Beautiful Start to 2024 Season

Today was a magnificent start to the year at the Dunes. The water has continued to retreat, giving us a really lovely high foredune that’s covered in grasses. The Lake Rocket is sprouting all over the new sandy beach area that has been left by the retreating lake. A couple volunteers and I spent a lot of our time today in that area pulling thistle.

The little white flowers of the Sand Cress are in bloom around the site (<– as pictured here).

Golden currant (pictured below) is showing out on the upper ridge by the entrance. I hope you can see them in person!

Mark your calendar- workdays in 2024 are 4th Saturdays, 10:00am-12:00pm:

• May 25, June 22, July 27, August 24, September 28
  • Community stewardship workdays include – Invasive species management, trash clean up

RSVP to a scheduled Workday here.

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See you at there!

The Start of a New Year at Rainbow Beach Dunes

Last year was a little rough as I was handed the lead role at Rainbow Beach Dunes without much warning when both Jen and Alison needed to completely step back from their roles a bit unexpectedly in the middle of the year. I had just become a co-steward and was suddenly made the lead for RBD. Though when I volunteered at Burnham Nature Sanctuary to meet the stewardship requirements, Kathleen Taylor (lead steward at BNS), told me this was very similar to her start. So I wasn’t completely surprised when it happened to me. I had just hoped there would be a little more time for me to become familiar with the flora and fauna of the site before taking the lead.

These seemingly less than ideal circumstances might actually be the perfect opportunity for growth. When we look at the ebb and flow of the dunes since the creation of the natural area in 2004, we can see that almost half of the land area has disappeared due to rising lake levels. As I learned from Alison, this is simply the nature of the dune ecosystem. As the lake levels again subside, more and more sand is being revealed, which provides the perfect opportunity for new growth. As stewards and volunteers, it’s our responsibility to make sure that harmful invasive are not given a chance to take a foothold and that a diverse, native flora is reestablished on the reemerging dunes. I’m excited to work with everyone to continue to nurture our beautiful lakefront dunes at Rainbow Beach that countless amazing people have helped establish and maintain over the years.

Last year really reminded me of the pillar of community that is supporting these dunes. I sensed that pillar even at times when working alone or in a small group. Though I struggled to really pull everything together on my own, one dedicated volunteer really stopped me from losing site of that community. And starting this new year off, Shauntia Fleming has been steadfastly supportive. We’ve been really excited to get back out to the site and make positive headways by dedicating one work day on the 4th Saturday of every month from April through September to not only make the dunes inviting to all sorts of native plants and animals, but a place where neighbors can come together, work together and grow together.

We’re looking forward to a great new year at the Rainbow Beach Dunes with all of you!

Please visit the RSVP page to sign up for workdays.

Jacob Klippenstein

Saturday September 24: Community stewardship

Dear Rainbow Beach Dunes Volunteers and Friends!

Our last volunteer day of the year is upon us, Saturday September 24th, 10am-12pm. Please RSVP here. We hope to enjoy a diversity of insect life and take care of some much needed weeding in the tumultuous dune shoreline. Maybe we’ll even catch a dragonfly swarm like I did the other day. I’d love to see you there so we can end this year on a high note.

Thanks for sticking with the Rainbow Beach Dunes. I hope to meet you if I haven’t yet! Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you have.

Jacob Klippenstein

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Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.

…Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St. 
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.

From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.
Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right when you see the sign for “Natural Area,” into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Saturday July 23: clean up at Rainbow Beach South/Rocky Ledge

Our next volunteer day is upon us, this Saturday July 23, 10am-12pm. Please RSVP. We’ll be focusing on cleaning up the South (aka pebble) beach area* and taking care of some much needed weeding in the tumultuous shoreline.

*note different location – this is the small beach that is to the right immediately as you enter the park, before the water filtration plant. You can park along the street.

Chicago Parks Foundation will be hosting an event focusing on the main beach, so we’ll use this work day to branch out into the newly developed area South of the water treatment plant.

And don’t forget our last workday of the season (RSVP here):

• Saturday Sept 24, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship

Thanks for sticking with the Rainbow Beach Dunes. I hope to meet you if I haven’t yet! Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you have.

Jacob Klippenstein

…Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.…

Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St. 
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.

From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.
Once in the park, to get to the RBD natural area: go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and follow the “nature area” sign, turning right at the next opportunity into the parking lot before the fieldhouse.

