Birdsong Chapter-Stewards of Amboy Marsh/Gremel

Birdsong Chapter-Stewards of Amboy Marsh/Gremel We're committed to stewardship of Illinois Audubon Society nature preserves within the Green River Lowlands of Lee County.

There are now over 1,000 acres of protected habitat on five properties in the county! Located near the town of Amboy, these holdings are part of the Green River Lowlands Illinois Natural Area Inventory. There are diverse ecosystems to explore like black oak sand savannas, dry sand prairies, sedge meadows, wetlands and sand forests containing a glimpse of what this region looked like in the early 1

800s. when the great Inlet and Winnebago Marshes covered much of the region. These two areas provide habitat for a number of plants and animals endangered and threatened in Illinois. The Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary is a Legacy Project of the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) and was dedicated in summer of 2017. The $2.1 million purchase was made possible through a land acquisition grant from the ICECF, long-time Illinois Audubon Society (IAS) member Russell Gremel, and the Society’s land acquisition fund. The Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve was purchased by the IAS in 2012. This purchase provides for protection of a rare and fragile portion of the Green River Lowlands section of the Grand Prairie Division. Seeps and springs keep this preserve wet while the absence of fish in the marshes and ponds allow for greater breeding success and survival of the native reptiles and amphibians. At both of these wild areas, the varied habitats and miles of nature trails allow for many birding opportunities. As of the summer of 2020, there have been over 200 bird species reported at the Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary and 170 reported at the Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve. They are great places to visit and explore at anytime of year and we hope you get a chance to do so soon.

The Lake Kakusha Birding Hike and the Nature Journaling group will both be meeting and starting at 9:00 today from the B...
06/14/2026

The Lake Kakusha Birding Hike and the Nature Journaling group will both be meeting and starting at 9:00 today from the Boat Dock and Rotary Shelter at Lake Kakusha. Dave and Adrian will be meeting the Birders and Emily with U. Of I. Extension, will be leading the Nature Journaling. If you haven’t signed up on line, you are still welcome to attend. We hope you can spend some time afterwards to check out the murals and visit downtown Mendota for other “Painted Wings & Wild Things” events scheduled from 11-4 today.

Reimagine Mendota, Mendota Arts Commission and members of local Illinois Audubon Society Chapters will be at the first M...
06/05/2026

Reimagine Mendota, Mendota Arts Commission and members of local Illinois Audubon Society Chapters will be at the first Mendota Farmer’s Market Saturday June 6th. We can help answer questions about the Audubon Mural Project as we watch artist Audrey Carver begin her work just across the street from the Market. We can also fill you in on the events for Sunday, June 14th as we celebrate the creation of two nature murals and local artist’s photography and carvings. Today, Audrey is dodging the raindrops and experimenting with a virtual reality headset to outline her mural onto the wall.

The City of Mendota, with support from Lee County’s Birdsong Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society (I.A.S.), is instal...
06/03/2026

The City of Mendota, with support from Lee County’s Birdsong Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society (I.A.S.), is installing an official “Audubon Mural Project” mural this month. The project highlights a local climate threatened bird and is part of a mural initiative that started in New York City in 2014 and already has murals in the Illinois towns of Alton, Rockford, Rockton, and South Beloit.

The artist, Audrey Carver of Minneapolis, MN will begin work at 728 Main St. in Mendota on June 5 and aims to have the mural completed by our celebration event on Sunday, June 14. You’re just going to have to wait and see which bird she has chosen as the mural’s subject.

A second mural is also being painted, featuring plants and animals that live at our local Lake Kakusha and surrounding area. We hope you’ll plan a trip Sunday, June 14th to Mendota to enjoy a birding hike, nature journaling, a bird themed photo exhibit, a live raptor show and, of course, our two new nature murals.

The mural celebration will be held Sunday, June 14 from 11 - 4:00. Details are in the flyer below:

Saturday, June 6th is a Volunteer Workday at Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve. We will meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00am. ...
06/03/2026

Saturday, June 6th is a Volunteer Workday at Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve. We will meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00am. Gloves and bug spray are needed. Snacks are provided but bring your own water. Enjoy a few of Deb D.’s recent Oriole photos from our feeders below and come out Saturday to see them for yourself!

Wednesday, May 20th is a volunteer workday opportunity at Amboy Marsh. We’ll meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00am. We’ll...
05/17/2026

Wednesday, May 20th is a volunteer workday opportunity at Amboy Marsh. We’ll meet at the Visitor Center at 9:00am. We’ll spend part of the morning in “Chain Saw Training” taught by Jamie Arntzen, Director of Land Stewardship at IAS.
Gloves and bug spray will be needed and we’ve got tick spray. Snacks provided but bring your own water. If you’ve safety glasses, ear protection and/or leather chaps, please bring them along.

The Illinois Audubon Society’s Spring Bird Count and World Migratory Bird Day made for a very busy and “birdy” weekend a...
05/10/2026

The Illinois Audubon Society’s Spring Bird Count and World Migratory Bird Day made for a very busy and “birdy” weekend at our preserves! As per the website, “Birdcast”, nightly bird migrations were hitting very high levels. Thanks to Deb D., Steve G, and Adrian O. for the photos!

https://spring-bird-count.inhs.illinois.edu/
05/02/2026

https://spring-bird-count.inhs.illinois.edu/

Home Spring Bird Count **2026 SPRING BIRD COUNT: MAY 9** The Spring Bird Count (SBC) is an annual bird count conducted by volunteers on the Saturday between May 4 and May 10. The censuses are conducted in all 102 counties in Illinois; however, in any given year, a few counties are not censused. Each...

Do you want to learn more about birding and how to be part of the Illinois Audubon Society’s Spring Bird Count someday? ...
04/20/2026

Do you want to learn more about birding and how to be part of the Illinois Audubon Society’s Spring Bird Count someday? Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on May 9th, hike the lovely Lake Kakusha in Mendota, IL, and learn about birds and birding!

National Nest Box Week is a thing in Britain. Let's make it a thing here. Now is the time to clean or put up nest boxes ...
02/18/2026

National Nest Box Week is a thing in Britain. Let's make it a thing here. Now is the time to clean or put up nest boxes since the early birds are returning soon. Share a photo of your favorite nest box or a link to plans for building your own. We have a variety of nest boxes at our refuge, come for hike and see how many you can find.

February’s four days of fun begins today! Fire up your eBird app and join the count!
02/13/2026

February’s four days of fun begins today! Fire up your eBird app and join the count!

Who will you invite to count birds with you? It starts one week from today! birdcount.org

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1701 Morman Road
Amboy, IL
61310

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