Wild Things 2025

Humans and animals have existed side by side for thousands of years. But some species of animal have an easier coexistence with us. In order to thrive humans depend on animals for numerous ecosystem services. Bats provide many such services. This interactive talk looks at the ways in which the western world views bats and opens a dialogue about how humans and bats are each better because of with the existence of the other.

This presentation will dive into our playbook for successfully working with municipalities to introduce native plants at scale. We’ll share hard lessons learned along the way, including how to navigate common challenges like watering accountability, ongoing stewardship, and building lasting partnerships. A key focus will be on packaging: rather than pushing for full rewilding upfront, we’ve found that a gradual, strategic approach yields early successes and helps slowly shift perspectives. By taking small, calculated steps first, we can build momentum quickly toward larger native plant initiatives.

Butternut (Juglans cinerea, aka white walnut) is a threatened tree in the walnut genus which was once ecologically and economically important, and has deep cultural significance. It has been suffering severe decline since the 1960s due to a fungal pathogen. Our presentation will discuss the state of butternut health in the region, ongoing research by The Morton Arboretum to better understand its ecology and disease resistance, and how a little stewardship may go a long way to promote conservation and recovery. We will share our observations in local preserves, including of healthy and dying mature trees as well as seedlings in Chicago region preserves. We look forward to discussion and ideas.

From the giddy 80’s to the gloomy 00’s and on to the hopeful 20’s, I volunteered and worked from the Central Illinois Sands and Revis Hill Prairie to Chiwaukee Prairie & the Illinois Dunes to the Braidwood Sands and Dolomite Valleys.  And now on to the 4-Rivers Conservation Opportunity Area (COA) which ranges from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie through Des Plaines Conservation Area to Goose Lake Prairie through the Braidwood Sands and upriver to the Kankakee River State Park with around 30,000 of acres of protected land holding remnant prairie, savanna, wetland, creek, cliff and river on black, dolomite, sand and clay soils of Illinois’ Grand Prairie. A place so rich in natural diversity, the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan recommends focusing conservation dollars and efforts there.  

The southwest section of Cook County contains higher quality remnants of both lake plain and ground moraine prairies and savannas. Constrained often by time and financial resources, stewardship management decisions may result in biodiversity rewards or additional invasive risks. We will review how ecological ideas assist in guiding past decisions and sometimes the unexpected outcomes in restoring these areas. We will examine the "success" of these decisions on publicly owned (non-FPD) prairie preserves in Bridgeview, Orland Park, Hodgkins, Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge. Q&A will follow with stewards.

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.