Steve Sullivan is the Curator of Urban Ecology for the Chicago Academy of Sciences where he studies the animals in your back yard as well as working with the institution’s century-and-a-half old specimens and doing the taxidermy to make new ones. Steve is also the director of Project Squirrel, a citizen-science project that involves people of all ages in the study of tree squirrels as a way to understand ecological processes in the urban game park. Additionally, the Project studies the most influential species in the urban ecosystem – humans—and how their involvement with the outdoors influences their attitudes and knowledge about nature. This presentation will discuss why squirrels are worth watching and will hopefully inspire the audience and their friends to become involved in watching and submitting data about the squirrels that occur (or not) in their neighborhoods.

This area has long been a stopover for migrants of all kinds headed south. Park on the lakeside of the upper deck of the south parking lot off of Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach, at 8:30 a.m. Leaders: Sue Robert and Libby Hill.

The wide waters of the Mississippi and Savanna Army Depot. Look for hawks and landbirds. Meet at 5:30 a.m. at the Starbucks on Lake Cook Rd and Rte 83 in Buffalo Grove for the 2.5 hour drive to the river. Reservations with leader required. Contact leader Dave Johnson, 224-567-9650 or djohnsoda@comcast.net.

Sunday! Don’t miss this special opportunity to visit the region’s premier shorebird site. Meet at Sewage Ponds at 7:15 a.m. Directions: From I-94, exit at 130th St. Go west about ? mile to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District sign. Turn right on the paved road and proceed to the guard house. Trip ends around 11 a.m. Limit: 20. Sign-up for this field trip is required. Registration forms will be available through Libby Hill, 847-475-2096 or libbyhill@comcast.net. Completed forms must be turned in by July 10. Forms must be sent by snail mail to 2715 Woodland Rd, Evanston, IL 60201 and must include a copy of a government-issued photo ID.

Meet at Emily Oaks Nature Center (Skokie)at 5:30 in the parking lot. Turn north on Knox (east of Skokie Blvd.) and make a left at the T intersection to the Emily Oaks parking lot. Leader: Eleonora diLiscia.

Look for migrating passerines at this park. Meet at 7:00 a.m. Park south of the Museum of Science and Industry after driving on the east side of the building. Leader: Brian Herriott.

These Friday trips pack a great list of warbler species during spring migration. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Forest Preserve parking lot north of Willow Rd. just east of the Edens Expressway. Leader: Joel Greenberg

This area has long been a stopover for migrants of all kinds headed nouth. Park on the lakeside of the upper deck of the south parking lot off of Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach, at 8:30 a.m. Leaders: Sue Robert and Libby Hill

A series of trips for when you don’t have much time and can’t go far from home. Each trip starts at a different location and the leader may decide to go to more than one park. Meet at Perkins Woods at 5:30 pm. Perkins is located at the corner of Grant and Ewing. Park on the street and meet at the southwest corner. Leader: Eleonora diLiscia.