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The Wild Things Conference Returns Saturday, March 1, 2025 - SOLD OUT

We’re thrilled to welcome you again to learn and share your expertise with our community. We’ve put together an exciting lineup of workshops and sessions from regional and national experts, plus meet & greets, video content, exhibitors, and sponsors. With over 140 presentations and discussion panels to choose from, the in-person program engages a diverse range of topics, research, and skills, and plenty of opportunities to meet with friends, old and new.

Thank you as well to our sponsors, scholarship supporters, and exhibitors who are all helping to make this another tremendously successful Wild Things.

Tickets for Wild Things 2025 are sold out. For additional information on the 2025 conference, visit wildthingscommunity.org.

**PLEASE NOTE: Some details are subject to change.**

NOTICE: Please be advised that photos and videos will be taken during Wild Things 2025. By attending, you consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded. Your attendance on this event constitutes your agreement to the use of any resulting media by Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves for promotional, marketing, or any other purpose in perpetuity, without further approval or any compensation. 
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Saturday, March 1
 

10:15am CST

Arena Birds: Saving the Uncommon Nighthawk
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
Once a common sight devouring insects at your favorite night games, the increasingly un-Common Nighthawk is now in steep decline across its range. And yet, despite being one of the fastest disappearing birds in North America, very little data or trends exist to help explain why or how to slow these trends. In 2021, Chicago Ornithological Society launched a volunteer monitoring program to study and conserve them; one of the only such efforts in the country. This presentation will highlight the lessons learned from the last three seasons of monitoring and explore opportunities to help ensure Chicago remains a haven for these mysterious creatures.
Presenters
avatar for Stephanie Beilke

Stephanie Beilke

Senior Manager, Conservation Science, Audubon Great Lakes
MF
avatar for Edward Warden

Edward Warden

Edward Warden is a lifelong Chicago resident, birder, and urban naturalist. Over the last 20 years he has worked with organizations across the Chicago region to foster community and appreciation for the urban environment through stewardship, conservation action, social media, and... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, Intro

10:15am CST

Beavers As Ecosystem Engineers
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 28
Accommodating beavers on our watersheds would allow us to reap the benefits of the many  ecosystem services that they provide. Beaver ponds protect and improve water quality by absorbing nutrients from agricultural runoff, stormwater, and wastewater, and by capturing and filtering out sediment. As a keystone species, beavers create habitat that supports multiple other species of fish, birds, amphibians, and other mammals. Beaver-created wetlands also create increased floodwater storage capacity and would help our region develop climate resilience in the face of increased precipitation patterns. In fact, beaver restoration is being used around the country to restore streams and boost biodiversity. While beavers can cause flooding problems, properly designed culvert fencing and pond levelers are effective at preventing beaver damage and ultimately less expensive than the continuous cycle of trapping and killing beavers.
Presenters
avatar for Rachel Schick Siegel

Rachel Schick Siegel

President, Illinois Beaver Alliance
I founded the Illinois Beaver Alliance in 2021 after helping to protect a family of beavers in my village of Glenview. In 2022 I completed a certificate program in Environmental Law and Public Policy at Loyola University Chicago. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from... Read More →
JB
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 28
  Wildlife, General

10:15am CST

Ecology of Oak Masting Cycles and Red-Headed Woodpecker Behavior: How Weather Drives Acorn Production and Wildlife Dynamics
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 29
This study investigates the impacts of weather on oak masting in the Chicagoland region and explores its links to Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) populations. Over a eight-year period (2017-2024), we collected acorn data from northern red, white, bur, and pin oaks within the Chicago Wilderness Region. We tested hypotheses regarding factors that influence annual acorn abundances, with a focus on spring and summer weather conditions such as precipitation and temperature. Preliminary findings suggest that acorn mast cycles—characterized by years of low and high acorn production—are influenced by weather patterns and may drive changes in the populations of acorn-caching species like the Red-headed Woodpecker. Analysis of eBird data from 2016-2024 shows that acorn availability could influence woodpecker overwintering behavior and year-round presence in Chicagoland forest preserves. Our study highlights the ecological importance of oak masting on wildlife dynamics and provides insight into the drivers of acorn production and seasonal Red-headed Woodpecker habitat use.
Presenters
AR