Earth Day (4/23) Beach Clean Up for the Piping Plovers

Please sign up for a time slot below:

10:00am – https://forms.gle/q458Joz8kCvsQrKq5

10:30am – https://forms.gle/Uhzk6ztHtzi53FcF7

11:00am – https://forms.gle/wCSDFXZWAfZBhnnb8

11:30am – https://forms.gle/Xm83Sw3k3qwpEf4E6

Rainbow Beach is visited by migrating plovers annually, and deemed by experts to be the most promising possible additional nesting site in Chicago. To prepare for the return of plovers to Chicago and help address one of the biggest threats to plovers and shorebirds across the Great Lakes, we’re going to do some spring cleaning.

This event is proudly organized by the following partners: the stewards of Rainbow Beach Dunes, Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago Audubon Society, Illinois Ornithological Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, IL Department of Natural Resources, and the Chicago Park District.

Saturday April 23: joint Earth Day cleanup with Chicago Ornithological Society

Piping plovers at Montrose Beach, (c) Chicago Tribune

Join RBD volunteers as we unite with the COS to make our beach habitat attractive to the piping plover! In 2019, two of these amazing endangered birds (Monty and Rose) nested at Montrose Beach Dunes for the first time. We hope that they or their offspring will find Rainbow Beach Dunes as nice a place to make a nest and raise a family.

From Chicago Ornithological Society:
“Chicago is home to numerous beaches, many of which are home to incredible natural areas with the potential to host nesting piping plovers. Rainbow Beach is one such beach, a site visited by migrating plovers annually, and deemed by experts to be the most promising possible additional nesting site in Chicago.

To prepare for the return of plovers to Chicago and help address one of the biggest threats to plovers and shorebirds across the Great Lakes, we’re going to do some spring cleaning.

On EARTH DAY, Saturday, April 23rd, 2022, join us for a beach clean up at Rainbow Beach. All are welcome and no prior experience or equipment necessary but RSVP is required.

10:00am – https://forms.gle/q458Joz8kCvsQrKq5
10:30am – https://forms.gle/Uhzk6ztHtzi53FcF7
11:00am – https://forms.gle/wCSDFXZWAfZBhnnb8
11:30am – https://forms.gle/Xm83Sw3k3qwpEf4E6

To help keep group size manageable, maintain social distancing, protect the sensitive habitat, and maximize our efforts, we ask that volunteers sign up for one of four rolling time slots above: 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, or 11:30am.

To RSVP, please click on the google registration form associated with your preferred time slot. If the form is closed, then that time slot has reached capacity.

Once you have signed up, we will be reaching out via email with important workday information such as where to meet and what to bring. If you have any questions, please contact us at ActionDays@sheddaquarium.org.

This event is proudly organized by the following partners: the stewards of Rainbow Beach, Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago Audubon Society, Illinois Ornithological Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, IL Department of Natural Resources, and the Chicago Park District.

Some background on the Piping Plovers:
In 2019, a pair of endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers arrived at Montrose Beach and made history as they began nesting. In spite of numerous challenges and with the help of countless volunteers, the pair dubbed Monty and Rose, successfully raised a family and returned do so again in 2020 and 2021. Since then, their many young have started their own lives, such as Nish who made history of his own by being the first plover to nest in Ohio in over 80 years.

As we eagerly anticipate Monty and Rose’s return for a fourth year, and celebrate as they raise generations of Chicago style plovers, we are looking to the future.”

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…Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.…

• Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
• By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St. 
• By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.
  • From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
  • From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.

Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right at the next opportunity, into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Go to the far right corner of the first parking lot/southern end of the beach to the entrance of the Nature Area. Meet at the banner! Find directions and a map here.

Scheduled RBD Workdays for 2022

Exciting events are on the calendar for Rainbow Beach Dunes in 2022, starting with a joint event with Chicago Ornithological Society in celebration of Earth Day. Mark your calendars for these fourth Saturday community stewardship days, and bring your friends, neighbors, and family!

• Saturday April 23, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship with birders from COS (winter clean up and nature walks)
• Saturday June 25, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (Prickly pear cactus and weeding)
• Saturday July 23, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (weeding and trash removal at Rainbow Beach South) *note different location – this is the small beach that is to the right immediately as you enter the park. You can park along the street.
• Saturday Sept 24, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship

2021! A year of transition

One of the earliest bloomers at RBD, the sand cress (Arabidopsis lyrata) population is living its best life right now, drinking in the sun, before the grasses and perennials get tall and shade them out. They’re good at colonizing bare sand (they are not good competitors) — and we have a lot of that given the storms and high lake levels over the winter. 

