Rebecca Jabs: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
May 17, 2026 | Topics: featured artist
The Natural Realm presents Rebecca Jabs, who is among 12 artists participating in a year-long residency program called ARTservancy, now in its seventh year. ARTservancy is a collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and the Restoring Lands Land Trust, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, Tall Pines Conservancy, and Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. The mission of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists. Each artist has selected a preserve to spend time in and to engage with.
Reflections from the Artist
What is the value of a wild place? As I wander the trails of Forest Beach Migratory Preserve north of Port Washington, my thoughts meander through the history of the land, those who have passed through here, and the ways value is ascribed to land.
Fewer than twenty years ago, these 142 acres were a manicured golf course. Under the management of Restoring Lands Land Trust, this land now functions as migratory stopover habitat for birds. What was once a monoculture of short-mown lawn is restored to a patchwork of bird-friendly habitats: grasslands, wetlands, shrubs, and hardwood forest. The monetary profits of the golf course have been traded for profits of a different kind, best seen with binoculars.
To the west, streams of cars travel Interstate-43. Above me, streams of birds traverse the Lake Michigan Flyway, an aerial path to their northern breeding grounds that has been traveled long before any highways. Hungry after flying all night, the migrants descend to forage. Each species seeks out its own preferred conditions: the Clay-colored Sparrow sings from the grasslands, while the Hermit Thrush peers back at me through the dense undergrowth of the forest. The land, filled with native plants, provides what is critical to the success of their journey: shelter; insects and other food; and for some, nesting habitat.
What I observe at Forest Beach is that conservation efforts do make a difference. On each visit, I bring my binoculars and track the migratory bird species that pass through this one small patch of land, recording my observations on the eBird app. I’ve seen the departure of winter birds, the arrival of breeding birds, and wished the long-distance migrants luck as they pass through on their way north. Forest Beach Migratory Preserve is now a well-known birding hotspot in Ozaukee County, with an all-time number of 267 species recorded at the time of my writing. This diversity of bird species is a wealth of its own kind.
Migration is the centerpiece of my body of work for ARTservancy. Mid-May is peak bird migration in Wisconsin, so my weekly visits to Forest Beach this month yield new species at each visit. I keep lists that note the first sighting of each bird as it migrates through, which will inform my currently evolving artwork for the residency. Back in my studio, the joy of each new sighting transfers to a labor of love as I illustrate the birds in flight. It is a lofty goal, but my dream is to create a comprehensive representation of all the migratory songbirds that I observe this spring at Forest Beach. I plan to combine drawing, painting, and printmaking processes to achieve work that honors the accuracy of each bird while exploring the larger concept of a great biannual movement of living things unbound by political boundaries.
So much of the world of birds happens away from most people’s view or notice. If we take the time to look and listen, a curious observer will be rewarded. I feel awe at each tiny warbler on its way from Central or South America to the northern boreal forests. I feel reassurance when the traditions of the birds continue amidst a world of change. I feel a responsibility to give back to the land and ensure a place for birds in our future.
Gallery
Bio
I am an artist, educator, mother, and birder based in Manitowoc, WI. My training is in the field of science illustration; I completed the Science Illustration Graduate Program at California State University at Monterey Bay in 2016. As a freelance illustrator, I work with clients to create interpretive artwork and graphics to make topics accessible to viewers. In addition to my freelance work, I maintain a personal practice in which I explore the natural history of my home state of Wisconsin.
At the core of my work is the desire to recognize and honor the diverse life that shares our local spaces, thus promoting conservation. Outfitted with binoculars and an impressive collection of field guides, my daily quest is to go outside and learn something new.
In addition to ARTservancy, I have participated in Artist-in-Residence programs at Isle Royale National Park; Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park; the Trout Lake Research Station in Boulder Junction, WI; and the Huyck Preserve in New York.
Website: www.rebeccajabs.com
More information about Forest Beach Migratory Preserve can be found on our Find-a-Park page. This residency is sponsored by Restoring Lands: A Wisconsin Land Trust.
Related stories featuring Artists at Forest Beach:
Vicki Reed: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Karen and Patrick Robison: Artists in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Kelly Alexander: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Nicole Shaver: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Ellen Anderson: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
D’Lacey Eichinger: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Ally Wilber: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Sophie Hughes: Artist in Residence at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
This is the latest in our series of featured artists, which is intended to showcase the work of photographers, artists, writers and other creative individuals in our community whose subjects or themes relate in some broad sense to nature, urban nature, people in nature, etc. To see a list of previously featured artists, click here. The work of the 2024-2025 ARTservancy artists in residence is currently being exhibited monthly at Gallery 224. To learn more about ARTservancy and to meet the other ARTservancy artists in residence, click here and then use the drop-down menu.
All images courtesy of the artist, except as noted. The featured photo at the top of Rebecca Jabs at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve is by Eddee Daniel. Restoring Lands is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.