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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. 

Featured Presenters

avatar for Marla Garrison

Marla Garrison

McHenry County College
avatar for Joey Santore

Joey Santore

Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't

Presenters

avatar for Dani Abboud

Dani Abboud

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
Senior Program Director
avatar for Henry Adams

Henry Adams

Lincoln Park Zoo
Urban Wildlife Institute
avatar for Belynda Alberte

Belynda Alberte

Chiwaukee Prairie-Illinois Beach Lake Plain Collaborative / Lake County Forest Preserves
Lake Plain Coordinator
avatar for Negin Almassi

Negin Almassi

Forest Preserves of Cook County
Resource Management Training Specialist
JA

James Alwill

Prairie Earth Nursery
Owner
SA

Sydney Armstead

Friends of the Forest Preserves
Engagement Program Manager
MA

Michael Avara

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

Joy Bailey

Friends of the Forest Preserves
Youth and Engagement Corps Manager
RB

Rebecca Barak

Chicago Botanic Garden
DB

David Bart

Stantec
Ecologist
KB

Katie Baughman

Forest Preserves of Cook County
Wildlife Research Supervisor
avatar for Stephanie Beilke

Stephanie Beilke

Audubon Great Lakes
Senior Manager, Conservation Science
avatar for Vic Berardi

Vic Berardi

Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch and Hawk Migration Assoc. of North America (HMANA)
Site Coordinator
avatar for David Bild

David Bild

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences
Community Science Manager
avatar for Michelle Bolander

Michelle Bolander

Sag Moraine Native Plant Community
avatar for Christine Bosacki

Christine Bosacki

Darien Garden Club
Chair, Nature and Environment, Newsletter Editor
avatar for Catherine Bryla

Catherine Bryla

Sag Moraine Native Plant Community
President
JC

Jacob Campbell

The Field Museum
avatar for Carrie Carlson

Carrie Carlson

Carrie Carlson Art
Artist & Educator
DC

Dan Carter

The Prairie Enthusiasts
Ecologist
KC

K.C. Carter

Illinois Natural History Survey
Pollinator Ecologist
avatar for Brian Charles

Brian Charles

Illinois Natural History Survey
avatar for Ashley Chex

Ashley Chex

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
avatar for Johari Cole-Kweli

Johari Cole-Kweli

Community Development Corporation of PHP
President and Managing Director
avatar for Jaron Cook

Jaron Cook

The Nature Conservancy - Conservation Information Manager
University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and...
SS

Sara S Crow

Northeastern Illinois University
Natural Science Technical Assistant
avatar for Luke Dahlberg

Luke Dahlberg

Citizens for Conservation
Conservation Seed Program Manager
avatar for Jill Damato

Jill Damato

Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Manager of Nature Play Programs
BD

Ben Davies

Boone County Conservation District
Natural Areas Technician
PD

Phoebe Davies

Tri-Point Junior High
PD

Prudence Davies

Tri-Point Junior High
avatar for Max Davis

Max Davis

Friends of the Forest Preserves
Data and Evaluation Analyst
avatar for Bob Dolgan

Bob Dolgan

Turnstone Strategies
avatar for Kristin Dumoulin

Kristin Dumoulin

Hampton, Lenzini, and Renwick, Inc.
avatar for Christos Economou

Christos Economou

Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, North Branch Restoration Project
Volunteer
KE

Kim Erndt-Pitcher

Prairie Rivers Network
IF

Ingrid Felsl

Southern Illinois University
avatar for Jo Fessett

Jo Fessett

Illinois Audubon Society
Executive Director
GF

Grant Fessler

Chicago Botanic Garden - Plants of Concern
Coordinator - Northwestern Illinois Region
BF

BOB FISHER

Bird Conservation Network
AF

Andrea Flores

Lincoln Park Zoo
One Health Research Coordinator
avatar for Stephanie Foerster

Stephanie Foerster

Ensemble Media, Inc.
Founder and Director
avatar for Nick Fuller

Nick Fuller

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Natural Resource Project Coordinator
avatar for Lisa Gaynor

Lisa Gaynor

Little Explorers Day Camp
Lead Guide
avatar for Megan Gessler

Megan Gessler

Little Explorers Forest Day Camp
Curriculum Director
MG

Mihesha Gibbs

The Nature Conservancy
avatar for Jim Giocomo

Jim Giocomo

American Bird Conservancy
Central Region Director
avatar for Karen Glennemeier

Karen Glennemeier

Habitat Research LLC
President and Senior Ecologist
KG

Karl Gnaedinger

The Nature Conservancy
avatar for Callie Klatt Golba

Callie Klatt Golba

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences
Curator of Turtle Conservation
avatar for Caleb Grantham