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Happy spring, friends! Not only has RBD gone through some changes over the last several months (due to high lake levels), so too has our stewardship team. I, Alison, have been a steward at RBD for over 10 years. In 2016, the fantastic Jen Raber joined as co-steward. And now we are transitioning our newest member, Jacob Klippenstein, into the role as lead steward: workday organizer and leader, point of contact for volunteers and Chicago Park District, Jacob is a neighbor to Rainbow, member of the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, and overall awesome person. What are the rest of us doing? Jen will remain co-steward, and I will become a steward emerita – I hope to see you all at workdays and special events at Rainbow, while continuing to update the stewardship blog when I have the chance (along with Jacob!). 

Please add rbdstewardship@gmail.com to your address books as this is where future mail for this list will come!

Join us soon at Rainbow Beach Dunes: 

• Saturday May 22, 11am-1pm: Community stewardship (winter trash cleanup, nature walk, weed pulling)
  • Note the time change and join the South Shore/Rainbow Beach community to clean up the rest of this beautiful park for It’s Your Park Day! Sign up here for the event with the RB PAC from 9-11 and then join us afterwards in the nature area!
• Saturday July 24, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (sweet clover removal- one of the most satisfying weed-pulling events you’ll ever experience)
• Saturday Sept 25, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (invasive species removal, trash cleanup, nature walk)

As always, please RSVP here. 

Until further notice, we’ll continue to follow these COVID-19 guidelines. 

• Please do not attend if you or someone in your household isn’t feeling well, is in quarantine, or if you have visited a state affected by the emergency travel order in the last 14 days.
• Get vaccinated! The sooner a large proportion of the population is vaccinated, the sooner restrictions can be lifted. 
• Volunteers must stay at least 6 feet from each other or any other park attendee at all times.
• Face coverings (with nose and mouth covered) must be worn at all times in the natural area, regardless of physical distancing.
• Gloves must be worn at all times in the natural area. It is recommended you bring your own gloves, but there will be some available for one time use.
• Gloves are not a substitute for good handwashing hygiene so you should wash your hands before and after visiting the natural area and minimize touching anything that someone else may have touched.
• Hand sanitizer will not be provided so it is recommended you bring your own hand sanitizer.
• Please bring your own pen to sign in and to sign the annual volunteer waiver, so that no pens need to be shared among volunteers.

…Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.…

• Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
• By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St. 
• By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
• From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.

Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right at the next opportunity, into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Go to the far right corner of the first parking lot/southern end of the beach to the entrance of the Nature Area. Meet at the banner!

Find directions and a map here.

Scheduled RBD Workdays for 2021

Remember summertime at the Dunes? Still a few months away but Rainbow, plus you all, will be a sight to see in just a few months time. Mark your calendars and bring your friends, neighbors, and family!

• Saturday May 22, 10am-12pm 11am-1pm: Community stewardship (winter trash cleanup, nature walk)
  • Note the time change and join the South Shore/Rainbow Beach community to clean up the rest of this beautiful park for It’s Your Park Day! Sign up here for their event from 9-11 and then join us afterwards in the nature area!
• Saturday July 24, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (sweet clover removal- one of the most satisfying weed-pulling events you’ll ever experience)
• Saturday Sept 25, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (invasive species removal, trash cleanup, nature walk)

Follow up: August and September workdays

In August, we pulled weeds and picked up trash! A small but mighty group of dedicated volunteers.

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And what a beautiful day it was, with bright yellow, white, and greens throughout the site!

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In September, after a nature walk and super satisfying cottonwood seedling removal with a great crew …

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…CPD stewardship coordinator extraordinaire Lucy surprised Alison with flowers in recognition of 10 years of volunteering at Rainbow Beach Dunes!

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Rejoice: workdays on August 29 and September 26!

Great news! The Chicago Park District is allowing limited access for community stewardship volunteers at lakefront parks. We’ll have the chance for 2 workdays this season — late August and late September — but notably with 1) limited capacity for volunteers and 2) a few important health and safety restrictions.

• Saturday August 29, 9-11am: Community stewardship workday
• Saturday Sept 26, 9-11am: Community stewardship workday

Our tasks will be to get reacquainted with a site that has undergone lots of changes this year, collect trash, and remove invasive species — all while safe and physically distanced.

1) The total group size is capped at 10 people so you must RSVP here, and attend only after your RSVP has been confirmed. First come first served until the 10-person capacity is reached. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate drop-in attendance for these workdays.

