President Chris Joyce called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. and led us in “Why We Are Rotarians.” Randy Usen gave the Thought for the Day: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal”-- Albert Pike.

 

 

Visiting Rotarian Chuck Miles attended in his role as Assistant Governor, in order to get ideas to help the clubs under his stewardship.

 

Chris praised the District training session that was held Saturday morning, and said that the board will nominate and appoint three electors for the June 5 annual District Assembly. He also reported on the Incoming Board retreat, held Saturday afternoon, where goals were discussed. He complimented Yves Lassere and Linda Gerber for organizing and facilitating, and Kate Collinson, Ann Weatherhead, and Kathy Tate-Bradish for being breakout room facilitators. The board meeting will be Wednesday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.

 

President-Elect Linda Gerber thanked outgoing Board Secretary Willy Steiner for his excellent work. New member Clarence Weaver was nominated and approved by the board as Willy’s replacement starting July 1, 2021. Chris called for a vote, and Clarence was approved unanimously by the membership.

 

Linda also summarized the 2021-22 Leadership team’s first meeting last Saturday. Yves did an outstanding job bringing us together and inspiring us. She also thanked Bruce Baumberger for hosting; Kate, Ann W, and Kathy; members Jean Saunders, Katherine Peterson, Steve Goranson, Harold Bauer, Charlotta Koppanyi, Kristen Brown, and Chris Joyce; and called out Patrick Mbullo in particular for attending in the middle of his Kenyan night. It was a really fun afternoon.

 

Chris showed photos that Joy Joyce took of him delivering new member packets to Clarence Weaver and Evan Girard. Welcome!!

 

Chris also showed a photo of Steve Carlson, Steve Goranson, Neil Gambow, and Don Gwinn at the District golf outing last Friday. Proceeds will raise scholarship money for RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) attendees who need financial help. Marv Edelstein and Joy Joyce were also there helping out.

 

Club Service Chair Katherine Peterson: 1. Flash walk this Thursday, May 20. Meet at Katherine’s at 4 p.m., start walk promptly at 4:10. Find her address in Clubrunner or send her an email. 2. Tuesday, June 22 from 6 to 7 p.m., we will have a barbecue to mark the transition of the new Rotary Board at Lighthouse Beach Shelter, 2611 Sheridan Rd., Evanston.  Details forthcoming, please mark your calendar.

 

Susan Prout invited everyone to a largely social Community Service Committee meeting tonight. They are done with the bulk of the work for the year. Check Clubrunner or email Susan for her address if you want to attend. Please put 4 p.m. June 8 on your calendar to help bundle diapers for Bundled Blessings.

 

Sue Bova announced the upcoming International Service Committee meeting Monday, May 24, from 7:15 – 8:30 a.m. All are welcome.

 

Clarence announced C&W Market Appreciation Day for those who have supported and sponsored their year-long weekly food giveaway. Let Clarence know so they can plan (or just show up!).

 

 

Steve Goranson boasted his daughter and pets who have taken over his house and are helping to clean it out. They’ll see each other for the first time in a year-and-a-half.

 

Ann and John Searles just returned from Vanderbilt to watch their granddaughter graduate – although Ann only got social updates for the last four years, her granddaughter graduated magna cum laude! More good news, she’s coming to Chicago for a job at Deloitte.

 

Helen Oloroso boasted her daughter Jessica Oloroso, chef and owner of Black Dog Gelato, who has been selected to participate in a Food Network competition on ice cream and other frozen desserts. They’re filming at Ben & Jerry’s!

 

Joy Joyce met a Rotarian from Antioch at the golf outing, and they connected over club donation collection projects. Antioch collects crayons, and in our club, Ann Searles collects empty prescription bottles.  Each club might be interested in collecting for the other.

 

John Osterlund boasted his son Peter’s graduation Friday from Tulane. Two down, one to go!

 

Kathy boasted the outstanding leadership retreat that Linda and Yves put together, which was inspiring and constructive.

 

 

 

 

Ann Searles introduced Julie Dorfman and Jerry Herst, co-stewards of the Clark Street Beach Bird Sanctuary (CSBBS) in Evanston. Although they've been passionate about the environment and nature all of their lives, they actually spent their professional lives together as husband and wife business partners in a family drapery business. After retirement they became more involved in the Chicago area nature community. In 2015, while the City of Evanston was developing the Clark Street Beach Bird Sanctuary, they were invited to be the first stewards of the project.

 

Julie explained that they've spent the past five years organizing volunteers for work days, learning about the unique habitat of Lake Michigan shoreline and the plants that can survive in that harsh environment. They have helped create a welcoming place for birds, insects, native plants, and the human community adjacent to the beach.

