April 10th – “The Road Ahead: Characteristics of Roadside Right of Ways that Influence Avian Communities” presented by Laura Lee Hubbard Biology Graduate Candidate WIU.

Over 99% of the original grassland prairie has been lost in Illinois, and much of what remains is found adjacent to roadsides throughout the state. We discuss what characteristics of these areas positively influence the abundance and diversity of avian communities and offer suggestions on how the remaining grassland in Illinois can be enhanced.

The free talk will be held at the Macomb City Hall Community Room at 7pm.

Western Illinois Biology Professor emeritus Ed Franks will present a program “Attracting desirable wild birds to your home can be challenging”. Ed will discuss easy ways to discourage unwanted sparrows and avoid messes around a bird feeder, while improving your chances of getting desirable species in both winter and summer. He will cover feeding, housing, and predator control, and discuss ways to make the hobby more rewarding.

The program will be held at the Macomb City Hall Community Room beginning at 7pm. Programs will typically follow introductions with a short meeting to follow.  All of our programs are free and open to the public.

Thursday December 15th at 6pm –  2011 Annual Christmas Party  We will hold our Christmas Party and Potluck at the Macomb City Hall Community Center in place of our regular chapter business meeting for December.  Attendees are asked to bring a potluck dish and table settings for themselves.  We will have turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, fruit punch and plenty of food.  Bring your appetite.  Dinner will begin that Thursday evening at 6 pm.  After dinner we will plan to host “Nature bingo” and have prizes available for winners.  Come, bring family and friend and join us for an early Christmas celebration and lots of fun.

November 8th – “Research with the Ghost Orchid in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge” by Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, Illinois College

About one half (106) of all orchids native to North America occur in Florida, and about half of these species are confined to the southernmost part of the state in an area known as the Big Cypress Basin Eco-Region. Here, the rarest epiphytic orchids are found sheltered from sub-freezing temperatures deep within cypress domes and freshwater wetlands frequented by reptiles, mosquitoes, poachers, and saw grass. This talk will take us deep into the swamps of the Fakahatchee Strand and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, to investigate the mysterious life history of these amazing unique plants, with emphasis on how they exploit fungi to suit their needs. Several taxa will be featured including the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) – the subject of Susan Orlean’s novel, “The Orchid Thief”, and subsequent hit movie “Adaptation”. The conservation of these species will also be discussed in the wake of ongoing threats in the region (e.g., poaching, urban development).

Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler is a Professor of Biology at Illinois College in Jacksonville, and director of the school’s Orchid Recovery Program. He is also a Research Associate at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL and serves on the American Orchid Society’s Research Committee.

The program will be held at the Macomb City Hall Community Room beginning at 7pm.  Programs will typically follow introductions and a short meeting.

October 11th – Professor Eric Ribbens will present “Farmer Dirk and the Little Green Duck”. Dr. Ribbens, WIU Biology Department, has recently authored a children’s book entitled “Farmer Dirk Little Green Duck. The book consists of 19 short stories that describe a somewhat romanticized view of a small family farm, through the eyes of a little green duck who thinks he is a cow. Dr. Ribbens will describe the process of writing this particular book about a farm and will read excerpts from the book. He will also have some books available for purchase and book signing.

For those interested, we also will offer a short member photo show following the program so please bring your nature photographs you have taken over the past year or so. Bring either digital pictures (on a flash drive) or prints.