Anastasia Rahlin

Associate Research Scientist, Ornithology, Illinois Natural History Survey
Migratory bird diversity, wetland bird conservation, oak woodlands, red-headed woodpecker declines
AY

Addy Yoder

University of Missouri in St. Louis
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 29
  Wildlife, General

10:15am CST

Putting the Magic in Cicada: Findings from the Magicicada Soundmap Project
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 49
2024 treated the Chicago Wilderness region to raucous choruses of 17-year cicadas, genus Magicicada. Drawing on lessons from the Calling Frogs Survey and Singing Insects Monitoring Program, the Magicicada Soundmap Project recruited volunteers to measure sound levels and record these choruses. The project also made use of wildlife recorders to examine hypotheses related to the impact of ecological restoration on Magicicada chorusing. I will describe the methods, display initial data, and how we plan to use the data for monitoring and land management.
Presenters
avatar for Negin Almassi

Negin Almassi

Resource Management Training Specialist, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Negin Almassi has worked for the Forest Preserves of Cook County for over a decade, first as a naturalist and now as the Resource Management Training Specialist. In this role she coordinates in-house trainings in support of FPCC staff, Conservation Corps, and partner organizations... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CST
Room 49
  Wildlife, General

11:15am CST

Birds in the Garden: Creating & Enjoying a Bird Oasis
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 44
Creating native garden habitat connects us with nature and helps support birds, pollinators and wildlife. This presentation features Pam’s photos from her Chicago bird garden she created, illustrating how it’s possible to attract over 100 bird species. Tips include landscape enhancements, practices and plant selection, with an emphasis on native plants. Chicagoland’s location along the migratory route, bird species diversity, diet, nesting, supplemental support and community science will also be discussed. Doug Tallamy’s “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard” and Emily Murphy’s “Grow Now: How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet– One Garden at a Time” includes Pam’s garden, exemplifying the power of urban lots.
Presenters
avatar for Pam Karlson

Pam Karlson

Artist • Gardener, Waxwing Studio, inc.
Pam Karlson is a career artist and alumni of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, as well as certified professional gardener/garden designer through the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. As a public speaker and educator, she advocates for wildlife habitat creation, restoration... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 44
  Wildlife, General

11:15am CST

Illinois' State Wildlife Action Plan
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 45
This session will provide an overview of the development and implementation of Illinois’ State Wildlife Action Plan over the past 20 years and current efforts to review and update the SWAP.  The Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan & Strategy version 1.0 and the 2015 Implementation Guide to the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan make up the currently approved State Wildlife Action Plan for the State of Illinois.  The SWAP is organized around Campaigns and Conservation Opportunity Areas that allow opportunities for public and private partners to engage in conservation actions designed to maintain and enhance native species and natural communities throughout Illinois.  
Presenters
LH

Leon Hinz

State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
I am trained as an aquatic ecologist with graduate degrees from the University of Michigan. After working with the Illinois Natural History Survey for 12 years, I took a position with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as the State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator and am... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 45
  Wildlife, Intro

11:15am CST

Long-term monitoring of grassland bird populations at Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, DuPage County
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 49
Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve is an 1800 acre preserve and Illinois Nature Preserve in Naperville, Illinois, owned and managed by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Springbrook is managed as a grassland and prairie restoration area and is known for its populations of breeding grassland birds. I have continuously monitored the breeding birds at Springbrook since 1994 using a network of point counts and transects. The presentation will present the results of this long-term monitoring and discuss the relationship of grassland bird diversity and density in relation to various habitats, site management, and prairie restoration efforts.
Presenters
avatar for Joe Suchecki

Joe Suchecki

Long-time volunteer and bird monitor at Sprngbrook Prairie In Naperville.  Now retired but busy at Springbrook and the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.  Love talking about grassland birds and Springbrook Prairie
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Room 49
  Wildlife, General

11:15am CST

Sharing our Shore and the Successful Return of the Endangered Piping Plovers Back to Waukegan Beaches
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
In 2023, 4 captive reared piping plover chicks were released at Illinois Beach State Park in Waukegan. They were monitored by the Lake County Audubon Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan volunteers. A 30 minute film tracks the life cycle of these birds from their release as fledglings, their 2023 migration to southern wintering grounds and their amazing return to nest and successfully raise young in 2024. Their story is beautifully shared in this film and will be followed by a panel of Piping Plover volunteers and others involved in the Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan project and Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort.

