News Release
Eagle Nature Foundation, Ltd.
300 East Hickory Street, Apple River, IL 61001
Phone: 815-594-2306 Fax: 815-594-2305 Web Site: eaglenature.com
e-mail: eaglenature.tni@juno.com Tax Exempt No. 36-4015400
| For Immediate Release | April 22, 2015 |
Big Bird Day - May 9th
Apple River) May 9th is a Big Bird Day for many environmental organizations nationwide. Terry Ingram, President and Exec. Dir. of the Eagle Nature Foundation, plans to make it unique day for that organization. On May 9th, he will be attempting to see or hear every different bird species which can be found on Ingram’s 42 acres of Apple Creek Prairie and Woods. He is asking members of the public to pledge a donation to ENF for every bird species he finds on the property that day.
Ingram would like to see Apple Creek Prairie and Woods be set aside as an outdoor classroom for students and adults to learn about the natural world. The area is unique as it contains so many different habitats, The woods contains sections of a mature oak opening, a mature maple-basswood forest and a black walnut woods along with their unique edge habitats. For the past 20 years the woods and prairie has been set aside letting nature do its own thing. Parts of the prairie have been burnt every spring resulting in prairie plants coming back that had been sitting as dormant seeds in the soil for 70 or more years. Burning off the non-native grasses allows the sun to warm the soil and stimulate some seed germinations. Sited just last fall was the Little Ladies’ Tress Orchids which had never been seen there before. The public is invited to join Mr. Ingram on May 9th for a casual day of enjoying the birds.
Different birds are attracted to various habitats as different habitats contain different plants with different insects feeding on them and they produce different seeds at different times of the year. Ingram will be documenting the many bird species that may have chosen the area for nesting this year or just as a stopover during migration. If a habitat is correct it contains many different plant and insect species. Many birds will stay a few days or a week to fatten up for the last leg of their migration to their nesting grounds in the north. In this area during past springs Mr. Ingram has normally seen from 50 to 80 species in a single day.
His sightings will be posted on Facebook and Twitter and ENF’s website: eaglenature.com.
For more information contact: Terrence N. Ingram, Exec. Director, Eagle Nature Foundation, 300 East Hickory St., Apple River, IL 61001 Phone 815-594-2306