2) Health and safety restrictions:

• Please do not attend if you or someone in your household isn’t feeling well, is in quarantine, or if you have visited a state affected by the emergency travel order in the last 14 days.
• Volunteers must stay at least 6 feet from each other or any other park attendee at all times.
• Face coverings (with nose and mouth covered) must be worn at all times in the natural area, regardless of physical distancing.
• Gloves must be worn at all times in the natural area. It is recommended you bring your own gloves, but there will be some available for one time use.
• Gloves are not a substitute for good handwashing hygiene so you should wash your hands before and after visiting the natural area and minimize touching anything that someone else may have touched.
• Hand sanitizer will not be provided so it is recommended you bring your own hand sanitizer.
• Please bring your own pen to sign in and to sign the annual volunteer waiver, so that no pens need to be shared among volunteers.

I am confident these guidelines will not impede a successful and fun workday and look forward to seeing you soon at Rainbow Beach Dunes!

…

Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.

…
Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St.
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.

• From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.

• From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.

• Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right at the next opportunity, into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Go to the far right corner of the first parking lot/southern end of the beach to the entrance of the Nature Area. Meet at the banner!
Find directions and a map here.

A COVID field season

Due to COVID-19, the summer field season for researchers, land managers, and engaged citizens is an odd one this year. Many decades-long research programs will be missing a 2020 datapoint, especially as a result of travel restrictions. But even at our local Rainbow Beach Dunes, we can’t do our volunteer stewardship and monitoring work owing to its lakefront location — even though this year presents even more unusual conditions owing to its lakefront location.

How is RBD feeling this double whammy?

Because lakefront beaches in the city of Chicago are closed due to COVID-19, RBD isn’t open to the public or volunteer stewardship. The unfortunate irony is that this is precisely the time the site is undergoing massive changes in the landscape due to very high lake levels.

The loss of beach, dune, and vegetation is a result of Lake Michigan’s encroachment and can be seen clearly in this aerial photo of Rainbow Beach taken by the Chicago Park District in May.

Aerial view Rainbow Beach, May 2020

You might recall that in the far right corner by the breakwater (circled below), the sand used to be all the way out to the bend, back in the olden days (see also historic photos below, from ~2007-2012).

What used to be totally covered in native sand prairie and dune vegetation is now basically new “beach”:

And one of my favorite features of the dunes — the huge, healthy and proliferating mats of arctic bearberry spreading out over 10s of meters — has been ripped up by the lake, and rolled into long tangles of stems, at the very edge of this new beach.

We also lost the panne, which was full of rare wetland plant species, including the incomparable fringed gentian and one of my favorites, grass of parnassus. Now they’re covered with sand, perhaps to emerge again in the future if the seedbank stays viable!

And the swale, which was rid of the invasive species Phragmites and full of the lovely native Kalm’s St. Johns’s Wort, is literally underwater! You can see some of the dead shrubby branches poking up out of the water if you look real close:

But as we all know, the water levels of Lake Michigan are variable and therefore ecosystems that are shaped by it are dynamic. That’s right, Lake Michigan dunes are DYNAMIC, here at RBD in Illinois but also around the Lake, in Indiana and Michigan! These shifting sands and shorelines are the forces this ecosystem has had to contend with for the last 10,000 years – whether it’s relatively undisturbed by humans, as in the National and State Parks, or it’s literally constructed by humans, as in Rainbow Beach Dunes.

So what can we expect next from our dynamic ecosystem?

Well, we’ve got a new panne starting! With the expertise of the natural areas contractors from Cardno, this was foreseen and Jack Pines, lovers of this groundwater-fed wetland micro-habitat, were planted in 2019! You can see all 3 of them in the aerial photo, right next to this new panne wetland:

And these new, bare sand beaches? They’ll be colonized quickly with marram grass -the dune builder- which will pave the way for a succession of plant species, and in a few more years, we’ll once again have a foredune taller than I am.

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As a reminder of how the lake levels have had an effect on RBD over the last ~20 years, see below (images from Google Earth):

Scheduled RBD Workdays for 2020

Remember summertime at the Dunes? Still a few months away but we’ve got some fun workdays planned for you this year. Mark your calendars and bring your friends, neighbors, and family!

update 5/1/20: Due to COVID-19, volunteer stewardship through the Chicago Park District is suspended AND Rainbow Beach Dunes, as a lakefront park, is closed until further notice.  That doesn’t mean you still can’t get outside to see some of the amazing lesser known parks and preserves in and around Chicago! Get outside and stay safe.

update 7/22/20: Lakefront beaches and natural areas remain closed to the public and volunteer stewardship work. When these guidelines from the Mayor change, we will do our best to reschedule some workdays from earlier in the year. Get outside and stay safe!

update 8/14/20: Chicago Park District is now allowing limited access for community stewardship activities at lakefront natural areas! We will have workdays in August and September but the total group size is capped at 10 people so you must RSVP here, and attend only after your RSVP has been confirmed. First come first served until the 10-person capacity is reached. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate drop-in attendance. 

