Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Pathway Improvements Update
Chicago Park District recently received a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to install an ADA-accessible pathway at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. This grant supports another step in the implementation of the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Master Plan (2015), which was developed through a thoughtful, stakeholder-involved process.

Trail construction will begin after June 1, 2021, and will result in an eight-foot wide, 1/3-mile long loop that will travel near the areas known to many as the Magic Hedge, the Magic Clump, and the Tangle. For additional information, refer to the 2015 Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Master Plan and 2017 Project Design Presentation on the Chicago Park District’s website here.

Wilmette Buoy is back online for the season
Buoy offshore of Wilmette is now up and running and transmitting real time information. You can get up to date information on wave heights, wind speeds, and weather conditions by checking out the buoy webpage. There’s even a live webcam so you can see first-hand what it’s like to be out on the lake! If you plan on boating, angling, paddling or surfing, buoys can provide useful real time information on water conditions before traveling out for the day. Buoys are also used by the National Weather Service to forecast wave and weather conditions, observe current conditions, and change forecasts when observations are not as expected. Learn more about buoys and how they serve our coastline here.

Illinois Geospatial Data Repository
The Prairie Research Institute (PRI), home of the Illinois State Surveys, hosts a Geospatial Data Clearinghouse as a permanent repository for the geospatial data they create. Recently they’ve added a Coastal category, which includes several datasets developed by the Illinois State Geological Survey in partnership with CMP.  This includes GLRI habitat mapping data, drone data and shorelines derived from the drone data, data from the HTEM project, and more.

Monitoring Vulnerable Marsh Birds of the Great Lakes Region
Hemi-marsh wetland habitat in the Calumet region provides far-reaching benefits to marsh birds, other wildlife, and people; and after centuries of eradication and degradation through pollution, altered hydrology, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species, it will take sustained efforts to restore and maintain them into the future. Through partnerships, Audubon Great Lakes has established regular marsh bird and vegetation monitoring at 32 sites across the region that have informed habitat restoration. This monitoring is crucial to our wetland conservation efforts in Illinois and Indiana.
Learn more about this effort here, and learn more about marsh birds and monitoring sites in the Great Lakes region and data and visualization resources to help inform conservation and restoration efforts on the Marsh Bird Data Hub here. 
 
New US Climate Normals Released
How do local weather forecasters know what temperature is considered “normal” on a given day? NOAA’s Climate Normals offer an answer. This 30-year dataset helps us understand what's considered "normal" for the current U.S. climate—and it has just been updated. Climate Normals are 30-year averages for climate variables like temperature and precipitation. They provide a baseline that allows us to compare a location’s current weather to the average weather that location would expect to see — whether a particular day is cooler or warmer than normal, if a particular month is wetter than normal, or if the growing season is longer than normal.  Find out about these important tools for understanding today’s weather in historical context here. And check out the data for yourself here. 

Meteotsunamis in the Great Lakes
On the afternoon of April 13, 2018, a large wave of water surged across Lake Michigan and flooded the shores of the picturesque beach town of Ludington, Michigan, damaging homes and boat docks, and flooding intake pipes. Thanks to a local citizen’s photos and other data, NOAA scientists reconstructed the event in models and determined this was the first ever documented meteotsunami in the Great Lakes caused by an atmospheric inertia-gravity wave. Learn more about this research and meteotsunami history in the Great Lakes here, and read the study here: A high‑amplitude atmospheric inertia–gravity wave‑induced meteotsunami in Lake Michigan.

This new research is one of three papers authored by NOAA scientists appearing in a special issue of Natural Hazards. Another research paper looks at the state of meteotsunami science in the U.S. and what will be needed to put in place effective operational forecast models for meteotsunamis in the Great Lakes and along the East Coast. A third paper demonstrates the potential of using real-time measurements and numerical models to forecast meteotsunami impacts on coastal areas.

Meteotsunamis, emerging research, and implications for the upcoming beach season were also discussed in a recent Tribune article: More meteotsunamis occur on Lake Michigan than any other Great Lake. New research may lead to lifesaving warnings about the potentially destructive waves.

Interested in learning more about the phenomenon, how it occurs, and who might be endangered by it? Check out this factsheet published by our program last summer: What is a Meteotsunami?

New Statewide Climate Assessment Released
The climate in Illinois is changing rapidly. Illinois is already warmer and wetter than it was a century ago and climate change will continue to drive rapid changes. By 2050, Illinois could experience an additional 8-40 days over 95°F, depending on the steps we take now to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Rising temperatures, increasing precipitation, and more erratic weather is likely to disrupt the favorable conditions Illinois has come to depend on, impacting everything from the economy to public health.

A new report released by The Nature Conservancy in Illinois details these changes and more. The first-ever, comprehensive climate assessment for the state of Illinois was developed by over 40 scientists and climate experts. The report projects how temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather are expected to change and explores how the state’s key resources and sectors are likely to be affected by climate change Learn more and download the report here.

Task Force Looking for Public Input in Ongoing State Water Plan Update
Mark your calendars for May 25 to 27, 2021 to assist in the development of the revised State Water Plan. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions, the public meetings will be virtual. This will be the second of three planned public outreach meetings. The public is invited to review the recommendations by the Task Force of each critical issue and provide feedback to ensure that the project is addressing everybody’s most important water-related needs in IL.
Virtual meeting dates and times are as follows:
Tuesday, May 25 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 26 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, May 27 at 10 a.m.
Links to each meeting, call-in numbers and meeting passcodes, and a recorded presentation outlining the draft water plan can be found here.

May is Water Safety Month! Join Lurie Children’s Hospital on May 24 at 10 a.m. for a FB Live event: Water safety tips with Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Michelle Macy. More info and join here.

 

Conservation Education Representative at IBSP
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is hiring for a 6-month, full time position at Illinois Beach State Park to work in the Nature Center. Complete job description and application information can be found here.
 
Summer Jobs for Young Adults!
IDNR is hiring young adults this summer at William Powers State Recreation Area on Chicago’s Southeast Side and Illinois Beach State Park in northern Lake County. Please see below for the interpretative internship position descriptions:

• Interpretation Intern - IL Beach State Park (LOCAL ONLY) | The Student Conservation Association (thesca.org)
• Interpretation Intern - William Powers State Recreation Area (LOCAL ONLY) | The Student Conservation Association (thesca.org)

These positions are being offered to address underrepresented populations in the conservation field – young adults (ages 14-25 years) from urban areas – who can gain awareness of a potential career path they may not have considered before. Just as important, they will share their positive engagement with nature by spreading the word of their stewardship to the rest of the community.
If you have any questions, please contact IDNR’s Director of Community Outreach via phone at 847-608-3108 or email ted.penesis@illinois.gov.