A FILM ABOUT CHICAGO'S PIPING PLOVERS
They'll capture your imagination...and your heart
"Monty and Rose" tells the story of a pair of endangered Piping Plovers attempting to nest on a busy beach in Chicago. The short, independent documentary chronicles these special birds and an unpredictable series of events including a proposed music festival that propelled them to national headlines. Monty and Rose became the first piping plovers to nest within the city limits of Chicago since 1955.
About Great Lakes Piping Plovers
About the film
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan began work on the film soon after the plovers arrived in Chicago in the summer of 2019. The film made its debut at the historic Music Box Theatre on November 18, 2019, a date declared Illinois Piping Plover Day by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Chicago's PBS station, WTTW Channel 11, broadcast "Monty and Rose" on May 2, 2020. A few more fast facts:
"Monty and Rose" tells the story of a pair of endangered Piping Plovers attempting to nest on a busy beach in Chicago. The short, independent documentary chronicles these special birds and an unpredictable series of events including a proposed music festival that propelled them to national headlines. Monty and Rose became the first piping plovers to nest within the city limits of Chicago since 1955.
About Great Lakes Piping Plovers
- 65-70 nesting pairs, nesting on all five Great Lakes
- Population dipped to just 13 pairs by 1990
- Three separate geographic populations: Great Lakes, Great Plains and Atlantic Coast
- Birds from all three populations winter on the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, as well as the Bahamas
- Greatest threats facing Piping Plovers: habitat loss and degradation; nest disturbance and predation. Many of the coastal beaches traditionally used by piping plovers for nesting have been lost to commercial, residential, and recreational developments.
About the film
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan began work on the film soon after the plovers arrived in Chicago in the summer of 2019. The film made its debut at the historic Music Box Theatre on November 18, 2019, a date declared Illinois Piping Plover Day by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Chicago's PBS station, WTTW Channel 11, broadcast "Monty and Rose" on May 2, 2020. A few more fast facts:
- Production company: TURNSTONE
- Videographer: Mitchell Wenkus; Editor: Pat Nabong; Original music: Congress of Starlings; Logo: Eileen Wagner
- Running time: 23 minutes
- Formats: DVD and streaming on Vimeo
- Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
- Official selection of One Earth Film Festival, the Midwest's premier environmental film festival
Sponsors
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Special thanks to our Title Sponsor, Redstart Birding, a small, Ohio-based, female-owned business powered by birders. Contact us for sponsorship opportunities.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Special thanks to our Title Sponsor, Redstart Birding, a small, Ohio-based, female-owned business powered by birders. Contact us for sponsorship opportunities.
Individual/organizational sponsors
Platinum Sponsors ($500+)
Andrea Raila
Chicago Ornithological Society
DuPage Birding Club
Lin Johnston
Paul Petersen
West Cook Wild Ones
Will County Audubon Society
Presenting Sponsors ($250+)
Adeline Krohmer
Amy Lardner
Cecilia and Robert J. Dolgan
Clyde Steele
Erika Sanders and Adrian Hegeman
Howe & Osburn
Isoo O'Brien
Jay Trees
Jeanette Pescitelli
Jennifer and Russ Johnson
Joe Valencic
Karla Kerber
Katy Krigbaum
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Lake County Audubon Society
McHenry County Audubon Society
Moller Family Foundation
Sable Dunes Audubon Society
Steven Anderson
Susan Riefe
Supporters ($100+)
Anonymous (3)
Amy Kunz
Andrea Bunch
Betsy Brill
Dori Levine
Eva Penar
Gina Wammock
The Giometti Family
Grand Rapids Audubon Club
The Gunkel Family
Illinois Environmental Council
Janet Pellegrini
In memory of Steven Jones
Kane County Audubon Society
Kerry and Merry Kerber
Laura Cripe
Lin and Gordon McGrew
Lindsey Arenberg
Marie Zahorik
Mark and Mabel Harman
Mary Hotson
The Nature Conservancy
Neil Johnston
The Potter Family
Rob Baker
Roberta Fabiano
Ruth Castillo
Sarah and Dan Tattersall
The Sierra Club, Chicago Group
Sonja Lundquist
Stacy Burns
Tamima Itani
Platinum Sponsors ($500+)
Andrea Raila
Chicago Ornithological Society
DuPage Birding Club
Lin Johnston
Paul Petersen
West Cook Wild Ones
Will County Audubon Society
Presenting Sponsors ($250+)
Adeline Krohmer
Amy Lardner
Cecilia and Robert J. Dolgan
Clyde Steele
Erika Sanders and Adrian Hegeman
Howe & Osburn
Isoo O'Brien
Jay Trees
Jeanette Pescitelli
Jennifer and Russ Johnson
Joe Valencic
Karla Kerber
Katy Krigbaum
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Lake County Audubon Society
McHenry County Audubon Society
Moller Family Foundation
Sable Dunes Audubon Society
Steven Anderson
Susan Riefe
Supporters ($100+)
Anonymous (3)
Amy Kunz
Andrea Bunch
Betsy Brill
Dori Levine
Eva Penar
Gina Wammock
The Giometti Family
Grand Rapids Audubon Club
The Gunkel Family
Illinois Environmental Council
Janet Pellegrini
In memory of Steven Jones
Kane County Audubon Society
Kerry and Merry Kerber
Laura Cripe
Lin and Gordon McGrew
Lindsey Arenberg
Marie Zahorik
Mark and Mabel Harman
Mary Hotson
The Nature Conservancy
Neil Johnston
The Potter Family
Rob Baker
Roberta Fabiano
Ruth Castillo
Sarah and Dan Tattersall
The Sierra Club, Chicago Group
Sonja Lundquist
Stacy Burns
Tamima Itani
"Two thumbs up!"
—Jessica Melfi, Bird Watcher's Digest
“Monty’s and Rose’s return to Chicago’s Montrose Beach is a wonderful bird conservation and urban outdoors story, and Bob Dolgan’s film tells it very well.”
—Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center
"Monty and Rose and their many volunteer monitors in Chicago have inspired all of us working to recover the endangered population of Great Lakes piping plovers. Their story is a model for other communities to follow as we continue to increase the number of breeding plover pairs in the region."
—Dr. Francesca Cuthbert, Piping Plover Research and Recovery Program
—Jessica Melfi, Bird Watcher's Digest
“Monty’s and Rose’s return to Chicago’s Montrose Beach is a wonderful bird conservation and urban outdoors story, and Bob Dolgan’s film tells it very well.”
—Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center
"Monty and Rose and their many volunteer monitors in Chicago have inspired all of us working to recover the endangered population of Great Lakes piping plovers. Their story is a model for other communities to follow as we continue to increase the number of breeding plover pairs in the region."
—Dr. Francesca Cuthbert, Piping Plover Research and Recovery Program
Cover image by Gordon Garcia