Explore Audubon Great Lakes' free virtual webinars from the comfort of your home or office! Hear from our experts and conservation partners as we explore the latest in bird conservation science, research, bird ID, best practices and more! 

Back From the Brink: A New Model for Kirtland's Warbler Conservation Webinar 
April 6, 2022 

One of the rarest songbirds, almost the entire global population of the Kirtland's Warbler spends its breeding season in Michigan. Thanks to a decades-long, international recovery effort, the Kirtland's Warbler was recently removed from the Endangered Species List after loss of critical habitat caused the species to plummet to fewer than 200 singing males in the 1970s and 80s. Join Audubon Great Lakes, MI Birds, Kirtland's Warbler Alliance, Bahamas National Trust, and American Bird Conservancy to learn how conservation efforts helped Kirtland's Warbler rebound, what work needs to be done to keep them safe, and how you can get involved!

Meet Michigan's Stocky Heron: Black-crowned Night Heron
March 30, 2022 

The stocky and stealthy Black-crowned Night Heron can be found skulking at the water's edge of Michigan's wetlands, which it relies on to thrive. A species of special concern in Michigan, loss of this critical habitat has contributed to population declines. Join Audubon Great Lakes, MI Birds, and Detroit Zoo to learn about one local colony of herons, how to identify and tell Black-crowned Night Herons apart from similar species, where you can find them across the state, and what you can do to help protect this important species.

Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort Webinar 
February 4, 2022 

From Chicago’s Monty and Rose to Ohio’s Nish and Nellie, the return of the Piping Plover has captured the public’s attention and imagination. Piping Plovers have only recently returned to nest along all five Great Lakes, and at one time fewer than 20 pairs made the area their summer home. Today, the Great Lakes shoreline hosts around 70 breeding pairs thanks to recovery efforts. Learn how recovery efforts helped these small shorebirds defy the odds, and make an astounding comeback across the Great Lakes region. Hear from experts from Audubon Great Lakes, National Audubon Society, MI Birds, Detroit Zoo, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and learn how you can get involved!

Backyard Bird Basics: Native Plants for Birds Webinar 
October 20, 2021 

Fall migration is magical, but it also presents dangerous obstacles to birds. One of the best ways to help migrating birds is by planting native plants at home.

Christian Cooper in Conversation: Celebrating Diversity of Birds and People 
June 20, 2021 

The Freeport Art Museum, Northwest Illinois Audubon Society, Audubon Great Lakes, and the Boys and Girls Club of Stephenson County presented a virtual program, Christian Cooper in Conversation: Celebrating Diversity in Birding and People.

Audubon Great Lakes Vision: Restoring The Great Lakes for Birds and People Press Conference 
March 2021 

Michelle Paker, Vice President and Executive Director of Audubon Great Lakes and Nat Miller, Director of Conservation for the Great Lakes & Upper Mississippi Flyway, presents Audubon’s vision for the Great Lakes.

The Sandhill Crane: A Conservation Success Story 
February 19, 2021 

The Sandhill crane, one species of fifteen in the world, is the most commonly spotted crane by birding enthusiasts, but this wasn’t always so. Through numerous conservation efforts, today we may enjoy Sandhill cranes marking the return of spring and helping conservationists spot a healthy wetland habitat.

Winter Waterfowl ID 
February 12, 2021 

Audubon Great Lakes and our partners at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Great Lakes Commission and NOAA kick off a discussion around a new conservation project to reconnect Powderhorn and Wolf Lake in south Chicago.

 

Backyard Bird Basics 
June 15, 2020

Curious about the birds you’re seeing in your space but don't know where to start? Join Audubon Great Lakes and explore the basics of backyard birding. Learn the ins and outs of common backyard bird identification and the best practices for providing food, water, shelter and nesting spaces for our feathered friends to deepen your connection to nature and get the most from your backyard birding experience.

 

Bitterns, Herons and Rail, Oh My! Marsh Bird Stories from the Great Lakes 
May 28, 2020 

Have you ever met a Sora? Had the chance to hear the resounding "unk-er-lunk" of an American Bittern? Explore the world of secretive marsh birds and how they are responding to the loss of wetlands as well as habitat restoration in the Great Lakes region. Hear from experts at Audubon Great Lakes, The Nature Conservancy – Indiana, Indiana Audubon Society, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Buffalo Audubon Society, and The Wetlands Initiative. 
 

Hope for the Black Tern 
May 11, 2020

Now listed as either endangered or of “special concern” in all the Great Lakes states, the Black Tern needs our help. Learn how Audubon is leading the restoration of colonial waterbirds such as the Black Tern and why these unique water-loving birds are so important, from Don Lyons, Director of Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Program.  Dive into the research of Black Terns happening right here in the Great Lakes with experts from Audubon Great Lakes, Detroit Audubon and the Canadian Wildlife Service. 
 

Observación de aves virtual (Virtual Bilingual Bird Sit)
May 9, 2020 

Únete al Coordinador de Wild Indigo de Lake County, Refugio Mariscal, mientras explora los sonidos y observaciones de las aves y la vida silvestre de Greenbelt Forest Preserve en North Chicago! Una alternativa a lo que originalmente estaba programado para ser nuestra primera caminata de pájaros bilingüe del año en colaboración con Faith in Place y Mano a Mano Family Resource Center. 

Join LakeCounty Wild Indigo Coordinator, Refugio Mariscal, as he explores the sounds and observations of the various birds and wildlife of Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago! An alternative to what was originally scheduled to be our first bilingual bird walk of the year in collaboration with Faith in Place and Mano a Mano Family Resource Center. 
 

Plants of the Chicago Wilderness: Stories from Home and Field
May 7, 2020 

Get a glimpse into the unique plants and habitats of the Chicago region. Discover how plants can help recreate lost ecosystems, create entirely new ones, and help us read the landscape to uncover how to bring nature back to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.  Hear from Audubon Great Lakes and experts from Morton Arboretum, The Nature Conservancy, Chicago Park District, Illinois Native Plant Society, and Citizens for Conservation. 

Audubon Great Lakes Partner Webinars & Virtual Events