Caleb Grantham

The Nature Conservancy
Community Engagement & Conservation Specialist
avatar for CJ Greco

CJ Greco

Lincoln Park Zoo / Out In Nature
Teen Programs Manager
avatar for Hannah Griffis

Hannah Griffis

Illinois RiverWatch Network
RiverWatch Tech and Vol Coor
avatar for John Griffis

John Griffis

Joliet Junior College
Biology Professor Emeritus/Adjunct
CG

Claudia Gunter

Forest Preserves of Cook County
Conservation & Experiential Programming Aid (South Zone)
avatar for Megan Hart

Megan Hart

Canal Shores
Ecology Coordinator
avatar for Aster Hasle

Aster Hasle

Field Museum
Lead Conservation Ecologist
avatar for Erin Hemmer

Erin Hemmer

Prairie School of DuPage
Upper Elementary Teacher
LH

Liam Heneghan

DePaul University
LH

Leon Hinz

Illinois Department of Natural Resources
State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator
avatar for Sean Hoban

Sean Hoban

The Morton arboretum
Senior scientist in tree conservation biology
avatar for David Hoekman

David Hoekman

Olivet Nazarene University
Associate Professor
avatar for Mia Howerton

Mia Howerton

The Morton Arboretum
CH

Catherine Hu

Sedges Have Edges Art
LH

Liz Hucker

Forest Preserves of Winnebago County
Wildlife Biologist
MI

Matt Igleski

Chicago Bird Alliance
avatar for Kim Johnsen

Kim Johnsen

Natural Land Institute
Dir. Marketing and Membership
avatar for Jane Jordan

Jane Jordan

The Peregrines / Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves
Volunteer
avatar for John Kamysz

John Kamysz

Prospect Hts. Natural Resources Commission
Commissioner
avatar for Pam Karlson

Pam Karlson

Waxwing Studio, inc.
Artist • Gardener
MK

Marty Kemper

Prairie Rivers Network
GK

Gretel Kiefer

Plants of Concern, Chicago Botanic Garden
Manager
avatar for Eriko Kojima

Eriko Kojima

I serve as a stewardship volunteer at Cook County FPD, North Branch Restoration Project, Somme Preserves. I volunteer at a variety of Illinois Nature Preserves and serve on the Board of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves
Stewardship volunteer leader
avatar for Emily Kowalski

Emily Kowalski

Environment Illinois
Outreach & Engagement Manager
avatar for Katie Kucera

Katie Kucera

The Wetlands Initiative
Ecologist
avatar for Arianna Kuhn

Arianna Kuhn

Illinois Natural History Survey
Vertebrate Curator, Research Scientist
HK

Harry Kuttner

The Wetlands Initiative
Calumet Program Manager
AL

Amy Lardner

Chicago Black-crowned Night Heron Project
Founder
EL

Emma Leavens

The Morton Arboretum
avatar for Liza Lehrer

Liza Lehrer

Lincoln Park Zoo
Assistant Director, Urban Wildlife Institute
MA

Mary Ann Lema

Prairie Trails Public Library District
Director
BL

Blake Lenoir

Project Onward
avatar for Kelvin Limbrick

Kelvin Limbrick

ComEd
Sr. Program Manager
avatar for Robert Linsenmeier

Robert Linsenmeier

Northwestern University
Professor emeritus
avatar for Ayanna London

Ayanna London

Light of Loving Kindness
Co- Light Director
avatar for Mario Longoni

Mario Longoni

Field Museum
Lead Environmental Social Scientist
avatar for Carolyn Lueck

Carolyn Lueck

Lake County Audubon Society and Sharing Our Shore - Waukegan
Co-Chair SOS-W Committee, Co-leader Piping Plover Monitoring Team,...
avatar for Dave Lynn

Dave Lynn

The Peregrines
Volunteer
avatar for Mike MacDonald

Mike MacDonald

Mike MacDonald Photography & ChicagoNatureNOW! Wildflower Forecasting Website: Sparking Love Affairs with Loca Nature
Photographer, Author, Entertainer, and Nature Matchmaker
avatar for Nicole Machuca

Nicole Machuca

Field Museum
Environmental Social Scientist
JM

Julianne Mason

Will County Forest Preserve District
avatar for Jane McBride

Jane McBride

Project Coyote
Illinois State Representative
avatar for John McCabe

John McCabe

Forest Preserves of Cook County
Director Department of Resource Management
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