ORGANIZERS

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development is a leader and partner in creating opportunities for the preservation, growth, and sustainability of the diverse communities that make Chicago the most livable world-class city. DPD is responsible for preserving the city’s architectural and historical landmarks, protecting the Chicago River and Lake Michigan shorelines, and creating new public green space.
 

The Chicago Department of the Environment sets policy, plans, and supervises activities designed to protect, restore, and enhance natural resources. The Division’s initiatives include greening neighborhoods through community education and provision of materials; managing grounds and public programming at the Chicago Center for Green Technology; coordinating research, outreach, and rehabilitation efforts for the Calumet area’s ecological parcels; and establishing policies and programs that conserve and enhance water quality in Chicago’s rivers, lakes and groundwater systems.
 

The Chicago Ornithological Society (COS) is a modern birding club that promotes the scientific and educational aspects of ornithology in the greater Chicago area. Many COS members are serious birders, but the club's programs, field trips and birding classes and workshops appeal to and educate a broad spectrum of bird lovers, from the casual backyard feeder watcher to the fanatical lister. Birders of all levels participate in and enjoy COS's activities. COS actively promotes bird-friendly conservation policies and projects in the Chicago area.
 

SPONSORS

The American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago) is the largest professional association of licensed architects, architectural interns, and allied professionals in Illinois. With over 2000 members, it serves as the voice of the architecture profession dedicated to improving the quality of the built environment. AIA Chicago is the grassroots effort that provides the best forum for sharing information, ideas, and resources through seminars, committees, a lecture series, and other programs. Through a culture of innovation the American Institute of Architects empowers its members and inspires creation of a better built environment.
 

BuildingGreen helps building industry professionals broaden their expertise with authoritative, independent information on environmentally responsible design and construction. BuildingGreen's resources, carry no advertising, and are not sponsored by any industry or manufacturer fees. Their online and print resources include the BuildingGreen Suite, an online information service; Environmental Building News, an independent monthly newsletter; and, GreenSpec® Directory, with information on green building products.
 

The Chapter 's mission is to lead the regional transformation of the built environment to ecologically sustainable, profitable, healthy places through education. The principal method of outreach is through education - principally from expertise within its diverse membership.     For more information, please go to the chapter website: http://chicago.usgbc.org
 

The Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) is the second largest and the fastest growing architecture association in Illinois and the USA recording a growth of 2200% in just six years.  Known as a grass roots organization, its mission is to advance the architectural profession by fostering open communication through information, education and cooperation and to support and improve the professional’s role in the built environment.  

ALA also serves its members by addressing critical issues involving the profession and as appropriate, supporting the work of other professional and industry associations in common efforts.

The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private, Ph.D.-granting university with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. The total student enrollment is over 6,000 at four campuses in the Chicago area. The 120-acre Main Campus, as well as many of its buildings, was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who directed the architecture program at IIT from 1938 to 1958 and was one of the 20th century's most influential architects. In 1976, the American Institute of Architects recognized the campus as one of the 200 most significant works of architecture in the U.S.

IIT has a team of students studying “Bird-Glass Collision Avoidance Science and Technology” as part of its Interprofessional Projects Program. During the Spring 2004, the team worked through the bird migration season and made recommendations for developing cost-effective and architecturally acceptable ways to minimize bird-lass collisions at the State Street Village dormitory. The Fall 2004 team is continuing this work, with a study of fall bird migrations through the greater metropolitan Chicago area, further development of a technology to determine location and timing of bird-glass collisions (a Thump Counter), and further study of existing approaches to distract or deflect bird trajectories.
 

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is one of three campuses of the State of Illinois' land-grant university. Its mission comprises three traditional elements-teaching, research, and public service, each shaped by and relevant to its metropolitan setting as well as the University of Illinois' traditional pursuit of excellence. It confers degrees from the baccalaureate and professional to the doctorate and includes the only public academic medical center in Illinois, making it the principal educator of health-care professionals for the state.

The complex problems of a great city and region call upon UIC to respond with greatness. What UIC calls its Great Cities Commitment transforms the traditional university concept of public service into a vital engagement with its neighborhood and the greater metropolis, bringing the campus's wealth of research capacity and human creativity to the challenges facing Chicago and urban life worldwide. The commitment is manifest across the campus, from engaged social-science research to partnerships in the arts and humanities, contributions to economic development, innovation in emerging technologies, and collaboration between UIC's professional schools and the professions they serve.
 

The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.
 

The Bird Conservation Network (BCN) is a coalition of organizations with an interest in the conservation of birds in northeastern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana. The focus of BCN is to advocate for and promote the perpetuation and appreciation of birds in the Chicago region with its native habitat. To achieve this goal, an understanding is needed of the habitat needs of birds during all seasons of the year and the influence human activities and natural processes have on those habitats. COS promotes a sound ecological relationship between human populations and their environments, and the education and involvement of the birding community and the public at large.