In 2018, a pair of endangered Great Lakes piping plovers attempted to nest in a busy gravel park lot at the Waukegan Municipal Beach. Due to the dangers posed to the nest, the eggs were salvaged and brought to a facility in Michigan for captive-rearing. That plover pair relocated to Chicago in 2019 and went on to become the internationally famous 'Monty & Rose.' The Lake County Audubon chapter chose the challenging route of transforming a bird tragedy into a positive community impact. The chapter approached the city with a plan to put in place a program to help monitor birds on the Waukegan lakefront, including a special piping plover monitoring team and to provide education and public outreach for the community. The partnership, named Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan, was created in 2019.

After the film, a panel will be available for a questions and answer session. Panel members include:

Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan Initiative Members Carolyn Lueck, Glen Moss and Diane Rosenberg
Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan Initiative Piping Plover Monitoring Team members including Carolyn Lueck and Lisa Rundle
Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Brad Semel, Endangered Species Recovery Specialist
Our final panel is still being assembled so watch for updates.
Presenters
avatar for Diane Rosenberg

Diane Rosenberg

Co-Chair Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan, Lake County Audubon Society - Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan
avatar for Glen Moss

Glen Moss

Past President, Lake County Audubon Society
Lake County Audubon Society Board member and 30 years stewardship in Lake County Forest Preserves.  Former teacher.  Sculptor.
avatar for Brad Semel

Brad Semel

Endangered Species Specialist, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
avatar for Carolyn Lueck

Carolyn Lueck

Co-Chair SOS-W Committee, Co-leader Piping Plover Monitoring Team, Board Member LCAS, Lake County Audubon Society and Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan
avatar for Lisa Rundle

Lisa Rundle

Sharing our Shore - Waukegan committee member and Piping Plover Monitor; Lake County Audubon Society member.
Saturday March 1, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, Intro

12:30pm CST

Cook County Birding Big Year: A Story of Passion, Disappearing Birds, and How We Save What's Left
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
In 2024, Tarik set out on a Cook County “Big Year:” a personal challenge to identify as many unique species of birds as possible within a calendar year. With a retelling of his adventure, Tarik will impart his learnings about Cook County’s diverse natural spaces, the growing birding community, the steep decline of birds in our region, and how the environmental community can work to better protect our avian friends for generations to come. As a member of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois’ government relations team, he will weave in potential policy and advocacy solutions to our worsening biodiversity crisis.
Presenters
avatar for Tarik Shahzad

Tarik Shahzad

Government Relations Associate, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois
I'm an environmental policy advocate for The Nature Conservancy's Illinois chapter, lifelong nature lover, and Cook County Big Year record breaker (2024). My professional interests include environmental advocacy, climate and conservation policy, connecting communities to nature, and... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, Intro

12:30pm CST

Lessons From The Reintroduction of State-Endangered Blanding’s Turtles
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
Reintroduction is a tool used in conservation biology to establish a new population of previously extirpated species. It is often necessary when habitat fragmentation prevents natural reestablishment. In freshwater turtle species, reintroduction is becoming more common, but questions about best practices remain due to their longevity. Here, we discuss results and lessons learned 4 years into an experimental reintroduced population of the state-endangered Blanding’s Turtles and explore adaptive management strategies to ensure this population reaches self-sustainability.
Presenters
avatar for Callie Klatt Golba

Callie Klatt Golba

Curator of Turtle Conservation, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences
GG
KM
RK
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
  Wildlife, General

12:30pm CST

Looking in the wrong place: locally-extirpated species of deer mouse finds refuge in degraded habitat
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Room 42
Cradling the shore of south Lake Michigan, the bi-state Calumet Region represents an ecologically diverse landscape that was permanently altered by steel mills and industrial-scale landscape manipulation. Recent habitat restoration efforts have revealed that even some of the most environmentally destroyed sites have the potential to eventually function as refugia for wildlife. Capture-mark-recapture methods were used to estimate population parameters of two species of deer mouse: the once-thought-extirpated prairie deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) across two habitat types at three Chicago natural areas with substantial historical degradation (Big Marsh Park, Beaubien Woods, and Marian Byrnes Park). Preliminary results indicate that even altered landscapes can provide important habitat for small mammals, including locally rare species.
Presenters
AB
AW
AP
ZL
MM
Saturday March 1, 2025 12:30pm - 1:00pm CST
Room 42
  Wildlife, Technical

