Wild Things 2025: Full Schedule

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.

4:15pm CST

Community Roots: Bottom-up Approaches to Tree Stewardship and Advocacy

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 41

Community engagement comes in many different forms for The Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) program, and our community partners are the foundation of CRTI. CRTI’s Stewardship and Tree Ambassador programs take a bottom-up approach to urban forestry, working with more than 40 groups in 2024 to get over 2,800 trees planted in the Chicago region. These collaborative approaches contribute to increasing local capacity for tree advocacy and care, as well as improving the health of our urban forests. In this presentation, we will share the adaptive and creative ways we collaborate with community partners.

Presenters

Mia Howerton

The Morton Arboretum

Sam Works

Varak Bosnoian

Paul Gordon

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 41

Community Engagement, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Healthy Hedges: Buckthorn Removal and Getting Folks to Care

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 28

It's a problem you can't unsee. The invasive species common, or European, buckthorn is the most abundant tree in Lake County, Illinois and the Chicago region. As an issue that spans public and private lands, community engagement is vital for conservation agencies to make long-lasting progress on buckthorn removal.

Since 2015, the Lake County Forest Preserves has crafted methods and messages to inspire private landowners to remove and replace buckthorn with native plants. Environmental Communications Specialist Brett Peto and Matt Ueltzen, manager of restoration ecology, share best practices and tried-and-true resources to help the public. 35-minute presentation with 10–15 minutes for Q&A.

Presenters

Brett Peto

Environmental Communications Specialist, Lake County Forest Preserves

Environmental Communications Specialist Brett Peto has worked for the Lake County Forest Preserves since 2017. A graduate of Elmhurst University in 2015, he uses many communications tools—writing, graphic design, photography, public speaking and more—all in the service of educating... Read More →

Matthew Ueltzen

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 28

Community Engagement, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Local Advocacy 101: Overcoming Conservation Challenges by Effectively Leveraging Public and Political Support

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 47

Achieving progress on conservation goals takes both political will and community support. But how can volunteers, program leaders, and communities build that kind of support? David is a strategic community communications professional with more than 20 years of experience working with non profits and green energy companies to build community support for conservation and green energy projects. Bridget has been working as a volunteer conservation commission leader for 8 years and has led the creation of a sustainability plan and two community restoration projects. We'll share tips and tricks to help mobilize community support and how to avoid pitfalls.

Presenters

Bridget Jakubiak

David Jakubiak

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 47

Community Engagement, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Empowering Preschoolers as Environmental Stewards

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 49

Preschoolers have all that it takes to become agents of positive change. Come find out ways to encourage stewardship through emergent and organic moments in drop-in and drop-off programming for young children.

Presenters

Megan Gessler

Curriculum Director, Little Explorers Forest Day Camp

Lisa Gaynor

Lead Guide, Little Explorers Day Camp

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 49

Environmental Education, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

EJ-ucation through the Arts: Teaching the next generation of activists using art and music

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Rooms 54, 56, 58

Environmental justice is not a new fight, but environmental curriculum focused on justice is still growing, and can be daunting to teach-- especially when students and educators experiencing the burden of environmental racism first-hand. Join us for a presentation of how Brushwood Center is leveraging the power of art, music, and performance to transform our EJ curriculum into engaging materials that breakdown tough topics, shine a spotlight on community-led solutions, and inform about local issues through a trauma-informed approach.

Presenters

Dani Abboud

Senior Program Director, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Dani Abboud (they/them) manages Brushwood Center’s collective strategy for community art and nature programs, and oversees the It’s A W.I.N., At Ease, and Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator Initiatives. They cultivate strategic, long-term partnerships across the region, working... Read More →

Eddie Flores

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 54, 56, 58

Environmental Justice & Advocacy, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Community Science as an Avenue for Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between People, Plants and Pollinators

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 42

What can social science help us understand about the mutually beneficial relationships between people, plants and pollinators in urban and suburban settings? What about the impacts of community science projects on the people who participate? Evaluation feedback of the Field Museum’s 4-year-long Monarch Community Science Project (MCSP) signaled that further investigation was warranted. The Field Museum’s social scientists subsequently conducted 20 qualitative, semi-structured interviews of MCSP participants from 2022. In this session researchers will share their preliminary findings. The presenters will discuss themes around motivation, networks, conservation action, pollinator attitudes, well-being, and more.