 

Julie explained that they want to share some of their experiences initiating and maintaining a natural area , and how their roles, goals, and perspectives have changed over the  first five years. She and Jerry are stewards of the bird sanctuary, at 1811 Sheridan Road in Evanston, just south of Northwestern University and just north of the Clark Street Beach restrooms and beach house.

 

In the 1960s, Northwestern created a landfill to expand its campus east into Lake Michigan. As the plants grew, in came the birds and then local birders; it soon became a bird and birders’ Eden. But when Northwestern built its new visitor center in 2013, this precious refuge for migrating birds was lost. Members of the Evanston Northshore Bird Club suggested setting aside the fine money, which is the Evanston tree ordinance paid by Northwestern for removal of trees from adjacent public parkland, to create a new bird sanctuary; and worked with the city's Greenways team to make this a reality. Julie and Jerry give thanks especially to Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Paul D’Agostino, who was the manager of the Greenways department at that time.

 

In fall of 2015 CSBBS’s new native beach habitat was planned as a partnership between the City of Evanston and the Evanston Northshore Bird Club (ENBC). Jerry and Julie were asked to be volunteer stewards of the new project, with community stewardship to follow. The sanctuary is not technically a habitat restoration because there are not records of the original dune land to compare it to. It was an unusual site, because the beach had been mechanically groomed for years. It was to be a bird sanctuary to provide food, water, and shelter for migrating birds. Julie and Jerry and other volunteers needed to learn about native plants and also non-native weeds which had to be eradicated.

 

Native plants support native insects which feed the birds; the insects also pollinate the plants to produce seeds and berries that sustain migrating birds in the fall. Julie and Jerry’s long term goal was to have only native plants; and since they knew that the invasives that were there would crowd them out, their first task was to pull or dig aggressive weeds. Some very invasive plants, like bouncing bet and quack grass, are especially hard to eradicate. They both grew faster than they could be pulled or dug out, and hundreds of volunteer hours have had be spent getting rid of them. The Greenways team is helping in the effort.

 

In 2017 bird monitors from the ENBC began recording seasonal migrants and entering it all on eBird. This inspired the stewards of the land to start plant lists and track plants, which helped identify which plants attract which birds and insects, including bees and butterflies. The Green Team at Rotary International noticed the work and helped with funding.

 

In 2018 more volunteer groups committed to helping and the plantings increased and the varieties of bees, butterflies, and dragonflies increased. Gradually a better understanding of habitat deepened, and their vision and sense of mission evolved. They observed which birds made use of which trees, shrubs, or other spots.

 

In fall they gather seeds from the native grasses.  There are always new invasives and new plants to identify. The biodiversity is always expanding. The lake has risen and destroyed the fence that defines the bird sanctuary several times. Beavers took down several large cottonwoods  - an adult beaver can harvest a full grown cottonwood tree in one night! The beavers destroyed about thirty cottonwood trees in 2020. Metal mesh has been installed around the remaining cottonwoods, as everyone learns to live together.

 

There are sub-habitats even within the small sanctuary. Habitat restoration education includes consulting print and online resources and area experts. The classes at the Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanical Garden have been particularly helpful.

 

Their initial goal was, of course, to develop a bird sanctuary, but they now view their mission much more broadly. They provide experiences for local birders dismayed about the loss of a beloved birding location, but now also focus on reaching more people in the community through outreach and education.

 

Rotarians would be welcome as volunteers, and Rotary International is already generous with the donation of trees and volunteer hours. Please go to https://clarkstreetbeachbirdsanctuary.org/ where you’ll find an opportunity to sign up to volunteer as well as lots of other interesting information. Tell your friends!

 

The impact of the sanctuary will be even greater if we all increase the number of native plantings and decrease the use of toxic chemicals. Leave your fallen leaves under trees and shrubs for the overwintering of many species – we can all contribute to Evanston’s Community Wildlife Habitat certification.

 

Julie and Gerry are thankful that our beaches stayed open during COVID, which helped sustain us all during a very difficult time. There is always more to learn, and they look forward to continued work with the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club to support Evanston’s Climate Action Resilience Plan (CARP).

 

 

 

Chuck Miles, Rotary Club of Geneva, IL; AG St. Charles Noon and Wheaton AM Rotary Clubs

 

 

Gerry Hersh and Julie Dorfman, speakers

 

Sara Jones, neighbor of Marv Edelstein, who has heard a lot about our club over the years

 

 

Kassandre McGovern, May 21, 2 years