Clark Street Beach Bird Habitat Restoration

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Clark Street Beach Bird Habitat Restoration

Public Works


Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration TEAM City of Evanston

Public Works/Parks & Recreation

Consultants Landscape Architect

Kettelkamp & Kettelkamp Ryan Kettelkamp/Dave Lawrie

Restoration Specialist

Christopher B. Burke Engineering Robert Sliwinski

Bird Conservationist

Judy Pollock

Migratory Birds

Public Works


Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration

“The City’s Goal for this project is to restore the impacted bird habitat at Clark Street Beach by developing a suitable environment to support and enhance use by migratory birds.” Per the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, NU was required to pay a Tree Replacement Fee for the removal of 275 trees on the City’s property.

$173,000 PROJECT SCHEDULE 2015 • • • •

Public Review Process Apr-May Design/Construction Documents Jun-Jul Bidding Process /Select Contractor Aug Implementation Sept–Oct

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Pre‐existing Conditions • Dense Woodland (Structure) • Dune Habitat • Bird Survey • Plant Survey

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Habitat Removal Area removed due to Northwestern Visitor Center construction & fire lane

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Current Condition New Visitor Center & Fire Lane Remnant Grove • Wooded to west • Low area in the middle • Volunteer Cottonwoods to the east

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Existing Vegetation • NU planted dunegrass around building (Installed & Maintained by NU) • Central Zone along jogging path towards beach house (under City control) • Additive planting to enhance bird habitat

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Expand new habitat into Clark Street Beach to ensure net balance of habitat area.

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration Consolidated Bird Habitat • Fenced off to protect plantings • Fencing provides limited access to beach • Volleyball net poles adjusted • Beach tractor rake access maintained

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration STRUCTURE Bird Habitat Plantings Four Levels of Structure for Birds: • • • •

Upper Canopy (Tall Trees) Middle Canopy (Smaller Trees) Shrub Layer Ground Layer (Forbs, Grasses and Leaf Litter)

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration REMOVE Selective clearing of undesirable plant material • • • •

Public safety (Ash trees) Overly Competitive (Grape Vine) Allow plant succession (Cottonwoods) Pruning to re‐invigorate plants (Dogwood)

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration PLANT • Trees & Shrubs • Bur & Black Oak • Hawthorn • Redosier & Gray Dogwood • Ninebark & Potentilla • Wildflower/Grass plug planting • Seeding • Planting treatment intensity depends on zone. • Remnant Core 25% treatment • Central Strip 50% • Beach 75% • Sand conditions limit plant choice.

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration PROTECT Slatted Beach Fencing • Protect habitat & new planting • Rabbit damage • People trampling plants • Limit public access to beach & habitat.

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration MAINTAIN Volunteers • Evanston Tree Keepers • Birding Groups • Scouts Liaison with Botany & Ecology Department NU Prepare Management Strategy to ensure suitable habitat establishes and is maintained. • Monitoring • Removal of undesirable plants • Ongoing education

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Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration MIGRATORY BIRDS About 280 species of birds migrate through the Chicago area annually: • Warblers (32 species) • Sparrows (18 species) • Flycatchers (10 species) • Thrushes, Vireos, Wrens, Blackbirds, Evanston’s lakeshore location, north of “corn‐soybean desert” on Lake Michigan, makes it a critical stopping‐off point for migrating birds. Habitat also provides food: • Insects • Nectar • Fruit • Seeds • Buds Public Works


Clark Street Beach - Bird Habitat Restoration DISCUSSION • • • • •

Plant Material Protection Wildlife being served Habitat Structure Public Involvement

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