Presenters

Nicole Machuca

Environmental Social Scientist, Field Museum

City kid, wannabe naturalist and aspiring cat lady. Keeping my eye out for under-appreciated urban pollinators and anything else interesting I see along the way. Professionally I'm an environmental social scientist and community engagement specialist with expertise in qualitative... Read More →

Mario Longoni

Lead Environmental Social Scientist, Field Museum

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 42

Plants & Pollinators, Technical

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Monitoring Plant-Pollinator Networks to Inform Restoration Strategies

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 44

Understanding how our natural resource management affects plant-pollinator relationships is critical to assessing the effectiveness of restoration activities in conserving insect species diversity and healthy pollination of native plants. In this session, learn how the Lake County Forest Preserve District's Plant-Pollinator Monitoring Program aims to understand relationships between plants and pollinators to inform restoration strategies in the context of climate change. We will discuss the basics of plant-pollinator network ecology, how the framework was adapted to the District’s ecological monitoring program, preliminary findings, and future analysis directions that can inform restoration strategies such as seed mix design and reforestation plantings.

Presenters

Dan Sandacz

Restoration Ecologist I, Lake County Forest Preserve District

As a Restoration Ecologist I, I help make decisions about how to keep our Lake County Forest Preserves ecologically healthy and how to best conserve our plants and animals! I am especially interested in discussing optimal natural resource management strategies, ecological restoration... Read More →

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 44

Plants & Pollinators, Technical

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

24 years of sand hill prairie restoration results in north central Illinois

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Rooms 59, 60

A summary of sand loving prairie restoration methods and techniques used on a sand hill prairie remnant in northwest Bureau County, IL.

Presenters

James Alwill

Owner, Prairie Earth Nursery

Prairie seed and plant salesNorth central IL ecotypeLinear Pollinator patch installed/mngmntRoadside prairie managementSpot herbicide treatment of invasives

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 59, 60

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Lessons in Using Rope Dodder to Control Tall/Canada Goldenrod and Sawtooth Sunflower

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 45

Rope Dodder (Cuscuta glomerata) is a unique native vine that is completely parasitic and usually targets members of the Aster/Composite Family as a host species, especially aggressive, rhizomatous species such as Tall and Canada Goldenrods and Sawtooth Sunflower. We will look at the life cycle and growth and development of Rope Dodder and examine takeaways from the anecdotal approaches of using this native parasitic species as a biological control for aggressive goldenrods and Sawtooth Sunflower at several sites in the Barrington area over a five-year period.

Presenters

Luke Dahlberg

Conservation Seed Program Manager, Citizens for Conservation

I have roughly twenty years of native plant growing experience and studying our local ecosystems. I enjoy sharing what I have learned with others while continuing to learn more. If you want to grow native plants... results may vary! Be patient and do not give up! Let's have a conversation... Read More →

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 45

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Mushrooms of Illinois

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Rooms 30, 31

Dr. Miller will discuss the large variety of fungi that occur throughout Illinois. The major groups of macrofungi will be presented including several edible and poisonous mushrooms.

