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Images from McCormick nature area

Purple Coneflower

Hawk (McCormick)

Dragonfly (McCormick)

Yellow Coneflowers (McCormick)

 

McCormick Place Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary

About

  • The McCormick Place Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary is 6-acre nature area in the heart of Chicago, on Lake Michigan just south of the McCormick Place convention center.
  • The sanctuary is managed as a part of the Nature Areas Program of the Chicago Park District.
  • Official Park District description
  • Part of the nature area is actually a green roof, above a McCormick parking garage.
  • It is part of a series birding areas along the Chicago Region Birding Trail

Getting there

It's not hard to get to, but directions are a bit tricky since its tucked away between the convention center, Lakeshore Drive, and the lake.

    Ride/walk: You can ride or walk there easily on the lakeshore path. Its a few blocks south of Field Museum or 18th St overpass, and a few blocks north of the 31st St Beach.
    Train: Take the Metra Electric line to McCormick Place, then walk a couple blocks south and east to the park.  This option will work for those coming from downtown or Hyde Park.
    Driving: Get off Lakeshore Drive at 31st St. (going towards the lake) and go north on Fort Dearborn.  Turn right between the prairie and the McCormick building and go as far as the guardhouse. Typically, if you tell the guard that you are volunteer with the park district participating on a workday, they will let you park along the northern edge of the park.


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Workdays in 2009

  • First Sunday of each month, 2pm - 5pm
  • Sunday, April 5th:
    • Trash clean-up
    • Invasive removal: Garlic mustard, thistles, wild parnsip
    • Seeding: ?
  • Student workday in 2009: Thursday, March 5th from 12:30 – 2:30pm
    • Goal: Broadcasting native plants' seed
    • Participants: Francis Parker School Group

Workdays in 2008

  • May 3rd
    • Goal: Seeding and invasive removal
    • Participants: Community volunteers and University of Chicago Prairie Ecosystems class
  • June 6th
    • Goal: Install native plants
      • Slender mountain mint, Obedient plant, Iris, Anise hyssop
    • Participants: Corporate volunteer day
  • September 6th
    • Goal: Seed removal from invasives
  • November 1st
    • Goal: Collecting native grass seed at Northerly Island

 

More about the McCormick nature area

Visitors Comments

Hello,

A breakfast walk this morning to the "Magic Pool" (the bird bath in Burnham Park) yielded, even though dry, my lifer Black-billed cuckoo.   In the restored native prairie there an unfamiliar alarm call turned out to be my lifer Dickcissel. Not only a male was present, but also a female and even better what looked to me as a recent fledgling! The setting was wonderful with all the prairie flowers in full bloom.

I also saw my lifer Red-spotted purples there today, and yesterday an Ebony jewelwing was hanging around there.

A truly magic spot and so conveniently close to the McCormick Convention Center!

Best regards,
Bruno, visiting from Belgium

 

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