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May 11, 2023

Why Chicago Fell in Love with Piping Plovers

City Cast Chicago

Why Chicago Fell in Love with Piping Plovers

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Beginning in 2019, two names dominated headlines and became a love story Chicago could get behind. Monty and Rose were piping plovers who came to nest, and fell in love, at Montrose Beach. Piping plovers are an endangered species, but birders and other volunteers began protecting Monty and Rose, and eventually their offspring, while educating the public about the tiny birds. City Cast Chicago producer Simone Alicea went to Montrose Beach with bird monitor Ann Hetzel Gunkel to learn more about piping plovers, and asks: “Why should we care about about these birds?”


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