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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. 
Audience: Session Block D: 1:15 - 2 PM clear filter
Saturday, March 1
 

1:15pm CST

Giant ants and butterflies bring nature and community together
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 43
"Restoring The Fourth Of July"

The Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission has a thing for the Fourth of July parades. Marching ants, a giant praying mantis, a floating egret, great blue Herons, a twelve-foot Monarch butterfly, a trumpet playing turtle, a trombone playing squirrel, twirling milkweeds, cicadas, and a twenty-foot Monarch caterpillar are just a few of the creatures from PHNRC Commissioner John Kamysz’s mind to the pavement. Working with artists Kate Tully and Mara Lovisetto of the Sunflower Group and Puppeteer Heather Killian, they oversaw an army of PHNRC regular volunteers to bring magic to the streets and elevate the natural world. Come learn how this award-winning restoration organization has earned the “BEST OF SHOW” in the Arlington Heights parade three years running and the admiration of the hometown folks in Prospect Heights.
Presenters
avatar for Dana Sievertson

Dana Sievertson

Commissioner, Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission
Dana is a commissioner with the Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission since 2014.
avatar for John Kamysz

John Kamysz

Commissioner, Prospect Hts. Natural Resources Commission
I've been a commissioner on the Prospect Hts. Natural Resources Commission for 8 years, and work primarily on our neighborhood prairie restoration projects both in the field and administratively.  I am active in our community outreach projects and the artistic director of our very... Read More →
KT
avatar for Mara Lovisetto

Mara Lovisetto

Retired art teacher turned nature loving artist. Member of the Sunflower Artists and the Prospect Heights Natural Resource Commission.
CO
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 43
  Arts & Culture, Intro

1:15pm CST

Building Resilient Volunteer Communities
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 27
The Peregrines are a new group that is connecting younger volunteers to preserves and places worth preserving across northeastern Illinois. Over the last year and a half, we’ve worked at over 40 different natural areas alongside many site stewards and have learned a lot about what it takes to organize and sustain volunteer communities. We’ll provide perspectives on our experiences and will invite participants to reflect on and share what's worked for them.
Presenters
avatar for Dave Lynn

Dave Lynn

Volunteer, The Peregrines
avatar for Jane Jordan

Jane Jordan

Volunteer, The Peregrines / Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves
JB
AB
JS
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 27
  Community Engagement, General

1:15pm CST

It Takes a Village: Fighting Climate Impacts and Biodiversity Loss One Urban Parcel at a Time
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 47
For several years, residents on the north side of Chicago have encouraged and helped their neighbors convert urban parcels into small habitats, learn about composting, and care for the urban forest canopy.  The 47th Ward hosts a Green Council which promotes environmental awareness and action and serves as a means for neighborhood groups to connect.  

Through community events hosted by each group and the ward, neighbors share best practices, resources and plants in their efforts to create healthy habitats in parkways and yards and on right of ways land, such as the Metra rail line. The area boasts over 10 community groups working together to create a more sustainable urban future. We would like to share our strategies and lessons learned with others.
Presenters
avatar for Colleen McVeigh

Colleen McVeigh

Educator, Chicago Public Schools
PollinatorsPlants for pollinatorsMonitoring odonates and LepidopteraChildren and nature
AS
MS
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 47
  Community Engagement, General

1:15pm CST

Where do we begin; Impactful stories for social media
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 59, 60
This presentation will explore sustainable methods for creating and sharing impactful, science-based stories and other content through social media. The mechanics of social media often pressure us to create content solely to satisfy the algorithm. This process can be exhausting and unfulfilling for everyone involved. We will discuss ways to get closer to our unique perspectives and create a realistic plan of action and feedback to have the best shot at connecting with a genuinely engaged audience over time.
Presenters
avatar for Esther Ikoro
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 59, 60
  Community Engagement, Technical

1:15pm CST

Biodiversity Surveys & Zines
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 51
This session explores students using various biodiversity tools to capture and contribute to a yearly inventory of the school campus flora and fauna. 111 AP Environmental Science students pitched ideas on the best ways to inform the public about biodiversity data and decided to co-create a publicly accessible Tree Campus digital zine.
Presenters
avatar for Ayesha T. Qazi-Lampert

Ayesha T. Qazi-Lampert

AP Environmental Science Teacher, Doctoral Candidate, Climate Justice & Environmental Justice Education, Chicago Teachers Union
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 51
  Environmental Education, General

1:15pm CST

The Giant Puffball: Meet Illinois' first official state mushroom and the students who made it happen
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 40
In November 2023, spurred by the question of a 5th grade student, the Prairie School of DuPage began a journey that linked civics and science. After studying state symbols, the entire Upper Elementary class began the rigorous process of ensuring Illinois could designate an Illinois state mushroom species. Through the process of gathering qualitative and quantitative data and working with local state legislatures, students decided to advocate for the Giant puffball. Learn how students made history ensuring that SB3514 passed into law in August 2024.
Presenters
avatar for Erin Hemmer

