The Chicago skyline provides an urban backdrop for North Pond, a haven for wildlife in the heart of the city. We’ve watched beavers build dams here, a family of foxes run through the grasses, and an incredible array of waterfowl congregate in and around the waters. The Mississippi Flyway runs right along Lake Michigan, so during migrating season, this place is a birdwatcher’s paradise. The Audubon Society runs free North Pond Birdwatching Walks every Wednesday from 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. almost year-round. Incidentally, the skyscraper was invented in Chicago, and along the horizon, you can see the John Hancock building and the tip of the Sears Tower (now renamed Willis Tower), which at one time held records for the tallest buildings in the world.