• Saturday May 2, 7-10am: For the Birds! Migration season bird walk with Chris Williamson/COS
• Saturday May 2, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (winter trash cleanup, nature walk)
• Saturday June 27, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship (sweet clover removal- one of the most satisfying weed-pulling events you’ll ever experience)
• Saturday July 25, 10am-12pm: Insect walk led by Jen!
• Saturday August 29, 9-11am: Community stewardship workday
• Saturday Sept 26, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship workday

October 19: bird walk and seed collecting *note different time

Grasses are big and tall, boldly coloring the dunes with golds, yellows, and oranges, while the asters and goldenrods are starting to fade: truly one of the most brilliant times of year!

    

Come out to RBD this Saturday October 19 for a really exciting last community stewardship workday of the year:

First, we’ll take a bird walk with the Chicago Ornithological Society throughout the park from 7-9am. This is quite a wonderful opportunity because we’re in the middle of migration season, and as you may know, the Chicago lakefront is a stopover spot for many tired birds as they fly south. We’re glad our friends at COS are bringing out the experts, like Christine and Geof Williamson to lead the walk!

Then, from 9:00-11:00am we’ll spend time in the natural area, taking a nature walk and collecting seeds from our native plants.

Join us Saturday October 19 from 7-9am to bird, 9-11am to collect seeds, or both for or a whole morning at Rainbow! Note that we will be out there rain or shine so prepare for the weather and terrain (sandy, wet, sometimes unstable): it may be cold, windy and/or rainy.  Sturdy shoes, long pants, and water are recommended. Tools, equipment, and snacks will be provided.

• RSVP to the COS bird walk here, please.
• And RSVP to the seed collecting stewardship day here, please!
• Questions? Contact co-stewards Alison Anastasio (alison.anastasio@gmail.com) or Jen Raber (jennifer.raber@gmail.com).

Want to support the Rainbow Beach Park community and learn about all kinds of events and programs in the Park? Join the Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, attend a meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30, and certainly visit their Facebook page to learn more.

**Mark your calendars**
See you next time in 2020!

 

….

Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St.
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.

• From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
• From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.
• Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right at the next opportunity, into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Go to the far right corner of the first parking lot/southern end of the beach to the entrance of the Nature Area. Meet at the banner!
Find directions and a map here.

Saturday August 17: invasive species management

Even the gulls know that RBD offers one of the best views of downtown!

Rainbow Beach Dunes is bloomin’ with milkweed, blazing stars, asters, goldenrod, and sunflowers, while grasses like switchgrass, Canada wild rye, and big bluestem are getting taller everyday. Pollinators, dragonflies, and swallows fill the skies above the nature area. What new plant do you want to learn about at this late summer workday?

 

Along with this profusion of native plant growth, there are also invasive species to remove, like sweetclover, spotted knapweed, goatsbeard, and with the continually high lake levels, the most pernicious invasive species of all: trash.

 

So please join us on Saturday August 17 from 10am-12pm for this family friendly workday to attack invasive species and see the late summer beauty of our dune ecosystem. We encourage you to bring friends, family, and neighbors.

 

Please RSVP for the workday here. Questions? Contact co-stewards Alison Anastasio (alison.anastasio@gmail.com) or Jen Raber (jennifer.raber@gmail.com).

Remember to prepare for the weather and uneven, sandy terrain: sun protection, sturdy shoes, long pants, bug repellent, and water are always recommended. Tools, equipment, and snacks will be provided.

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Mark your calendars and RSVP now! This makes it easier for us to plan, and to contact you if any changes arise.
Remaining 2019 workdays:

• August 17 2019, 10am-12pm: Community stewardship workday – Invasive species management
• October 19 2019, 7-9am and 9-11am *note the different times* : Special Event! Chicago Ornithological Society birdwalk 7-9 am + RBD workday 9-11am

…
Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, or from the #6 bus stop, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St.
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end, from Hwy 41 at Farragut.

• From the north/west, follow Hwy 41 east as it splits from South Shore Drive at 79th St. Turn left into the park at Farragut.
• From the south, follow Hwy 41 north and turn right on Farragut, just before the intersection of 79th/South Shore.
• Once in the park, go past the stop sign and water filtration plant and turn right at the next opportunity, into the parking lot before the Fieldhouse.

Go to the far right corner of the first parking lot/southern end of the beach to the entrance of the Nature Area. Meet at the banner!
Find directions and a map here.