BCN coalition affiliate Lake County Audubon Society (LCAS) sets a high bar for community engagement and proactive bird conservation. LCAS is an all-volunteer nonprofit affiliated with the National Audubon Society. They support the birds and wildlife of Lake County through a range of programs:
- “Birdscaping” grants fund the acquisition of native plants and provide oversight for approved community projects to develop natural habitats, which to date have included a butterfly park, a watershed restoration, native gardens, and more.
- Bird monitoring by LCAS volunteers includes BCN’s annual breeding bird Survey; Spring Bird Count and Christmas Bird Count; and Piping Plover, migratory bird, and secretive marsh bird monitoring. LCAS recently partnered with Windy City Bird Lab and funded a nocturnal flight call monitoring station to be installed in Waukegan.
- Community outreach: LCAS celebrates birds and educates the public on conservation issues through monthly program meetings from October to May, myriad bird walks and tabling at community events, and partnerships with various municipalities and organizations.
- Bird City Illinois recognition has been realized for six Lake County towns through the collaboration of LCAS and local governments to make communities more bird-friendly through habitat creation, threat reduction, and public education and engagement.
- Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan is an innovative collaboration between LCAS and the city of Waukegan to raise awareness of the need to protect Piping Plover habitat; Waukegan Dunes are federally recognized as critical habitat for this endangered species. Through the SOS-W program, LCAS directly engages the City of Waukegan government, police department, library, historical society, and school system, plus local community groups.
- A 2024 film by LCAS President Carolyn Lueck told the story of the Great Lakes Piping Plovers’ return to breed on the shores of Waukegan. This fall, LCAS curated a Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie special exhibit called “Through the Eyes of the Piping Plovers: The Flora, Fauna and People of the Waukegan Shores.”
Lake County Audubon is happy to share its experience and knowledge with organizations that wish to replicate LCAS programs in their own region. To learn more, visit www.lakecountyaudubonsociety.org for a full description of these programs and contact information.