1:15pm CST

Chicago Black-crowned Night Heron Panel Discussion
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
Join the Chicago Black-crowned Night Heron research and outreach team for a panel based-discussion about their efforts to conserve the Illinois state endangered Black-crowned Night Heron. Team members will discuss their research process, their achievements and goals to further engage Chicago communities on the subject of avian conservation, as well as their personal career pathways and what a successful night heron project looks like to them. This session will begin with roughly 20 minutes of introductory statements and questions from the panel's moderator Jo Fessett, followed by ample time for audience members to ask questions and get to know the team.
Presenters
MW

Mike Ward

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Illinois Natural History Survey
avatar for Henry Adams

Henry Adams

Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo
Henry (he/they) is a wildlife ecologist, educator, and illustrator from Atlanta, Georgia. They studied wildlife disease ecology under Dr. Sonia Hernandez at the University of Georgia. Henry has researched urbanization's impact on white ibis in South Florida and amphibian pathogens... Read More →
avatar for Brad Semel

Brad Semel

Endangered Species Specialist, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
SS

Sarah Slayton

M.S. Student, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
AL

Amy Lardner

Founder, Chicago Black-crowned Night Heron Project
I
avatar for Jo Fessett

Jo Fessett

Executive Director, Illinois Audubon Society
MA

Michael Avara

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Illinois Natural History Survey
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, General

1:15pm CST

Illinois & Beyond! Herpetological research at the Field Museum
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 45
Getting visitors excited about natural history via public displays is a huge part of the museum mission. But did you know that museum scientists and collaborators conduct research locally and globally on a wide-variety of organisms? Dr. Sara Ruane, the Curator of Herpetology at the Field Museum and collaborators will speak about their research program, which has a strong focus on snakes. Topics may include projects centered in Chicagoland, including conducting re-surveys for reptiles and amphibians; in Madagascar, with a focus on the island’s endemic snake species, such as the Malagasy boas; and on what can be discovered right in the museum’s extensive collection of reptiles and amphibians from around the globe.
Presenters
SR
avatar for Arianna Kuhn

Arianna Kuhn

Vertebrate Curator, Research Scientist, Illinois Natural History Survey
I am passionate about all things related to wild reptiles and amphibians. In particular, my research program seeks to leverage their unique evolutionary histories and an understanding of standing adaptive capacity to better predict how at risk species may respond to an ever changing... Read More →
MS
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 45
  Wildlife, Intro

1:15pm CST

Surveying the Creeks of Cook County
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 46
The creeks and streams of the Forest Preserves of Cook County are of great value and provide unique habitat for the local flora and fauna, as well as playing a major role in the local ecosystems. Unfortunately, we are void of much data on these sites. The information gained can be most helpful in directing restoration efforts, as well as providing baseline information on these great systems.
Presenters
avatar for Steve Silic

Steve Silic

Chief Fisheries Biologist, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Steve Silic graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2002, and a Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology in 2006. He has been with the Forest Preserves of Cook County since 2000, working at various FPCC Nature Centers, and... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 46
  Wildlife, Technical

2:15pm CST

Bat Tracker Community Science: Insights after Seven Years
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 47
In 2018, Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ) launched the Bat Tracker program to monitor the bats of Chicago through a community science network. After seven years of bat walks by dozens of volunteers, we have recorded thousands of bat echolocation calls. West Ridge Nature Park (WRNP) has been part of the program since the beginning, and has expanded the data collection events to include members of the public, turning them into engaging public programs. In this presentation, LPZ staff will introduce the program, results to date, and next steps, while WRNP leaders will discuss their experience using Bat Tracker as part of their public outreach programming.
Presenters
avatar for Liza Lehrer

Liza Lehrer

Assistant Director, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo
SO
avatar for Thomas Murphy

Thomas Murphy

steward, CPD West Ridge Nature Park
avatar for Gary Morrissey
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 47
  Wildlife, General

