate your understanding and will make an announcement as soon as a new date is set for the release. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for this special event. Sincerely, Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society |
Highland Heron Rookery Parking Lot
8445 Liable Road Highland, IN 46322 |
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PROGRAM: Conserving State-Endangered Black-Crowned Night Herons
Thursday, April 17th - 7:00 pm CDT Description: Black-crowned Night Herons are a state-endangered species of wading bird that historically nested across Illinois and Indiana. Despite its large breeding range, this species has experienced steep declines across the Great Lakes region and Northeastern United States. By 2022, the largest Black-crowned Night Heron colony in Illinois was concentrated at the Lincoln Park Zoo in the middle of Chicago. This motivated scientists from the University of Illinois and Illinois Department of Natural Resources to join forces with the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo to start a project to help them. This project has enhanced our understanding of Black-crowned Night Heron movements, habitat use, population health, and spearheaded conservation efforts for the species in Illinois. Through the support and encouragement of the Chicago Black-crowned Night Heron Project, the Illinois Audubon Society and northeastern Illinois' Bird Conservation Network are also helping to engage the public in this evolving conservation project. Speaker, Sarah Slayton, will talk about what has been learned so far, implications for conservation, the next steps, what's in the works for 2025, and how individuals can support this effort. This free program will be streamed via Zoom and Facebook Live. About the Speaker: Sarah Slayton is a M.S. student in Dr. Michael Ward's lab at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her current research focuses on the movement ecology and conservation of Black-crowned Night-herons breeding in the Great Lakes region, utilizing satellite tracking technology to better understand the habitat use and full annual cycle of night-herons breeding at Lincoln Park Zoo. |
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BIRD WALK: Exploring Meadowbrook
Sunday, April 19th - 9:00 am CDT From the melodies of songbirds to the flash of wings in the treetops, this guided bird walk offers a chance to connect with nature, learn from experienced birders, and experience the quiet beauty of the diverse woodland ecosystem at Meadowbrook. Bring your binoculars and curiosity—feathered surprises await around every bend. The group will meet the walk leader, Julie Bonnema, and representatives from Shirley Heinze Land Trust to learn more and explore this wonderful nature preserve. Total time about 2-3 hours. This event is free to Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society members and open to the public for a of the $5. Registration is required as capacity is limited. Click HERE to register through Eventbrite. |
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LOOKING AHEAD
Friday, May 2 - Woodcock Wander at Indiana Dunes State Park in Lake County. Participants will meet walk leader, Dan Barriball, at 7:30 pm CDT. Click HERE for more information and to register.
Saturday, May 3 - SPECIAL EXTENDED Bird Walk at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Porter County. Click HERE for more information and to register. Participants will meet the walk leader, Dan Barriball, at 8:00 am CDT at the Wilson Shelter.
Sunday, May 4 - Bird Walk co-sponsored with the Indiana Dunes National Park. Participants will meet the walk leader at 9:00 am CDT at the Paul H. Douglas Center in Gary. NO registration required.
May 15th through May 18th, 2025 - Native Plant Sale - A fundraiser to support our education and conservation projects!
Located at the Migration Marketplace Tent, Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N State Road 49, Chesterton
More info, including this years available plants, will be coming soon.
Friday, May 2 - Woodcock Wander at Indiana Dunes State Park in Lake County. Participants will meet walk leader, Dan Barriball, at 7:30 pm CDT. Click HERE for more information and to register.
Saturday, May 3 - SPECIAL EXTENDED Bird Walk at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Porter County. Click HERE for more information and to register. Participants will meet the walk leader, Dan Barriball, at 8:00 am CDT at the Wilson Shelter.
Sunday, May 4 - Bird Walk co-sponsored with the Indiana Dunes National Park. Participants will meet the walk leader at 9:00 am CDT at the Paul H. Douglas Center in Gary. NO registration required.
May 15th through May 18th, 2025 - Native Plant Sale - A fundraiser to support our education and conservation projects!
Located at the Migration Marketplace Tent, Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N State Road 49, Chesterton
More info, including this years available plants, will be coming soon.
Helping our Natural Resources
Join or Donate
Click HERE to learn about the benefits of becoming both a National Audubon and Chapter member.
Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society Chapter (only) memberships allows more funding to support local projects. |
Events and Activities
The Dunes-Calumet Chapter meets monthly for informative presentations. Bird Walks are led to sites that highlight the great diversity of bird-life found on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Visit UPCOMING PROGRAMS for more information and registration.
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Great Birding Opportunities
The diversity of birding sites in Porter and Lake Counties host more bird species than anywhere else in Indiana. Many birding sites are National Audubon recognized Important Bird Areas. Read more by visiting BIRDING LOCATIONS.
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Upcoming Bird Walks
See our Events and Trips page to learn more
about any of our upcoming field trips, and to register! |
Support us by Shopping for Dunes-Calumet Audubon Merchandise.
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FEATURED BIRDING SITEGibson Woods Nature Preserve
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FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
Follow us for the latest news from DCAS, as well as field trip and meeting updates from around the region.
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OUR MAILING ADDRESS
Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society P.O. Box 36 Wheeler, IN 46393 |