Piping plover pair Searocket and Imani lay first egg of the season at Montrose Beach
Volunteer monitors said they are waiting on Searocket, the female plover, to lay three more eggs in this nesting attempt. This marks the second breeding season for her and Imani — the son of local celebrities Monty and Rose, who in June 2019 became the first of the species to return to Chicago and the larger Cook County area in 71 years.
Last year, four eggs hatched to Searocket and Imani, but only one survived. Necropsies performed by the Lincoln Park Zoo determined they had died from a 'failure to thrive' — essentially of natural causes — according to Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. On average, 1.5 piping plovers in a nest of four in the wild make it to fledge, according to Michigan State University's W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.
The surviving hatchling was named Nagamo, which means 'he/she sings' in Ojibwe, one of the languages spoken by the Anishinaabe people — whose traditional homeland the city of Chicago is located on. Nagamo hasn't returned yet, though this is not unusual for first-year returnees, which tend to come back in late May to early June. After migrating south for the winter, about a third of piping plovers hatched in the wild return to their birthplace during their first summer.
Also at Montrose this year is 2-year-old Pippin, a returning male from Green Bay, Wisconsin, who is also looking for a female to nest with. The birds are known for pairing up to rear their young.
The three-generation family at Montrose Beach is part of an ongoing effort to restore the Great Lakes piping plover population, a federally protected endangered species that reached an all-time low of 13 pairs in the 1980s after habitat loss due to beach development. Before the dramatic drop, 500 to 800 piping plover pairs nested in the Great Lakes, according to the National Audubon Society. Thanks to recent conservation efforts, their numbers have since rebounded to around 80 breeding pairs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Yahoo
$480K awarded to support Indigenous education, cultural programs in Michigan
A statewide effort to elevate Native American history and culture is awarding nearly half a million dollars in grant funding to 11 communities across Michigan, including Albion. The Native American Heritage Fund Board has announced the recipients of its 2025 grant cycle, supporting projects that include culturally centered education, community events and the removal of offensive mascots, according to a community announcement. Grants were approved June 20 and total $479,320, funding initiatives at schools, colleges and educational organizations across the state. Support for cultural education and rebranding 'Since its inception, the Native American Heritage Fund has been a catalyst for positive change in Michigan communities,' said NAHF Chairperson Dorie Rios, who also serves as Tribal Council Chairperson for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, in the announcement. 'These grants help restore accurate representation, uplift Indigenous voices and build stronger bridges between Tribes and local communities,' Rios said. NAHF prioritizes engagement between schools and Tribes during rebranding efforts, encouraging collaboration that reflects cultural respect and understanding. 2025 NAHF grant recipients Albion College – $65,000 for a culturally appropriate exhibit at the Whitehouse Nature Center. Chippewa Hills School District – $127,267.86 to replace the 'Warrior' mascot with 'Golden Knight' branding. East Jordan Public Schools – $16,239 for cultural immersion events with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. East Lansing Public Schools – $4,125 for third-grade cultural history lessons with the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center. Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD – $86,055.75 for professional development on Anishinaabe youth support. Grand Ledge Public Schools – $5,250 for expanded third-grade Anishinaabe history lessons. Okemos Public Schools – $6,750 to grow their third-grade Native history curriculum. Portland Public Schools – $2,750 for classroom history instruction on Anishinaabe culture. Public Schools of Petoskey – $22,140 to replace uniforms featuring outdated mascot imagery. Traverse City Area Public Schools – $129,000 for Native language instruction and curriculum support. Western Michigan University – $14,742 to launch an Elders-in-Residence program connecting students and Indigenous Elders. Grant award ceremony date, location A public grant award ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 19 at FireKeepers Casino Hotel following the NAHF Board Meeting at 11 a.m. The Native American Heritage Fund was established through a 2016 compact between the State of Michigan and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and supports K-12 schools, higher education and local governments in fostering inclusive learning environments and respectful representation. For more information and past recipients, visit NAHF Board of Directors: Chairperson: Dorie Rios, NHBP Tribal Council Chairperson Vice Chairperson: Melissa Kiesewetter, Tribal Liaison, State of Michigan Secretary: Elizabeth Kinnart, Citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Treasurer: Robyn Elkins, NHBP Tribal Council Vice Chairperson Board Member: Kimberly McClellan, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians This story was created by David DeMille, ddemille@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Grants Support native culture, mascot changes across Michigan Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