2:15pm CST

Birds and Biodiversity: Protecting and Restoring Habitat for Grassland Birds in the Tallgrass Prairie Region
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 44
Grassland bird populations are declining faster than any other group of birds in North America. Grassland habitat loss resulting from agricultural development is widely accepted as the primary driver of this population decline. With so little remnant prairie left in the Tallgrass Prairie region, effective intervention will require landscape-level grassland restorations. This session will review key concepts in grassland bird behavior, ecology, and conservation before diving into new research on the relationship between grassland birds and plant biodiversity. The session will conclude with an overview of how The Nature Conservancy's approach to land conservation and restoration furthers grassland bird conservation in Illinois.
Presenters
avatar for Jaron Cook

Jaron Cook

University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology - Affiliate Researcher, The Nature Conservancy - Conservation Information Manager
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 44
  Wildlife, Intro

2:15pm CST

Lessons learned confronting predator killing contests
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 46
Project Coyote is a lead proponent of legislation to ban wildlife killing contests in Illinois. The House passed this legislation in the 103rd General Assembly, but time ran out in the Senate. It will be reintroduced in the 104th General Assembly, starting in the Senate. Just as it is hard to believe wildlife killing contests are conducted in Illinois in the modern day, equally disturbing were perspectives voiced about the state’s predators in legislative debate. On display was a pitiful and painful lack of thirst for and familiarity with the science. The IDNR did not contest the bill. The agency has long held that indiscriminate killing is not predator control. Decades of research show that predator populations are self-regulating. All the killing accomplishes is to disrupt self-regulation. Thus, it makes the killing a self-fulfilling prophecy. Behaviors that humans consider problematic occur when humans continually disrupt the animals’ self-regulation. The session will explore how we move beyond predator fear to a day of a better understanding of predator/carnivore ecology reflected in science-based policy.

David Parson, MS, Carnivore Conservation Biologist, USFWS retired, Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Coordinator 1990-1999, will co-present this session.
Presenters
avatar for Jane McBride

Jane McBride

Illinois State Representative, Project Coyote
avatar for David Parsons, MS

David Parsons, MS

Project Coyote Science Advisor/Carnivore Conservation, USFWS Retired
Final Lessons Learned WKC Legislation Wild Things 2025 pdf
Conservation Scientists Statement pdf
coyote fact sheet community action final pdf
Coyote Management Plan17 St Charles pdf
IL WKC Ban SB256 Support Memo (1) pdf
Project Coyote Coyote Coexistence Plan 2025 pdf
Exhibit 3 Wildlife Society pdf
Wild Lives book pdf
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Room 46
  Wildlife, General

2:15pm CST

Muirhead Springs: A Mitigation Bank & Migratory Bird Success Story
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
Muirhead Spring Forest Preserve, 1121 acres of prairie and agriculture landscape, was recently converted into a mitigation bank wetland. Immediately after construction, the bird demographics changed dramatically. We will discuss the rare breeding & migratory species that have made this site the birding hotspot of Kane County.
Presenters
SD
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
  Wildlife, Intro

2:15pm CST

Northern Saw-whet Owls: Our Secretive Winter Neighbors
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
Saw-whet owls are a secretive seasonal resident of Illinois unlike local species that are yearlong residents that make their presence known. We’ll do a brief discussion of owl species found in the state that includes basic owl life history and behavior. From there we’ll talk about what is known about saw-whet owls and what we are trying to learn about them as part of our research. We’ll finish with a talk about good conservation practices that benefit owls and the larger ecosystem.
Presenters
MA

Michael Avara

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Illinois Natural History Survey
Saturday March 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, General

3:15pm CST

2024 Brood XIII Periodical Cicadas
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
There was an unexpected large expansion of the cicadas’ main emergence area in DuPage County, compared to 2007. Island biogeography theory provides one explanation for this. The series of 4-year-early emergences, now established as self-sustaining, appears best explained by nymphal overcrowding. Magicicada septendecula has not been found here. The Valparaiso Moraine proves to be the dividing line between Broods XIII and X in northwestern Indiana.
Presenters
CS

Carl Strang

Volunteer, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
singing insects, forest restoration
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
  Wildlife, General

