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Plants native to Evanston
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Urban Rats: how to Manage them and Let Wildlife Thrive

Tuesday
July 9, 2024
6:30 pm
-
7:30 pm
Zoom or One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

About our topic

Rats have lived with humans for many generations.  They know us very well, and have diverse strategies that have allowed them to survive and even thrive. Human efforts to eliminate urban rats have severely impacted wildlife, and the rats are still here. What are we to do?  Larry Heaney, Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum, has studied rats around the world. He will share his expertise on mammals, and particularly rats. He has potential solutions to offer, and will answer your questions.

About the speaker

Larry Heaney is the Negaunee Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.  He teaches and advises students at the University of Chicago and University of the Philippines, and is a Research Fellow at the Philippine National Museum of Natural History. His research has focused on the natural history, taxonomy, and conservation of small mammals in the midwestern US and in the Philippines, where he and his collaborators have discovered and formally described over 50 previously unknown species of mammals.  He has lived in Evanston for 29 years.

Sponsored by Natural Habitat Evanston

We are an all-volunteer community group of about 1,500 members, spreading the word on creating habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. We aim to change the culture of lawns: leaving your leaves is the simplest first step; the second step is adding a native shrub or tree to shrink your lawn. We show how to transition from turf with low-cost cardboard methods, which keystone native plants to choose, that insects chewing on leaves is a ‘win’ (don't reach for pesticide), how turning off unnecessary lights saves insects and birds (and human health), and how to make your windows bird-friendly (because if you are going to invite birds to your yard, give them safe passage). We plant a lot of native trees and shrubs, especially at schools, parks and in the 2nd and 5th Wards. We encourage people to think outside the lawn with No Mow May. Our Pollinator Pledge is a central focus of all our outreach and education, and a great way to spread the word to your neighbors.
Natural Habitat Evanston is a program of Climate Action Evanston.

Chicago Bird Alliance

Chicago Bird Alliance connects people with birds and nature through educational programming, field trips, advocacy, stewardship and research. We are a membership organization - a chapter of the National Audubon Society that covers Chicago, and Cook County suburbs except for northwest and far south. Formerly called the Chicago Audubon Society, we adopted a new name in 2023. Our members enjoy observing, studying, conserving and advocating for local native birds and other wildlife. All are welcome to join.