When parents play favourites with children, they're playing with fire
"You love my brother more than me!" If you're a parent and one of your children accuses you of favouring a sibling, it can sting. Don't you always try to treat all of your kids equally? And don't you naturally love all of them equally too? While this may well be your intention, parents are often emotionally closer to one child - usually unconsciously, but sometimes not. In a recent survey by the German polling institute Appinio, commissioned on the occasion of Mother's Day, 18% of the respondents said they had a favourite child. This doesn't surprise Susanne Döll-Hentschker, professor of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. After all, she says, immediately after the birth of a child, parents look for similarities to themselves. "It's pure projection, but if you see yourself in your child, it will influence how you behave towards them," she remarks. Similarities and differences in temperament, interests or family roles are what foster particular closeness between a parent and a child. "Some children are more even-tempered, others more of a handful. And there are developmental stages when a child's behaviour is harder for parents to interpret and regulate," says psychologist Fabienne Becker-Stoll, director of the State Institute for Early Childhood Education and Media Competence (IFP) in Amberg, Germany. If, in such stages, a child baulks at homework, for example, it's perfectly normal for parents to be reluctant to help out with maths exercises, she says. What's important is that they be aware of the dynamics at play and realize that they, not the child, are responsible for a harmonious relationship. "Children must know and feel that they're loved unconditionally," she says. A secure parental bond gives kids self-confidence and prevents them from feeling less loved when siblings get more attention from parents in certain stages of their development. "Unequal treatment is unavoidable, because every child has different needs," notes Döll-Hentschker. It would be silly, in her view, to treat a 2-year-old the same as a 4-year-old. "If you explain the reasons for the disparity, they're generally satisfied," she says. So long, that is, as the temporary unequal treatment doesn't devolve into favouritism. Experiencing a brother or sister who systematically receives more affection is deeply hurtful. "If a child feels persistently disadvantaged or ignored, it can have an extremely adverse effect on their self-esteem and self-image," warns Anja Lepach-Engelhardt, professor of developmental and educational psychology at the Private University of Applied Sciences (PFH) in Göttingen, Germany. But being a pet child can have lasting negative consequences too. "They're often made to take more responsibility for the parents' care," she points out. As regards factors determining a favoured child, "birth order can play a role," says Lepach-Engelhardt. "The time with the first-born in particular is often experienced especially intensely, and they get a lot of attention. On the other hand, they often have to take on more responsibility." Sometimes it's the youngest child that receives special attention, she adds, while the middle children tend to get the least. Gender can also play a role. A meta-analysis published this year by the American Psychological Association, reflecting data from about 20,000 individuals, concludes that parents may be inclined to give relatively favoured treatment to daughters, conscientious children, and agreeable ones. It says the data also suggests that siblings who receive favoured parental treatment tend to have better mental health, fewer problem behaviours, more academic success, better self-regulation and healthier relationships. The inverse is also supported by the data. "Importantly," the researchers write, "PDT [parental differential treatment] consistently has unique consequences beyond the effects of parenting in general. In other words, the positive and negative outcomes associated with PDT are not about good and bad parenting but about being parented differently." Parental favouritism is rarely deliberate. And for many parents, admitting to yourself that your relationship quality isn't the same for all of your children "is felt to be taboo and therefore often denied in non-anonymous surveys, says Lepach-Engelhardt. "However, a number of large studies have been done showing that unconscious favouritism, at least, occurs frequently, for example in the form of more attention, praise or leniency accorded a certain child." What should you do if you happen to be emotionally closer to one of your children, if the child's temperament better suits you, it's easier to talk to them and they're more affectionate towards you? "Introspection and honesty are a good way to start," Lepach-Engelhardt says. She advises asking yourself the following questions: How do I speak with each child? How much time do I spend with each? What provokes me, stresses me or disappoints me about them, and what do I especially appreciate? "Then ask yourself why you accord a certain child more attention or leniency, whether it occurs often and how you can balance it out, for instance by consciously apportioning time and resources, or having each parent occasionally engage