Upcoming Events
The 2024 volunteer stewardship days will fall on the 3rd Saturday of each month, from 10am - 12pm.
All ages and abilities are welcome to join! Please meet at the entrance to the Nature Sanctuary, located next to the South Shore Beach House and behind the South Shore Cultural Center. Volunteers should bring a water bottle and weather-appropriate clothing. Tools and gloves will be provided.
April 20
May 18
June 15
July 20
August 17
September 21
October 19
Check back soon for more information about additional 2024 events!
Please email us if you'd like to be added to our mailing list to get updates and reminders
All ages and abilities are welcome to join! Please meet at the entrance to the Nature Sanctuary, located next to the South Shore Beach House and behind the South Shore Cultural Center. Volunteers should bring a water bottle and weather-appropriate clothing. Tools and gloves will be provided.
April 20
May 18
June 15
July 20
August 17
September 21
October 19
Check back soon for more information about additional 2024 events!
Please email us if you'd like to be added to our mailing list to get updates and reminders
Past Events
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Juneteenth birding with Chicago BIPOC Birders
June 19, 2023 - 9am to noon Come out to the South Shore Nature Sanctuary for Juneteenth to experience the joy of birding, take a dip in the lake and gather in community with one another. This will be a chill event where you can really get to know folks and also enjoy birding! Loaner binoculars available. RSVP here. This event is for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)-identified individuals of all experience levels. |
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The Chicago Nature Journaling Club at the Sanctuary
Sunday June 25, 9am-noon The @chicagonaturejournalingclub meetup is returning to the Sanctuary! 🌱 Please join us for a guided nature walk and journaling session. This is a really peaceful and grounding experience in nature, and all are welcome. RSVP here. |
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Plant Medicine Workshop with Brown People Foundation
September 2022 The #BPFForagers and #ForageFam are back for September!!! Come close out summer with us as we stroll/discover/honor/share amongst the plants & trees. Learn how to spot native & invasive plants - and about their uses! Catch us in South Shore for a plant identification walk, guided by Jah of BPF and nature sanctuary stewards. Following the plant walk, we will use what we learn to create something healing 💚🌿 |
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Out in Nature
August 2022 LGBTQIA+ folx for stewardship and quality time with new friends and familiar faces at South Shore Nature Sanctuary! LGBTQIA+ folks from all over the city joined up at the Sanctuary for stewardship and quality time. We pulled invasive grape vine, made connections, and had a BYO lunch! |
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South Shore Nature Sanctuary's 20th Anniversary Celebration July 2022 In 2022, the South Shore Nature Sanctuary celebrated its 20th anniversary. We enjoyed a site-specific musical performance by Lia Kohl, arts & crafts and a scavenger hunt, tours of the nature sanctuary, and vegan treats from South Shore's Betty Bot Bakery. |
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Inception: ETHOS Episode II by Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape.
October 2021 A nature walk style music and dance installation, Inception: ETHOS Episode II was the second iteration of the ETHOS project that reflects on humanity’s ancient and ancestral relationships to nature. Drawing from the pandemic's lessons on appreciating the ordinary moments of our lives, and reflecting on what matters most to us, participants were invited to be, move, and breathe. This performance took place on Indigenous People's Day. |
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End-of-Season Seedling Planting
October 2021 Volunteers came together to get numerous species of native plants into the ground, to ensure the Sanctuary maintains its distinctive biodiversity. Volunteers were also able to learn about native seed collection and take home some seeds for their own native gardens! |
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Nest Check with Purple Martins of South Shore
Summer 2021 Volunteers at the Sanctuary joined with Purple Martins of South Shore for one of the regular "nest checks" of the baby Purple Martins nesting behind the South Shore Cultural Center. In addition to tracking the number of hatchlings, volunteers were able to assist with maintaining their nests, cleaning out bugs and debris, identifying their ages (in days and weeks!), and ensuring the health of this new generation of birds. |
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Native Seed Collecting
September 2021 An informative seed collecting educational session with a wonderful group of fellow Chicago Parks natural areas community stewards. They came from near and far all over the city - Rutherford Sayre, McKinley Park, Burnham Greenway, Ping Tom, and beyond to learn and share here at the Sanctuary. |
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Yoga and Crafts at the Sanctuary
October 2021 What better spot to do yoga than at the South Shore Nature Sanctuary? In between plantings, volunteers were able to join for a guided yoga practice as well as various arts and crafts (with Activate South Coast Project) connecting us to this wonderful landscape. |
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Earth Day Cleanup with the Volunteer Stewards
April 2021 Amidst the the sights of spring -- flowering fruit trees by the lagoon, bluebells in the woodland, and even some native prickly pear -- a small crew of dedicated volunteer stewards showed up in the rain to pick up trash, cut back invasive species, and generally maintain the beauty of the Sanctuary for another month. |
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