Anyone living in the Midwest knows that seasonal weather can drive the activities of your daily and professional life. As an AEC professional, winter provides an opportunity to get caught up on paperwork and prepare for the next construction season, whereas summer and fall are used to the fullest to get projects constructed and field work complete.

Similar to the changes we embrace as seasons shift, many animals and habitats undergo changes you need to be aware of. Forget them, and your project could be derailed before it even begins. To help you keep track of all things environmental – permitting, migratory seasons, and seasonal foliage considerations – we built the calendar below. Happy construction season!

January – April

January 1 – July 31: Bald Eagle Nesting Season
February 1 – March 31:  Early Nesting Period for Raptors
February 1 – April 30: Canada Goose Nesting Season
March 1 – June 30: Pallid Sturgeon 
March 6 – April 29: Whooping Crane Spring Migration
March 15 – April 30: Prairie Chicken Viewing Season
April 1 – July 15: Primary Nesting Season for Migratory Birds
April 1 – August 30: Quail Nesting Season
April 15 – August 15: Tern and Plover Field Season: 

May – August

May 1 – October 31: Wetland Delineation Season
May 10: Pheasant Nesting Begins 
May 15 – June 11: Small White Lady’s Slipper Blooming Period
May 15 – June 15: Monarch Butterfly Northern Migration (NE and IA stretch)
June 1 – June 29: American Burying Beetle – First Survey Period 
June 1 – July 31: Blowout Penstemon Growing Season
June 1 – July 31: Northern Long-Eared Bat Maternity Roosting Season 
June 10 – June 18: Peak Hatch Time Period for Pheasants
June 15 – July 7: Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Blooming Period
July 16 – September 30: Late Nesting Period for Migratory Birds ​​​
August 7 – September 15: American Burying Beetle – Second Survey Period

September – December

September 1 – September 30: Monarch Butterfly Southern Migration (NE and IA stretch)
October 9 – November 15: Whooping Crane Fall Migration
November 1 – February 28: Winter Bald Eagle Roosting Season