Erin Hemmer

Upper Elementary Teacher, Prairie School of DuPage
I began my career as an educator 19 years ago. I have taught multiple age levels and subjects in a variety of settings in Illinois. The past two years I have served as an Upper Elementary Math and Language Arts teacher at Prairie School of DuPage. There I helped the students designate... Read More →
LM
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 40
  Environmental Education, General

1:15pm CST

Nature Talks: Turning Words into Action
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 54, 56, 58
How Storytelling, Advocacy and Environmental Education Can Inspire Concrete Action:
Our stories connect us. They also make abstract ideas visceral. Most importantly, a well-told-tale changes hearts and minds, ignites passion and motivates action. This interactive session will reinvigorate the stories you already know, reshaping them to inspire your audience to do something. You will hear a few good tales and tell one of your own. Most importantly, you will leave this session with the tools and ideas you need to craft the right tale for the right audience. Bring a short success story and notes for your next presentation.
Presenters
BE
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 54, 56, 58
  Environmental Justice & Advocacy, Intro

1:15pm CST

Pembroke Preservation Alliance
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 42
The Pembroke Savannas, located in southeastern Kankakee County, is home to the largest concentration of high-quality black oak sand savannas in the Midwest and also one of the largest populations of black, organic farmers, with a growing Latino population. Since 2000, Pembroke has been of great interest to conservation organizations for its outstanding natural landscape, which includes 38 state endangered or threatened species. The Pembroke Preservation Alliance, comprised of the Community Development Corporation of Pembroke-Hopkins Park, the Friends of Kankakee, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Field Museum, OpenLands, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was formed to promote a more holistic approach to conservation within the human communities of Pembroke. We will discuss some of the area’s history, challenges, and success stories as Alliance members collaborate on a shared vision of a landscape where people and nature thrive.
Presenters
JC

Jacob Campbell

The Field Museum
avatar for Kim Roman

Kim Roman

Natural Areas Preservation Specialist, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
I'm a Field Representative for the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and specialize in landowner relations and the protection and stewardship of the best remaining natural areas in Illinois. I've been working with landowners and conservation partners in Pembroke since 2000.
avatar for Johari Cole-Kweli

Johari Cole-Kweli

President and Managing Director, Community Development Corporation of PHP
I humbly serve as President and Managing Director of the Community Development Corporation of PHP [The CDC], a community-based organization in Pembroke-Hopkins Park, IL, a historic, rural EJ40 community. The CDC focuses on youth and community engagement, clean energy solutions, restoration... Read More →
CS
MG

Mihesha Gibbs

The Nature Conservancy
Pembroke Savanna Nature Preserve jpg
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 42
  Environmental Justice & Advocacy, General

1:15pm CST

Speaking for Illinois Wetlands: A Grassroots Response to SCOTUS
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 29
In the spring of 2023, the Sackett vs. EPA Supreme Court decision drastically weakened the scope of federal wetlands protections. Illinois was left particularly vulnerable as one of the many states lacking comprehensive wetland protection legislation. An alliance of conservation, environmental, and climate organizations convened in response, launching a statewide grassroots campaign to fill the gaps left by the Sackett decision. Presenters will detail their journey, from bill development to lobbying in Springfield, and discuss how advocates can support similar efforts to enact durable, systemic environmental policy.
Presenters
ES
DM

David McEllis

Illinois Legislative Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center
avatar for Emily Kowalski

Emily Kowalski

Outreach & Engagement Manager, Environment Illinois
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 29
  Environmental Justice & Advocacy, Intro

1:15pm CST

TIERRA: Integrating Nature Based Solutions with Community Based Psychology
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 50

TIERRA is a pilot project from the Brushwood Center’s Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator program. This project aims to equip Community Health Workers in Lake County with the knowledge, skills, and tools for implementing nature-based, culturally competent, and trauma-informed interventions that improve mental health for communities impacted by environmental injustice and cultural trauma. The Brushwood Center in collaboration with community partners are working together to cocreate an 8 week intervention program focused on cultivating well being by building connections to the self, one’s community and nature by Transforming painful Internal Experiences for greater Resilience and Restoration through the practice of Acceptance (TIERRA).
Presenters
avatar for Jess Rodriguez

Jess Rodriguez

Coalition Building Manager and Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Brushwood Center
SA
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 50
  Environmental Justice & Advocacy, General

1:15pm CST

Insect Photography for Conservation: Going Beyond the Pretty Photo
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 28
Photography can introduce people to the often-invisible world of insect biodiversity found all around us, in preserves to our own backyards. Photographs can be used to capture the attention of people and inspire them to learn about the insects that surround us, from the well-known Monarch butterfly to lesser-known native bees and moths. How can we use insect photography to promote preserving and maintaining natural areas and restorations while encouraging people to plant natives in their yard and overcoming a fear or dislike of these important animals?
Presenters
SK
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 28
  Plants & Pollinators, General

