Check out the following stories about the "Monty and Rose" project
"In these times when so much has to be closed, the care so many humans have taken to care and provide for a couple of small birds is a kind of reassuring signal. Life goes on. Love finds a way. Family sustains. The fate of two small piping plovers still amounts to something in this crazy world." --Scott Simon on Monty and Rose, Weekend Edition Saturday, May 9, 2020
Piping Plover pair Monty and Rose may have reunited Monday at Montrose Beach Dunes (Chicago Sun-Times, 4/26/21)
If Monty really is back, this would mark the pair’s third year returning to Chicago (Monty later confirmed as back). View the story here
Volunteers clean up Montrose Beach for return of Piping Plovers (ABC 7 Chicago, 4/11/21)
In Illinois, dozens of volunteers searched the sands on Montrose Beach for pollution in an effort to get the stretch of Lake Michigan’s shoreline ready for the homecoming of Monty and Rose — the piping plovers. View the story here
More room for plovers as Park District OKs Montrose habitat expansion (WTTW, 4/7/21)
Conservationists are celebrating the Chicago Park District’s announcement Wednesday of a 3.1-acre expansion of the Montrose Dune Natural Area, a site that’s gained international attention in recent years as the nesting home for a pair of endangered Great Lake piping plovers, Monty and Rose. View the story here
Why an extra 1 1/2 acres of lakefront habitat should matter to every Chicagoan (Chicago Sun-Times, 3/9/21)
The presence of the plovers on Montrose Beach is the culmination of a 20-year conservation success story. View the story here
On the lakes, these little birds are special (Chronicle Telegram, 2/26/21)
Taking to beaches, the plovers are subject to many dangers, such as people, sport and recreation, dogs off leash, changing water levels and a vast array of other natural predators. View the story here
Review: Two thumbs up for "Monty and Rose" (Bird Watcher's Digest, 2/11/21)
"For the next 20 minutes, I rode a roller coaster of emotion, immediately smitten with the fluffy pair of plovers and caught up in the excitement of the local Chicagoans who followed the birds’ nest progress." View the story here
Two-minute guide: Piping Plovers at Montrose Beach (Chicago Magazine, 2/9/21)
Two endangered birds have already bent a music festival to their winged will. Can they conquer the Chicago Park District?. View the story here
Before Monty and Rose, there was Dodger (Block Club Chicago, 1/22/21)
Dodger stayed on the beach in the winter, a highly unusual move for the migratory species. View the story here.
Piping plover family summered on Montrose Beach 'like they owned the place' (Chicago Tribune, 8/4/20)
This year the birds arrive hours apart and settled in. View the story here
Names for piping plover chicks inspired by environmental justice, Native Americans and hope (Chicago Tribune, 7/13/20)
Welcome to the world, Hazel, Esperanza and Nish. View the story here
Monitoring the Montrose piping plovers: It's not just birdwatching, it's like guarding a line of descendants (Chicago Tribune, 6/29/20)
As Chicago enters new reopening phase, shorebirds enter new phase of species survival. View the story here
Endangered bird couple returns to Chicago's shore (NPR, 5/9/20)
Monty and Rose met last year on a beach on the north side of Chicago. Their attraction was intense, immediate, and you might say, fruitful. View the story here.
Season's first sightings raise hope for the return of Monty and Rose (Chicago Tribune, 4/30/20)
A few of the dapper shorebirds have been seen on the shores of Lake Michigan. View the story here.
One Earth Film Festival features flick about beloved pair of piping plovers (WTTW, 3/5/20)
The endangered piping plovers are back as stars of a documentary. View the story here.
Film fest celebrates endangered birds' return to Chicago's Lake Michigan shore (Great Lakes Now, 3/5/20)
Monty and Rose, a celebrated pair of piping plovers, one of the great bird species of the Great Lakes region. View the story here.
For the first time in decades, rare piping plovers mated in Chicago (The Nature Conservancy, 2/28/20)
Their arrival marked a flurry of curiosity and concern as thousands followed their efforts. View the story here.
"Monty and Rose" is a film about Chicago's piping plovers (Fox Chicago, 1/20/20)
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan joined "Good Day Chicago" for a segment about Monty and Rose. Watch the clip here.
Film about local piping plovers to be shown in Waukegan (Daily Herald, 1/13/20)
The same pair of endangered shorebirds nested at Waukegan Beach in 2018. View the story here.
2019 in Birding: The good, the sad and the unlikely (Daily Herald, 1/6/20)
Monty and Rose were the local nature story of the year, rivaled only by an alligator in Humboldt Park lagoon. View the story here.
Chicago birders to celebrate Piping Plover Day with Montrose Beach cleanup (Block Club Chicago, 11/15/19)
The public can join volunteers at any events, including beach cleanups, a bird walk and happy hour. View the story here.
'Piping Plover Day' declared by Governor to honor rare birds that nested at Montrose Beach (Block Club Chicago, 11/7/19)
Chicago's favorite pair of adorable piping plovers will be honored with their very own day by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. View the story here.
Monty and Rose flew south for the winter, but Governor declares November 18 Piping Plover Day (Chicago Tribune, 11/6/19)
Feature on "Monty and Rose" and reactions to Governor's proclamation of Piping Plover Day. View the story here.
See Montrose Beach's piping plovers in a new documentary (Uptown Update, 10/31/19)
The latest updates on screenings of "Monty and Rose," including three in the Uptown neighborhood. View the story here.
Documentary to tell the story of Chicago's piping plovers and the birders who fought to protect them (Block Club Chicago, 9/5/19)
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan discusses the effort to make a film featuring the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago in 64 years. View the story here.