separately with the children," she says. Equal treatment, to her way of thinking, doesn't mean treating all equally, but "fairly." Grandparents can play favourites or show disfavour too, points out Döll-Hentschker, "for example if a grandmother rejects her youngest grandson because she thought the family was complete without him and didn't need another child." The children directly affected by favouritism aren't the only ones who suffer. Sibling relationships can be severely damaged as well - by rivalry, jealousy or feelings of guilt. Children find themselves in roles they haven't chosen. "Some sibling relationships are actually destroyed by this or remain troubled for a lifetime," Döll-Hentschker says. The emotional hurt can be healed, however, if the parents and children are able to have a frank talk about it, and "parents acknowledge the pain suffered by a child who was always disadvantaged," says Becker-Stoll. Assuming responsibility for your relationships with your children and asking yourself, "What can I do to make them better?" she says, are important steps in seeing each child in their uniqueness and taking them seriously. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
These 'clumsy' beetles sometimes end up stuck in your hair. What to know about June bugs
Clumsy, large and, perhaps, mysterious beetles are once again active in Michigan: the June bug. "The term May or June beetles refers to some 10 different species of beetles in the genus Phyllophaga, that are known to injure turfgrass," Michigan State University's extension on integrated pest management said. "Eggs are laid, and hatch in June to early July." In Michigan, these beetles can be found in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Their bodies can appear brown, black, tan or chestnut. They range from 0.5 to 1 inch long, according to MSU's Extension. While June (or July) bugs are harmless to people and are nocturnal insects, more than one person has been slightly traumatized when the clumsy bugs got stuck in their hair or on their clothes. Around the middle of summer, female June bugs lay eggs underground, then after a lengthy development period the new beetles emerge when the weather is warm. As June bugs keep flying around in July, here's what to know in Michigan: What do June bugs look like in Michigan? June bugs are a collective name given to scarab beetles in the Melolonthinae subfamily of beetles. A June bugs life cycle takes place mostly underground. For a couple weeks around mid-summer, females lay eggs. Their larvae eventually hatch into white grubs and remain underground for two to three years, according to MSU's Extension. The grubs hibernate over the winter and molt twice, according to Once the grubs develop into their adult form, an oval-shaped beetle, they emerge from the ground when the weather is warm around late May or early June — then females mate, lay eggs and the cycle repeats. "The exact timing of their emergence can vary based on geographical location and specific weather conditions," according to Mr. Buggs, a pest control company based in Alabama. Are June bugs dangerous? No, June bugs are not dangerous. They come out at night and are drawn to lights. They can cause damage to plants from underground by eating the roots causing the plants to wilt prematurely. To keep June bugs away from your house or backyard, Garrety Home Pros (a northeastern homeowners service) recommends these tips: Make a natural June bug trap, by mixing molasses with water in a container with a funnel neck. Introduce nematodes, June bug larvae are nutritional and essential for soil worms called nematodes to thrive. They provide a natural alternative to eradicating larvae populations. Create a bird-friendly environment, natural predators to June bugs, that will attract them to your lawn or garden. Keep a clean porch and lawn, June bugs and other insects prefer to hide while they search for food. Replace your porch lights or turn them off. LED lights may be efficient enough to mislead the bugs since orange or yellow bulbs fall outside their detectable light sensory scope. What do June bugs eat? Adult June bugs are called chafers because they eat leaves and flowers of trees and shrubs — they have gained a reputation for ruining gardens and being a nuisance especially in groups, according to The larvae feed on the roots of grasses and other plants as they develop underground. Why do June bugs crash into everything? June bugs have large wings and heavy bodies, which make them poor flyers. They can only fly for short periods of time and take breaks oftentimes flipped over, Plunkett's Pest Control explained. What is the difference between a Japanese beetle and a june bug? Similar in appearance and life cycle, Japanese beetles and the June bugs get confused with each other, but they are different species. The Japanese beetle is native to Japan and an invasive species in the U.S. They have metallic green bodies and brown wings. Similar to June bugs, they develop underground and eat plants, granting them the reputation of ruining gardens or crops, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. Japanese beetles often can be seen flying around trees in groups. In Michigan, Japanese beetles are widespread and sightings in the state are no longer mapped. Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@ This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Summer in Michigan means June bugs. What to know about the clumsy beetles Solve the daily Crossword