1:15pm CST

Pollen Specialist Bees: Host Plants, Threats, Conservation
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 30, 31
The monarch butterfly is probably the most famous insect specialist (the caterpillars feed only on milkweed), but did you know that many native bees are also specialists? Female native bee specialists or oligoleges, collect pollen from a narrow range of native plants; this could mean just one plant genus or species, or many genera that belong to one plant family. Heather will highlight many examples of native plant-bee specializations, the overlapping habitat requirements of the bees and plants, and that most of these specialists and their host plants occur in fire-dependent ecosystems. The presentation will also include the threats to specialists such as habitat loss and climate change.
Presenters
HH
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 30, 31
  Plants & Pollinators, General

1:15pm CST

Assessing Oak Woodland Ecological Integrity and Restorability
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 26
High quality oak woodlands and oak woodland restoration opportunities are precious and rare, but also often unrecognized and misunderstood. We need to appreciate that the structure and composition of the oak woodland herbaceous flora is at least co-equal in importance to that of the trees. We need to predictively understand which fire and other management prescriptions destabilize or limit oak woodlands versus stabilize or promote them. We need to take a long view of restoration and stewardship. I will discuss shared characteristics among high quality oak woodland remnants, promising restoration projects, and how they have informed the development of a Wisconsin oak woodland assessment tool with respect to the foregoing claims. This session should help conservationists evaluate opportunities for and results from oak woodland protection and restoration in the Midwest and motivate lines of inquiry to further our understanding.
Presenters
DC

Dan Carter

Ecologist, The Prairie Enthusiasts
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 26
  Stewardship & Ecology, General

1:15pm CST

Bats: Why we need to conserve them and how you can help
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
This presentation will introduce the audience to the bats of Illinois, and their ecology and ecosystem services, and provide tips for aiding in bat conservation, including a detailed look at the latest innovations in artificial roosts for bats.
Presenters
JB
JO

Joy O'Keefe

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25
  Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

1:15pm CST

Conservation through time, in time?: Comments on 40 years observing and managing natural lands
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 48
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.  
Presenters
FC
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 48
  Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

1:15pm CST

Death By A Thousand Cuts - Encroachment!
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
Preserving public land does not just include defending it from invasive species, but also safeguarding it from hostile takeover by a more insidious foe: people. Believe it or not, the Forest Preserves of Cook County has hundreds of acres of land that is functionally disposed or illegally encroached upon, whether unknowingly or with intention, by hundreds of homeowners, private businesses, municipalities, and even other government agencies. The encroachment and non-mission related use of these lands runs the gamut. Take a dive into how these encroachments occur and hear how some of the more egregious offenders justify effectively taking over Preserve property for their personal use. Moreover, learn about the legal repercussions of encroachment on public lands, and how the Forest Preserves is battling this scourge and walking the political tightrope to resolve some of these impacts.
Presenters
avatar for John McCabe

John McCabe

Director Department of Resource Management, Forest Preserves of Cook County
I have worked for the Forest Preserves of Cook County since 1990 and am currently in the role of Director of our department of Resource Management.  The day-to-day duties of this position is overseeing our Resource Crews, Project Management, Conservation Corps, Fisheries, Wildlife... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Rooms 55, 57
  Stewardship & Ecology, General

1:15pm CST

Environmental DNA: what land stewards want to know about this new technique
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 49
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used in aquatic systems since the mid-1980s. New developments mean that scientists are using eDNA in terrestrial and aquatic environments for monitoring, locating rare species, detecting invasive species, researching species relationships, and exploring species diversity. This talk will explore how the Field Museum is exploring eDNA applications in the Chicago Region and highlight some promising future applications. While also identifying the challenges of over-relying on any new methodology.
Presenters
avatar for Aster Hasle

Aster Hasle

Lead Conservation Ecologist, Field Museum
Aster Hasle is a Lead Conservation Ecologist with the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center. Aster brings their ecology and Geographic Information Systems background to the Action Center's Chicago Region Conservation Programs. Recent projects include a monarch community science... Read More →
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 49
  Stewardship & Ecology, General

1:15pm CST

Plants of Concern: Community Science Rare Plant Monitoring in Action
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 44
We provide an update on three Plants of Concern projects. First, we present highlights from our first year of monitoring in northwestern Illinois, including new and rediscovered historic occurrences of state-listed plants as well as the importance of the involvement of key partners and volunteers. Second, we discuss lessons learned from our ongoing Dune Willow (Salix cordata) recovery project at Illinois Beach State Park. Lastly, we share highlights from our fourth year in southern Illinois.
Presenters
CD
GK

Gretel Kiefer

Manager, Plants of Concern, Chicago Botanic Garden
GF

Grant Fessler

Coordinator - Northwestern Illinois Region, Chicago Botanic Garden - Plants of Concern
Saturday March 1, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CST
Room 44
  Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

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
 
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