The Nature Foundation donors enjoy hummingbird banding experience

A hummingbird is released (left) after being measured and banded (right) as part of the Hummingbird Banding Experience.

The Nature Foundation of Will County partnered with the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Thorn Creek Audubon Society to offer an intimate hummingbird banding experience for donors, members, volunteers and partners on a very hot Saturday afternoon.

Vernon Kleen, an Illinois licensed avian ecologist and bird expert from the Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders, successfully banded 42 hummingbirds in a little less than three hours! Attendees were encouraged to adopt a hummingbird by making a $5 donation to the Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders and received their official certificate on the spot.

The Thorn Creek Audubon Society provided funding for the banding at Plum Creek Nature Center, and The Nature Foundation provided veggies, fruit and beverages for volunteers and participants to enjoy throughout the event.

Special thanks to the fabulous staff at Plum Creek Nature Center — facility supervisor Heather Van Zyl, interpretive naturalist Kelly Huschart and facility office manager Marissa Jones — for supporting this special experience. Huschart delivered a presentation that included impressive hummingbird facts, the hows and whys of banding and a pitch for incorporating native plants in your yard. Outside, the group watched Kleen do his thing, carefully banding these tiny, mighty — and sometimes feisty — hummingbirds.

The afternoon would not have been possible without all the Forest Preserve volunteers who worked out in the heat for hours — with smiles on their faces the entire time. Joel Craig, a Prairie People Volunteer, gently transferred the hummingbirds to participants so they could release them after they were banded. All the attendees had the opportunity to release a hummingbird, ensuring no one was left disappointed.

Lisbet Temple, a longtime friend of the Forest Preserve District, said the event was the best banding experience she's attended over the years. It was such a peaceful afternoon without a lot of hustle and bustle, and because attendance was limited, all the participants got a closeup view of the banding process.

This special experience was a new way for our volunteers, donors and partners to get up close to our mission!