Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Must-see Wildlife in April and May
Abbey White, Naturalist • April 15, 2018

"There is no description, no image in any book, that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving. "—Dr. Maria Montessori

We may have made it to April, but it certainly has not yet looked or felt like spring in the Midwest. Frigid temperatures, gloomy skies, and occasional snow provide ample incentive to stay indoors with a warm cup of tea, silently begrudging the cumbersome winter coats taking up space in the closet. While I can think of nothing better than reading a good book indoors on days like these, the naturalist in me is immediately reminded of why April is one of the best months of the year for revitalizing our connection with nature.



A plant that sprouts from leafy ground, bearing a cluster of white flowers with yellow centers.

Starting now and continuing into May, Lake County is host to two groups of unique, yet very temporary, wild visitors. The arrival of 1) spring ephemeral wildflowers and 2) migrating songbirds is truly a wonder to behold. Any day now, small wildflowers will begin carpeting the forest floor, and high above them, vibrantly-colored migrant birds, here from Mexico and South America, will dart amongst the tree branches as they continue on their journey north. All at once, an incredible diversity of wildlife and color springs into our neighborhood woodlands (pun intended!).

Much to my dismay, these wild visitors disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, within a few weeks. However, as with any nature activity, all you need is nice weather and the desire to go for a walk. So dust off those binoculars, grab your children, and head to the woods before the wildflowers and migrating birds are gone!


Whimsical Wildflowers


Walking into a forest, our natural inclination is to look eye level and above at the trees towering over us. However, in the same way that Maria Montessori championed the child’s development as a holistic endeavor (intellectually, emotionally, socially), we miss a large portion of the picture if we ignore the forest floor.

Amid the decaying leaf litter found there, highly specialized, fast-growing plants—collectively called spring ephemerals—make a grand entrance. In the brief window of time between the final snowmelt and before the trees produce a full canopy of leaves, ephemeral wildflowers take advantage of the sunlight hitting the forest floor. Seasoned opportunists, these wildflowers race to complete their entire life cycle before the tree leaves completely shade them out at the end of May.


Two of my favorite spring ephemerals are Bloodroot and Dutchman’s Breeches (pictured), both of which have unusual characteristics. Standing only 6 inches tall, these two plants bloom for a grand total of two weeks! If timed correctly in mid-to-late April, a walk through the forest will reward you and your children with a beautiful display of white flowers from these plants—a welcome contrast to the brown forest floor and a bold declaration of the start of spring.

A small red bird with black wings sitting on a thin branch.

Magical Migration


In a similarly rapid fashion, millions of birds travel north from Mexico and South America, through the United States, and on to Canada each year. For most areas of the United States, including Lake County, these migrants are only passing through for a few short weeks in April and May. Hundreds of neotropical songbirds, in particular, provide a magnificent display of reds, oranges, yellows, and blues. How many can you and your children spot?! The transcontinental voyages made by these birds each year are excellent examples of the interconnectedness of living organisms on Earth, a principal tenet of Montessori’s Cosmic Education. Sharing this knowledge and experience with your child would further reiterate the importance of a global perspective and encourage appreciation for a larger community of humans, plants, and animals.


Some of the birds you can expect to see on your outings are the Eastern Phoebe, White-crowned Sparrow, Cerulean Warbler, Scarlet Tanager (pictured), Indigo Bunting, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, and Blackburnian Warbler (pictured), but this is certainly not an exhaustive list! Lucky for us, there are several natural areas in Lake County perfect for bird watching. I would recommend any of the Open Lands preserves, as well as Middlefork Savanna and Illinois Beach State Park to start, but don’t stop there! See where your exploration takes you...

A black and white small bird with a yellow head sittin on a small branch

Recommendations and Upcoming Events


  • ebird.org is a great resource for gathering information about which birds have been spotted in Lake County. Not only can you see posted observations by other birdwatchers to target your exploration of this area, but you can also create your own free account and keep track of the birds you and your children have seen. Scientists often use data from eBird to track long term trends in bird migrations. Data collected by the general public, also known as citizen science, is of great value to the field of ecology.


  • The climate in Lake County is very similar to that of Wisconsin, which is why I would recommend The Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region field guide for identifying plants in this area. The guide is small enough to carry with you on a walk, with useful information and helpful pictures.


  • Earth Day is right around the corner! Be sure to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden to celebrate! There will be lots of fun activities for kids and as an added bonus, McDonald Woods has a beautiful display of spring ephemeral plants.


