Register now for the Chicago Bird Alliance Environmental Awards Brunch and Annual Meeting!
This year we will hold our CBA 2026 Annual Meeting, and celebrate the accomplishments of some local heroes, with a Birding and Brunch event
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 8:00 - 11:30 AM (see below for detailed schedule)
Location: Matthew Biezcat Volunteer Resource Center: 6100 North Central Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60646, in the Forest Preserves of Cook County overlooking the Edgebrook Golf Course
Fee: $25/person
Schedule (times approximate) and Presentation Details:
8:00 - 9:15 AM: Optional Bird Walk along the lower North Branch Forest Preserves. Meet in the Mathew Bieszczat Volunteer Resource Center parking lot. There will be a choice of 2-3 short walks
9:30 AM: Registration opens. Buffet Brunch to be served. (Vegan and Gluten-free options available)
10:15 AM: Election of board members (5 board positions for 3 year terms each). The nominees are
Alan Anderson
Andy Burnham
Nayla Hale
Bobbie Irvin
Spencer Kerr
10:20 AM: CBA Environmental Awards presentation
11:00 AM: Program presented by Mikko Jimenez, Lincoln Park Zoo Urban Wildlife Institute
Angels to Algorithms: how radar is reshaping what we know about urban bird migration
Mikko Jimenez will discuss the history of bird migration science and how new remote sensing tools, like radar, are changing how we protect migratory birds in cities.
Bio: Dr. Mikko Jimenez is a Biota Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, where he studies the intersection between bird migration and urban life. He is passionate about communicating conservation science, with writing published in Popular Science, The Conservation, and the National Audubon Society. He holds his Ph.D. and M.S. in Ecology from Colorado State University and his B.A. in Biology from Knox College
Photo from Unsplash (by Natalie Kinnear @nataliekinnear)
About the Award Winners
Huge congratulations to the 2026 Chicago Bird Alliance Environmental Award recipients!
Protector of the Environment - Single Act (Group): Kloempken Woods and Prairie Preserve Volunteers
Protector of the Environment - Single Act (Individual): Jeff Bilsky
Protector of the Environment – Avocation: Ken Schaefer
Protector of the Environment – Avocation: Stan Stec
Protector of the Environment – Vocation: Allison Sacerdote-Velat, Ph.D.
Protector of the Environment - Group: Somme Woods and Prairie Preserves Volunteers
Service to Chicago Area Birders: Al Stokie
First Friend of Chicago Bird Alliance: Cheryl Muth
First Friend of Chicago Bird Alliance: Marian Nicksich
First Friend of Chicago Bird Alliance: Jennie Strable
Excellence in Environmental Reporting – Print: Brett Chase
Protector of the Environment - Political Advocacy: Cheryl Johnson
Protector of the Environment - Political Service: Chicago Alderman Timmy Knudsen
Good Business Neighbor: Vortex Optics
Young Environmentalist: Ima Akagawa
Congrats again to the award winners and hope to see you on April 18th!