Presenters

Andrew Miller

Mycologist - Principle Senior Scientist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Dr. Andrew Miller is a mycologist and serves as the Director of the Herbarium at the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A native of Illinois, Andy began his formal education in mycology (the study of fungi) under the tutelage of Dr. Andrew... Read More →

Mushrooming for Beginners handout smaller with logo pdf

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 30, 31

Stewardship & Ecology, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Recovering and establishing prairie and savanna with frequent fire and keystone species

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 46

The results of 48 years of experience will be presented regarding the recovery of degraded remnants of prairie and oak savanna, and restoration by inter-seeding into old fields, pastures, and Conservation Reserve Program cool-season grass fields in southern WI. The effects of frequent fire, keystone allelopathic and semi-parasitic plants, and specialist insects will be presented.

Presenters

Rich Henderson

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 46

Stewardship & Ecology, Technical

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Rethinking Lawns: lawn alternative plantings in natural areas and at home

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Rooms 24, 25

Turfgrass lawns are the number one irrigated crop in North America. Not all lawns are residential, some occur within or alongside parks or natural areas. In many of these spaces, turf is incidental, not required. Turning these lawn spaces into full restorations is often not feasible, but there are options for a “middle ground” – a planting that is short, like lawn, but that delivers ecosystem services over and above those provided by turfgrass. This session will discuss possibilities for lawn alternatives at home, as well as in parks and preserves where lawn alternatives can serve as a 'bridge' between highly developed areas and natural areas. The session will be about 35 minutes of presentations, with 15 minutes for questions and discussion.

Presenters

Rebecca Barak

Chicago Botanic Garden

Lauren Umek

Chicago Park District

Liz Anna Kozik

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 24, 25

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Seeding the future – developing the seed amplification program at the Forest Preserves of Cook County

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 43

Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) has a mandate to restore 30,000 acres to the highest quality possible. Restoring land that has suffered anthropogenic degradation and countless other pressures from the globalizing world requires comprehensive land management, going beyond invasive species removal to ensure the reestablishment of native plant communities. To achieve this ambitious goal, FPCC and Chicago Botanic Garden have joined forces to lay the foundations of a native seed amplification program that will meet the FPCC’s native seed needs now and into the future. Come learn about how these two institutions are working together on this initiative and the progress made so far.

Presenters

Iza Redlinski

Forest Preserves of Cook County

Molly Marz

Elliot Medina

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 43

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

Selecting Trees for Removal in Oak Savanna and Woodland Restorations

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 27

Tree thinning is one of the most important steps in successful oak savanna and woodland restorations. Proper tree thinning can help preserve and increase site-wide biodiversity, facilitate oak regeneration, improve the health of existing oaks, carry fire more effectively, and complement the re-introduction of savanna and woodland plant communities. As stewards of natural areas, we are tasked with making decisions on what trees stay and what trees will be removed. This presentation aims to break down some of the key considerations behind this process, and how they can help us meet our restoration goals.

Presenters

Ben Davies

Natural Areas Technician, Boone County Conservation District

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 27

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

4:15pm CST

The Dark Side of Habitat Restoration

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST

Room 26

Natural darkness is fundamental to ecological health. Often, we focus only on the ecology that we can see and experience in the day. But daytime is only half the picture. Nocturnal flora and fauna are intricately connected with diurnal life in our preserves. As light pollution spreads, we must consider the importance of preserving dark skies for the nocturnal environment. In this presentation, we will look at the effects of light pollution in our natural areas and discuss solutions for restoring natural darkness. Whether you’re a resource professional, a volunteer steward, or a concerned tree-hugger, this session is for you!

Presenters

Valerie Blaine

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 26

Stewardship & Ecology, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

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

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

Benjamin Van Doren

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Rooms 52, 53 - Avian Collective presented by Illinois Audubon Society

Wildlife, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

Jordan Winkenbach

Ysabella Freeman

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 40

Wildlife, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

Stephanie Beilke

Senior Manager, Conservation Science, Audubon Great Lakes

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 50

Wildlife, General

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

Regina Witherell-Poe

Saturday March 1, 2025 4:15pm - 5:00pm CST
Room 29

Wildlife, Intro

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

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

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM

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

Session Session Block G: 4:15 - 5 PM