What We Do

On June 4, 2019, the two Piping Plovers that would become famous as Monty and Rose were observed mating and scraping nests at Montrose.  Immediately, a handful of birders jumped into action, standing by the location of the nests to protect them from being inadvertently stepped upon by unaware beachgoers.  By the end of the 2019 season, 200 volunteers had signed up to observe and protect parents, nests and chicks and Chicago Piping Plovers (CPP) was formed, a collaboration between the three birding societies that were heavily involved in the organization of the volunteer effort: the Chicago Bird Alliance (previously Chicago Audubon Society), the Chicago Ornithological Society and the Illinois Ornithological Society.

Since then, CPP has continued its recruiting and monitoring efforts each season.  Key accomplishments include:

-          Monitoring of Piping Plovers, nests and chicks since 2019. In 2023, this included the monitoring of three captive-reared chicks released at Montrose. This represented the first instance of captive-reared chick release outside of Michigan.

-          Strong collaboration with the Chicago Park District, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the APHIS arm of the USDA and the Great Lakes Piping Plovers Recovery Effort team

-          Strong advocacy leading to the expansion of the Montrose natural areas by 3.1 acres (thanks to the efforts of past steward Leslie Borns) and the naming of the habitat “The Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat.”

-          Participation in numerous habitat maintenance and clean-up efforts at Montrose to ensure a suitable habitat for Piping Plovers, shorebirds and wildlife using the shore and dunes

-          Outreach to birding entities or individuals on wintering grounds to track Piping Plover whereabouts and advocate for their continued safety

-          Creation and maintenance of the group’s website, chicagopipingplovers.org (designed and maintained by Judy Cheske, JC Web Studio)

-          Outreach to local media making Monty and Rose one of the most recognized pairs in the Chicago area and beyond and promoting conservation awareness.

-          Social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, X and Threads (all run by Eden Essex and Daniel Eastman)

-          Bringing the community together in a celebration of Monty and Rose’s lives upon their untimely passing in 2022

The community of volunteers has also celebrated the Chicago Piping Plovers in documentaries, children’s books, photography and various artforms.

In the coming season, outreach and education efforts will be augmented through the hiring of a bilingual summer intern tasked with reaching out to the beachgoing public and educating them on the need to share the shore.

Tamima Itani is the lead volunteer and interagency coordinator for the Chicago Piping Plovers.

Volunteer Monitors

In collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife (USFW), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Chicago Park District (CPD), we organize volunteer monitors to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the Chicago Piping Plovers.

If you are interested in helping with the monitoring effort, send an email to piperwatch@chicagobirder.org.