3:15pm CST

Chicago Purple Martin Program
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 43
The Chicago city lakefront is currently home to four active purple martin colonies. Martins (Progne subis) are the largest swallow in the world, the highest flying insectivore in North America, and a long distance migrant to the Amazon Basin each winter. In 2020, a collaboration between the Chicago Park District and Field Museum began to study this charismatic bird that faithfully returns to our shores each spring to mate and raise its young. Ahead of the fifth year of the research, project co-founder and CPD site monitor Lauren Nassef will share the story of the project's inception and plans for future growth.
Presenters
LN
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 43
  Wildlife, Intro

3:15pm CST

Examining Coyote Behavioral Tendencies Via Novel Object Testing
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
As human influence has spread further into natural areas, some species have adapted their behaviors so they can live in proximity to humans. The coyote’s notorious behavioral flexibility has allowed the species to thrive in both natural and highly urbanized settings. To determine how environmental pressures from urbanization may influence coyote behavior, we examined coyote exploration tendencies by conducting novel object tests throughout the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area. In this session, learn how something as seemingly simple as a garden gnome can elicit a variety of responses from one of the region’s top mammalian predators.
Presenters
KB

Katie Baughman

Wildlife Research Supervisor, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
  Wildlife, General

3:15pm CST

Factors impacting the decline of eastern Whip-poor-wills in Illinois, and what we can do the recover the species
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
I will provide a summary of our research on the factors associated with the decline of eastern Whip-poor-wills in the Midwest. This includes data on pesticide loads, insect abundance, habitat quality, and nesting success. The talk with discuss the challenges and opportunities to recover the species.
Presenters
MW

Mike Ward

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Illinois Natural History Survey
MA

Michael Avara

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Illinois Natural History Survey
TB
GW
DE
HC
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, Intro

3:15pm CST

Making River Restoration Work for Migratory Birds
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 54, 56, 58
A number of shoreline restorations along the Chicago River have been completed in recent years. We compared three of them - one unrestored, one restored, and one where the clearing and bank restoration happened, but the bulk of woody plants were not yet installed. Hear about the results and research-backed suggestions for improving river bank restoration. 30 minute presentation (4 presenters), 20 minutes for discussion
Presenters
avatar for Lauren Umek

Lauren Umek

Chicago Park District
NG
RM
MI

Matt Igleski

Chicago Bird Alliance
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Rooms 54, 56, 58
  Wildlife, General

3:15pm CST

Scouting Grows Conservation Activity
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 41
Since 1910, conservation and environmental studies have been an integral part of Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America). Scouts have rendered distinguished public service by helping to conserve wildlife, energy, forests, soil, and water. Past generations of Scouts and their adult advisors have been widely recognized for undertaking conservation action projects in their local communities. A panel of three Scouts from the Pathway to Adventure Council will share their experiences with environmental explorations and conservation service projects.
Presenters
JH
avatar for Wayne Schimpff

Wayne Schimpff

Chairman, Hornaday Conservation Award Commitee
The Hornaday Conservation Award program www.hornadayconservationaward.org is a conservation award program designed to challenge Scouts and Scouters to LEARN about a conservation topic, DO a project about the topic, EDUCATE others about the topic. We need your ideas to help engage... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 41
  Wildlife, Intro

3:15pm CST

The Art of Collecting Woody Seeds
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 40
The Art of collecting trees, shrubs, and vines seed for propagation, the talk will included the selection of plants, seed collection, seed processing, and stratification. I will talk what we do commercially. Also include how home owners and and how to successfully secede in collecting , storage, for succesful seedling growing,
Presenters
CS
Saturday March 1, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Room 40
  Wildlife, Intro

4:15pm CST

20 years in the flatwoods: challenges, changes, and amphibian conservation outcomes
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
I will explore the challenges and changes facing flatwoods amphibians over two decades of monitoring, as habitat restoration efforts resulted in changes in amphibian community structure. I will discuss conservation outcomes for reintroduction efforts, instances of natural colonization, and impacts of drought on amphibian fitness.
Presenters
avatar for Allison Sacerdote-Velat

Allison Sacerdote-Velat

Curator of Biology & Herpetology, Chicago Academy of Sciences
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
  Wildlife, Technical

