Follow our grand prairie bird alliance Page on Facebook to learn about upcoming events.
Nature Trails Day, Hosted by University of Illinois Extension McLean, Livingston, and Woodford County Master Naturalists
Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Comlara Park
Cost: $5/family or group, register at https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/nature-trails-day-2025
This fun-filled family event offers opportunities to hike the trails, learn up close about fish in Illinois, and engage in hands-on activities to dive into the environment around us. Registration includes a complimentary hiking bag courtesy of COMLARA Park, filled with useful hiking supplies and resources to enhance your outdoor experience. For more information, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2025-09-20-nature-trails-day
Fall bird walks
The birds are heading south! Fortunately for us, many of these fall migrants will stop in our area for a rest and refuel. If you’d like to see some of these beautiful birds, join us for a bird walk in September and October! Each walk is led by a local expert. Bird walks are appropriate for all ages and all skill levels. (Seriously, there is no pressure to know anything about birds! We can give you some tips, or you can just walk along with us and appreciate us appreciating the birds.) We even have 6 pairs of loaner binoculars! If you have questions about accessibility, please email us at grandprairiebirdalliance@gmail.com. Here is the schedule:
Bird Walk at Ewing Park - Sunday, September 14, 8:00 a.m.
Location: 1001 Ethell Parkway, Bloomington
Leaders: Mercy and Bill Davison
Bird Walk at Hidden Creek - Saturday, September 20, 8:00 a.m.
Location: 100 W. Sycamore, Normal
Leaders: Pirmin Nietlisbach, Mark Swanson and Nina Sitra
Bird Walk at Ewing Park - Sunday, September 28, 8:00 a.m.
Location: 1001 Ethell Parkway, Bloomington
Leaders: David and Bode Thompson
Bird Walk at S.H. West Park - Saturday, October 4, 8:00 a.m.
Location: 30052 E 750 North Rd, Le Roy
Leaders: Mark Swanson and Nina Sitra
Bird Walk at Hidden Creek - Sunday, October 12, 8:00 a.m.
Location: 100 W. Sycamore, Normal
Leaders: Lenore Sobota and Given Harper
Educational talks and Expert Speakers
Over the years, we have been able to bring in some wonderful speakers to share with us their studies and expertise in many different areas including conservation, environmental legislation, local projects, and world events. Join us for these complimentary programs in the fall, open to the community. For up-to-date information, please join the Grand Prairie Bird Alliance page on Facebook.
Heartland Community College's Extension of Constitution Trail and Prairie Restoration Project
Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 p.m.
Location: HCC, Astroth Community Education Center, Room 2210 - Parking Lot O, east of the center
Speaker: Dr. Chris Downing
Heartland Community College, in partnership with Country Financial, has started construction that will extend the north end of Constitution Trail around Birky Pond, creating a community destination for easy to access bird watching, walking, running, and fishing. Dr. Downing will share the planning process and outcomes that led to this project, and solicit advice from GPBA members to improve the area as habitat for birds.
herbicide Drift and Trespass: Impacts and Implications
Wednesday, October 8, 7:00 p.m.
Speaker: Kim Erndt-Pitcher, Director of Ecological Health for the Prairie Rivers Network (PRN)
Location: Illinois Wesleyan University, Room C101, Center for Natural Science, 201 Beecher Street, Bloomington - parking just north of the CNS in the lot on the corner of E. Beecher St. and N. East St.
The following information was taken from a recent report that Kim co-authored (Hidden in Plain Sight: Herbicide Drift and Chemical Trespass: A Summary of 6 Years of Monitoring and Tissue Analysis). Over the past six years, PRN has been monitoring symptoms of herbicide drift and damage to non-target broadleaf plants and trees across rural and urban Illinois. Herbicide drift — the movement of toxic chemicals through the air to a non-target site — is damaging wild and cultivated plants and trees throughout Illinois, threatening human health, and impairing our ability to adapt to a changing climate. The sources of drift are primarily from Illinois’ massive row crop industry, but also include chemical lawn and turf treatments. Kim will summarize the results from the study and the steps that are needed to address this important issue.
Bringing the Indiana Bat Home to Roost in (Coles County) Illinois
Thursday, October 23, 7:00 p.m.
Speaker: Sarah Livesay, Executive Director, Grand Prairie Friends Land Trust
Location: Illinois Wesleyan University, Room C101, Center for Natural Science, 201 Beecher Street, Bloomington - parking just north of the CNS in the lot on the corner of E. Beecher St. and N. East St.
On a hot, buggy day in the woods of Coles County in 2015, a researcher located a federally endangered female Indiana bat with her pup. This discovery set in motion a 30-year, multiple-partner effort in research, habitat restoration, and volunteer monitoring at the Warbler Ridge Conservation Area in Coles County, IL. If we build it, did they come? Join us for the amazing results!