July 25: Community Stewardship, Habitat 2030, potluck

Come out to Rainbow Beach Dunes this Saturday for a fun mid-summer workday with our friends at Habitat 2030! What’s Habitat 2030, you ask?

Habitat 2030 is a group of volunteers who care about the remarkable natural areas of the Chicago region. We host habitat restoration workdays, nature hikes and weekend camping trips, social gatherings, and educational opportunities. At workdays, we remove invasive plants, gather and spread seeds, and learn about nature as we go. We link interested newbies to expert mentors and are building a community where people of all skill levels can discuss local ecology, conservation, and habitat restoration issues. Everyone is welcome!

We’ll share our knowledge of dune ecosystems and native plants and all work together to monitor the flowering and fruiting of the prickly pear cactus. After a fulfilling few hours of monitoring, please stay for a potluck lunch with a great group of volunteers!

Join us this Saturday July 25 from 10am-12pm. Bring something to share and join us for a potluck after the workday.

Remember to prepare for the weather and terrain: there is no shade in the hilly, uneven dunes area, so wear sturdy shoes and bring a hat, sunscreen, and water. Tools, training, and snacks will be provided. Contact Alison Anastasio at alison.anastasio@gmail.com for questions and to RSVP.

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Find directions and a map here.

Rainbow Beach Park runs parallel to South Shore Drive from 75th-79th Streets.
By foot, walk east from South Shore Dr. on 77th St.
By car, you can only access the park at the southern end.
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 Field House. Go to the southeast end of this lot and park. Meet at the entrance to the Nature Area, which is located at the southern end of the beach (look for the banner!).

*Mark your calendar*
Saturday August 22 – Community Stewardship Workday at RBD
Saturday September 26 – Community Stewardship Workday at RBD
Saturday October 24 – Community Stewardship Workday at RBD

 

Plants of Concern at RBD

Plants of Concern has been supported, hosted, and cared for over many years by Susanne Masi at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She retired last year, and left behind a thriving citizen science program in the hands of Rachel Goad and a team of botanists.

Monitoring the biotic and abiotic conditions of the habitat over time is a critical part of stewardship at RBD. We participate in a number of citizen science monitoring programs, including Plants of Concern, Adopt-a-Beach, and now the Opuntia monitoring program. We hope to add monitoring programs in the future for purple martins and monarch butterflies and their obligate food source, milkweed (Asclepias spp.).

If you or someone you know are committed to taking a leadership role in current monitoring programs at RBD, or new ones like purple martins or monarchs, please come out to a workday and let us know!

On Saturday, we monitored for Plants of Concern species. It was a lovely morning by the lake

and we saw lots of other native plants in bloom as well.

 

How many native plant species can you identify in this photo?!