On May 11, 2024, from 8:00 am to noon, the Village of Homewood will celebrate International World Migratory Bird Day at the Izaak Walton Preserve. Please come by and enjoy your pick of free activities. You are welcome to bring a picnic and explore the grounds.

PROGRAMS:

• 8:00 am – 9:15 am Bird Watching Tour, Thorn Creek Audubon Society volunteers

• 9:30 am – 10:15 am Dragonflies & Damselflies of Northern Illinois, Jim Phillips, Cook County Forest Preserve District
  (free drawing for bird or insect photo at end of program)

• 10:30 am – 11:15 am Birds Need Bugs, John Elliott, Chicago Bird Alliance
  (free drawing for bird or insect photo at end of program)

• Ongoing Audubon-guided bird walks for families; bring your own binoculars (spotting scopes and kid’s binoculars available)

ONGOING 9am - noon:

• Children’s Arts, Crafts and Games

• Build a Bughouse

• Local Bird and Insect Photography Exhibit

This event is sponsored by the Homewood Public Works Tree Committee in partnership with the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve, Thorn Creek Audubon, Boy Scout Troop 342, and the H-F High School Art Department.

Join us for a joint meeting of Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve and Thorn Creek Audubon Society. Following a very short business meeting, (for both organizations—HIWP will elect officers and at-large board members). Liz Schissler, manager and photographer for Wild Birds Unlimited in Palos Park, will discuss her beautiful and intimate bird portraits. Photographic locations range from her backyard to the local woods, lakes, and grasslands. She will also provide tips on wildlife photography and technical advice. All are welcome.

Thorn Creek Audubon Society (TCAS) & Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve (HIWP) are again sponsoring a native plant sale. The organizations partner on this project to raise funds for educational projects and to increase native plantings in our area. Profits will be split between TCAS and HIWP.

• Plants have been chosen to thrive in this area and support pollinators/butterflies.

• All are native to Illinois. Plants that are “endangered/threatened” are indicated with

  asterisk*.

• They represent a variety of plant types, colors, textures, and bloom times.

• Descriptions of plants included in this year’s sale are on the attached order form page.

• Plant Sale and Pre-order Pick-up is scheduled for:

  Saturday, May 18, 2024

  9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon HOMEWOOD IZAAK WALTON PRESERVE 1100 RIDGE ROAD, HOMEWOOD IL 60430

  To obtain the plants you want, we highly encourage pre-ordering. If you prefer, plants can be delivered by TCAS volunteers to Homewood/Flossmoor homes on Friday May 17.

Pre-orders due March 1, 2024 and there are 2 Ways to order:

Order on-line

www.ThornCreekAudubonSociety.org
Scroll to: Native Plant Sale for Plant Descriptions and Directions for ordering

Mail your Order Form and Check

Download and fill out order form. Mail to: TCAS/Judy Johnson
803 Argyle Avenue
Flossmoor, IL 60422
Make checks payable to: Thorn Creek Audubon

Judy Johnson, a Board member of both TCAS and HIWP is happy to answer questions regarding the plants or the sale. Judy can be reached by email at TCASPlants@gmail.com or by text at 312-307-1808. We have worked closely with Possibility Place Nursery to choose plants that can be reliably provided. However, even with careful planning, some plants do not propagate as expected and so are not available at the time of pick-up. Unavailable plants will be substituted with appropriate plants.

Native plants are much more likely to thrive when placed where conditions support them: For example, do you love red? Both the Cardinal Flower and Royal Catchfly produce beautiful red flowers in sun to partial shade, but the Cardinal Flower likes wet conditions, whereas the Royal Catchfly likes dry conditions.