CHICAGO – One million species are threatened with extinction, and climate change is a primary reason to blame, according to new research. Hundreds of these species live in the Illinois ecosystem. One, in particular, has captured the hearts of many, sparking a legitimate conservation effort – the near-threatened piping plover. The story starts with the beloved Monty and Rose, the first piping plover pair to successfully nest and fledge chicks in Cook County in more than 70 years.
'I basically started coordinating the volunteer effort, and the rest is history,' Itani said. The volunteer group has grown to around 100 people still guarding the piping plovers on Montrose Beach during the nesting season. 'We have a significant volunteer effort, and that consists of two volunteers doing two-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every single day, and often, people will stay past 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.,' Itani said. It is a serious business for volunteers.