4:15pm CST

Bird migration through urban landscapes: challenges and opportunities
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
Avian migrations are spectacular natural phenomena, but human activities can pose acute threats to migratory birds. The urban habitats in which many birds attempt to rest and refuel contain many hazards, including light pollution, predators, vehicles, and reflective surfaces with which many birds collide. This talk will highlight recent advances in our understanding of key threats to migratory birds in developed areas, with a focus on the Chicago region—and highlight how new, integrative approaches are shedding light on the link between aerial and terrestrial habitats. These insights are both contributing to scientific knowledge and stimulating public interest and political will to take meaningful conservation action.
Presenters
BV
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society
  Wildlife, General

4:15pm CST

Coordinating Oak Ecosystem Restoration on Private Lands
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 40
The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) works across the Americas to address alarming declines in bird populations, in part by restoring and protecting the habitats these species depend on. Much of this habitat is privately owned, making conservation efforts on private lands absolutely essential. One way that ABC works with private landowners is by partnering with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). One such program offered in this area focuses on protecting and restoring oak ecosystems. Oak habitat is disproportionately valuable to a long list of wildlife species and is facing critical regeneration issues which threaten their persistence across the region. This presentation will go over threats to our oak ecosystems and the birds that depend on them, and how financial and technical assistance offered by RCPP can advance stewardship on private lands.
Presenters
JW
YF
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 40
  Wildlife, Intro

4:15pm CST

Guiding Migratory Bird Stopover Habitat Conservation in the Illinois Coastal Zone
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 50
The coastal region of Illinois, a five-mile band hugging the shore of Lake Michigan is tremendously important for millions of birds that migrate through our area every spring and fall, stopping over at important stopover natural habitats that many people and partners manage, to rest and refuel on their migration journey. Audubon Great Lakes is excited to share a new interactive web tool to inform the enhancement of coastal habitat for birds during this critical migratory stopover period.
Presenters
avatar for Stephanie Beilke

Stephanie Beilke

Senior Manager, Conservation Science, Audubon Great Lakes
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 50
  Wildlife, General

4:15pm CST

Herping as the new birding: Connecting with our scaly friends, responsibly.
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 29
Seeking out herpetofauna, also known as “herping,” is a niche hobby akin to birdwatching. Herping has great potential for growing interest in conservation, citizen science, and connecting with nature. Many herpetologists got their start as hobbyists, and the rise of social media has helped herping into the limelight. Herps are often seen as uncharismatic, but growing exposure of these reclusive animals may help bolster support for their conservation. This talk is about what herping is, how to herp responsibly without disturbing herpetofauna, and how to harness a passion for herping to help conservation through citizen science.
Presenters
RW
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 29
  Wildlife, Intro

4:15pm CST

Raptors Adapting To The Human Environment
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 48
Vic’s presentation will discuss how some raptor species are adapting to an urban and suburban environment. He will show examples of raptors using a human dominated landscape and how some species are thriving and becoming more dependent on humans.
Presenters
avatar for Vic Berardi

Vic Berardi

Site Coordinator, Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch and Hawk Migration Assoc. of North America (HMANA)
I've been involved with raptor migration in northeastern Illinois for approximately 25 years. I founded the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch in 2000 and contributed much to the study of raptor migration. I am also currently serving on the board of the Hawk Migration Association... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 48
  Wildlife, General

4:15pm CST

Return of the Prairie Cicadas
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 51
We are a group of Tri-Point School students from Ford County who have been working to re-establish the prairie cicadas in Don Gardner’s reconstructed prairie in Kempton, Illinois. The prairie cicada was once a thriving species in Illinois prairies until extensive habitat loss led to a fragmentation of the populations. The species persists in Illinois at a few small remnant prairies and is at risk of regional extirpation. We are working to reintroduce this rare species of cicada from threatened habitat to a reconstructed prairie which will have long-term management.The on-going project is intended to re-establish a sustainable population of prairie cicadas with the intent to expand the population to other restored prairie sites.
Presenters
PD

Prudence Davies

Tri-Point Junior High
MW

Mitch Woods

Tri-Point Junior High
PD

Phoebe Davies

Tri-Point Junior High
SS

Scott Saffer

Tri-Point Junior High
LT
Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 51
  Wildlife, General
 
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