This year we were able to fund 8 grant proposals submitted! Which brings our total to 121 grants and $108,511 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.
One of IOS’s objectives is “To promote scientific research and education in order to improve knowledge and awareness of birds in Illinois”. The IOS Grants Program was initiated several years ago to support this objective with funding.
The 2021 IOS Grants Program received eight requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2021 grant requests to be fully funded.
Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Thanks to you all! Without the generosity of these organizations and IOS members and friends in the bird conservation community, IOS would not be able to support these projects. The support exemplified by this funding sends an important message to these students and researchers: We believe in your work, and we care about the future of our state’s bird life!
Thanks to John Leonard and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.
Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2021 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.
| Recipient | Affiliation | Project | Fully Sponsored by |
| Julianne Bozzo | University of Illinois | Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) migration and site fidelity in Illinois | Illinois Audubon Society |
| Blake Baum | Southern Illinois University | Effects of Habitat Management and Raptor Abundance on Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) Habitat Selection and Population Ecology | Lake-Cook Audubon Society |
| Alex Glass | Southern Illinois University | The effects of habitat structure on grassland songbird nest success, mediated through predator activity and food availability | Individual Sponsors and Illinois Ornithological Society |
| Chad Cremer | University of Illinois | Connectivity of Migratory Virginia Rail Using Illinois River Valley Wetlands | Illinois Audubon Society |
| Peggy Simonsen | Citizens for Conservation | Shrubland Bird Study | Illinois Audubon Society |
| Gracie McMahon | Independent | Creating Avian Sculptures Out of Found Trash and Recyclables to be Installed Around Winnebago County to Spread Awareness About Bird Conservation | Dupage Birding Club & Illinois Ornithological Society |
| Katie Vogler | Illinois Wesleyan University | Determining Latitudinal Summer Origins and Subspecies Distribution of Wintering Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in Illinois | Dupage Birding Club |
| David Hohl | DePaul University | Urban habitat effects on tree cavity availability & bird population trends | Illinois Audubon Society |