  • Lake Forest Open Lands is also hosting a volunteer work day on Sunday, April 22 from 1-3 p.m. at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve for Earth Day. Participants can expect various hands-on restoration activities, such as pesky buckthorn removal, as well as nature hikes and a tree planting discussion.


  • Montrose Beach in Chicago is an international bird hotspot and one of the best places to go to see a diversity of birds throughout the year. Migrating birds tend to travel along Lake Michigan and the trees/shrubs right off the water provide them with insects, berries, and shelter!


  • If you are in the market for binoculars, there are several quality brands for any budget and for any experience level (including kids!). An important consideration is the magnification. For the recreational birder, I would recommend a magnification of 8x32. My personal binoculars are 8x32, and they are perfect for my birding passion!



Abbey White is a visiting naturalist at Forest Bluff School. With a master’s degree in Plant Biology and Conservation from Northwestern University, Abbey is providing our school community with information on starting gardens, fostering our prairie, and more about the natural world around us this spring. 

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A young child outside on a sunny day using a watering can to water potted herbs and flowers

How to Live in an Uncertain World: Optimism Through Montessori

By Margaret J. Kelley • April 20, 2026
Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff, IL, explores how the Montessori philosophy helps families trade "crippling empathy" and anxiety for a productive, grounded optimism.
A teacher and Montessori student at Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff, IL, shake hands.

Montessori and Accountability: Developing a Moral Compass

By Alice Davidson with contributions by Margaret J. Kelley • February 25, 2026
In Montessori education, we view each child as inherently capable of developing a strong sense of right and wrong. A child’s moral compass is not something we impose upon them—it is something that grows within, guided by experiences, reflection, and consistent modeling from the adults in their lives. For that moral sense to take root, children must be allowed to experience accountability for their actions. When parents shield their children from consequences or defend behavior they know is wrong, they unintentionally undermine that process, creating confusion and instability in the child’s understanding of truth, fairness, and responsibility. Many parents defend their children out of love and protectiveness. They wish to spare their child from discomfort, embarrassment, or the feeling of failure. Yet this kind of protection, though well-intentioned, teaches the opposite of what true love demands. One of the tenets of Montessori is to put children in contact with the real world in age-appropriate ways, trusting that they have the inner capabilities to grow and adapt when they have real experiences. When parents constantly justify, minimize, or excuse poor behavior, a child misses an opportunity for feedback; they learn that honesty is flexible and that integrity can be negotiated. This erodes their moral foundation and leaves them uncertain about what is right—not because they cannot feel it, but because the adults they trust most are contradicting that inner voice. In Montessori, children learn to do work and make decisions based on intrinsic, not extrinsic motivation. We trust that they have goodness inside of them, and while they absolutely need guardrails and guidelines, we can best serve them by teaching them to distinguish between their internal drives, and to take action in accordance with their conscience. Children are perceptive. They often know when they have done something wrong—whether they spoke unkindly, acted selfishly, or disrespected another. When their parents immediately defend them or blame others, the child experiences an internal conflict. On one hand, their conscience tells them they made a mistake; on the other, the parent’s response tells them they are in the right. Over time, this mismatch between inner truth and external validation creates confusion. The child begins to question their own moral instincts and may even learn to ignore the pangs of conscience altogether, relying instead on external approval to define what is acceptable. This is one of the greatest harms of over-defending a child: it separates them from their natural moral compass. When children are consistently told they are right—even when they know they are not—they start to equate love with being defended rather than being guided. They may learn that relationships are maintained through justification and blame-shifting instead of honesty and repair. Later in life, these patterns can manifest as difficulty accepting feedback, resistance to authority, or an inability to take responsibility in personal and professional relationships. In Montessori classrooms, we see accountability as a cornerstone of growth. When a child makes a mistake—perhaps they take another’s materials without asking or speak rudely to a classmate—we respond not with shame, but with calm guidance. We help the child reflect: What happened? How did this affect others? What can you do to make it right? This process nurtures empathy and clarity. It helps children see that they can correct their mistakes, that doing wrong does not make them bad, and that making amends restores both harmony and self-respect. Accepting that your child can be wrong is not a sign of parental failure—it is a sign of courage and wisdom. When you model accountability yourself, your child learns that truth is not something to be feared. They see that mistakes are part of being human, and that integrity means facing them with grace. Ultimately, allowing your child to experience and accept the consequences of their behavior builds confidence, empathy, and moral clarity. Shielding them from accountability may protect their feelings in the short term, but it confuses their conscience and weakens their inner sense of right and wrong. By guiding them lovingly toward truth and responsibility, you empower them to grow into kind, honest, and self-aware individuals—qualities that form the true foundation of a moral life.