The race to save the endangered piping plover from tourists and a music festival escalates (Chicago Tribune, 7/19/19)
The Tribune highlights efforts to preserve and expand Great Lakes piping plover populations in this in-depth piece.
View the story here.
If Monty really is back, this would mark the pair’s third year returning to Chicago (Monty later confirmed as back). View the story here
Volunteers clean up Montrose Beach for return of Piping Plovers (ABC 7 Chicago, 4/11/21)
In Illinois, dozens of volunteers searched the sands on Montrose Beach for pollution in an effort to get the stretch of Lake Michigan’s shoreline ready for the homecoming of Monty and Rose — the piping plovers. View the story here
More room for plovers as Park District OKs Montrose habitat expansion (WTTW, 4/7/21)
Conservationists are celebrating the Chicago Park District’s announcement Wednesday of a 3.1-acre expansion of the Montrose Dune Natural Area, a site that’s gained international attention in recent years as the nesting home for a pair of endangered Great Lake piping plovers, Monty and Rose. View the story here
Why an extra 1 1/2 acres of lakefront habitat should matter to every Chicagoan (Chicago Sun-Times, 3/9/21)
The presence of the plovers on Montrose Beach is the culmination of a 20-year conservation success story. View the story here
On the lakes, these little birds are special (Chronicle Telegram, 2/26/21)
Taking to beaches, the plovers are subject to many dangers, such as people, sport and recreation, dogs off leash, changing water levels and a vast array of other natural predators. View the story here
Review: Two thumbs up for "Monty and Rose" (Bird Watcher's Digest, 2/11/21)
"For the next 20 minutes, I rode a roller coaster of emotion, immediately smitten with the fluffy pair of plovers and caught up in the excitement of the local Chicagoans who followed the birds’ nest progress." View the story here
Two-minute guide: Piping Plovers at Montrose Beach (Chicago Magazine, 2/9/21)
Two endangered birds have already bent a music festival to their winged will. Can they conquer the Chicago Park District?. View the story here
Before Monty and Rose, there was Dodger (Block Club Chicago, 1/22/21)
Dodger stayed on the beach in the winter, a highly unusual move for the migratory species. View the story here.
Piping plover family summered on Montrose Beach 'like they owned the place' (Chicago Tribune, 8/4/20)
This year the birds arrive hours apart and settled in. View the story here
Names for piping plover chicks inspired by environmental justice, Native Americans and hope (Chicago Tribune, 7/13/20)
Welcome to the world, Hazel, Esperanza and Nish. View the story here
Monitoring the Montrose piping plovers: It's not just birdwatching, it's like guarding a line of descendants (Chicago Tribune, 6/29/20)
As Chicago enters new reopening phase, shorebirds enter new phase of species survival. View the story here
Endangered bird couple returns to Chicago's shore (NPR, 5/9/20)
Monty and Rose met last year on a beach on the north side of Chicago. Their attraction was intense, immediate, and you might say, fruitful. View the story here.
Season's first sightings raise hope for the return of Monty and Rose (Chicago Tribune, 4/30/20)
A few of the dapper shorebirds have been seen on the shores of Lake Michigan. View the story here.
One Earth Film Festival features flick about beloved pair of piping plovers (WTTW, 3/5/20)
The endangered piping plovers are back as stars of a documentary. View the story here.
Film fest celebrates endangered birds' return to Chicago's Lake Michigan shore (Great Lakes Now, 3/5/20)
Monty and Rose, a celebrated pair of piping plovers, one of the great bird species of the Great Lakes region. View the story here.
For the first time in decades, rare piping plovers mated in Chicago (The Nature Conservancy, 2/28/20)
Their arrival marked a flurry of curiosity and concern as thousands followed their efforts. View the story here.
"Monty and Rose" is a film about Chicago's piping plovers (Fox Chicago, 1/20/20)
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan joined "Good Day Chicago" for a segment about Monty and Rose. Watch the clip here.
Film about local piping plovers to be shown in Waukegan (Daily Herald, 1/13/20)
The same pair of endangered shorebirds nested at Waukegan Beach in 2018. View the story here.
2019 in Birding: The good, the sad and the unlikely (Daily Herald, 1/6/20)
Monty and Rose were the local nature story of the year, rivaled only by an alligator in Humboldt Park lagoon. View the story here.
Chicago birders to celebrate Piping Plover Day with Montrose Beach cleanup (Block Club Chicago, 11/15/19)
The public can join volunteers at any events, including beach cleanups, a bird walk and happy hour. View the story here.
'Piping Plover Day' declared by Governor to honor rare birds that nested at Montrose Beach (Block Club Chicago, 11/7/19)
Chicago's favorite pair of adorable piping plovers will be honored with their very own day by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. View the story here.
Monty and Rose flew south for the winter, but Governor declares November 18 Piping Plover Day (Chicago Tribune, 11/6/19)
Feature on "Monty and Rose" and reactions to Governor's proclamation of Piping Plover Day. View the story here.
See Montrose Beach's piping plovers in a new documentary (Uptown Update, 10/31/19)
The latest updates on screenings of "Monty and Rose," including three in the Uptown neighborhood. View the story here.
Documentary to tell the story of Chicago's piping plovers and the birders who fought to protect them (Block Club Chicago, 9/5/19)
Filmmaker Bob Dolgan discusses the effort to make a film featuring the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago in 64 years. View the story here.
The race to save the endangered piping plover from tourists and a music festival escalates (Chicago Tribune, 7/19/19)
The Tribune highlights efforts to preserve and expand Great Lakes piping plover populations in this in-depth piece.
View the story here.