Wild Things 2025

Langham Island is a one-of-a-kind nature preserve, known informally as "the island of rare plants." It is the only known natural station of the Illinois endemic Kankakee mallow, and was once home to the federally endangered leafy prairie clover and state threatened buffalo clover. However, the island’s dynamic ecology and disturbance-intensive history has resulted in vast changes to its biodiversity. In 1985, some 310 vascular plant species were recorded on the island. By 2024, this number had surpassed 500 species. Ryan will describe the island’s history, current ecology, and the strange assortment of taxa found during this effort, including discussion of species/community trends and what they may imply for other natural areas in the region.

Prescribed fire is an important tool that is often used, and in most cases necessary, to maintain and improve the diversity and health of fire-dependent natural communities. This talk delves into the history of wildfires in the United States, what we have learned from them, and how their impacts have influenced modern day thinking and ecologists’ application of prescribed fire. You will also hear about the benefits of prescription burns, risks, variations in fire outcomes, planning, implementation, and recommended training.

The timing of the life events in plants (leafing out, flowering, senescence, etc.) is largely determined by weather conditions, especially temperature. As global climate change generally increases temperatures and changes seasonal weather trends, it has the potential to have a strong effect on individual plant species and entire plant communities. The effects can have large consequences for competition, carbon sequestration, reproduction, and interactions with pollinators. We collected data on herbaceous and woody plants at one Illinois forest from 1993 to 2021 for over 60 species. In some groups we found spring events occur earlier, autumn events occur later, and the growing season is rapidly increasing. We discuss the implications of this growth, and potential winners and losers.

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.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is insinuating itself into our daily lives. We all use AI, whether one realizes it or not. But can it play a beneficial role in conservation? We will address this topic by examining the pros and cons, strengths and dangers of Artificial Intelligence's potential. A case study will be presented that tests the ability of AI to help save a population of an endangered fish in northern Illinois that is cutoff from the rest of the species. An open discussion will conclude the session where the audience can brainstorm ideas or voice their feelings ranging from optimistic potential to dreaded misgivings about this emotionally charged topic with which society is wrestling.

Learn about the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s ongoing large-scale restoration project at Red Gate Woods in the Palos Preserves. A project overview will be provided, including the project timeline, goals and operations. Progress, challenges, and opportunities for the project will be discussed. We will talk about site history, touching on geological processes and past land use. We will also get a chance to learn about the site’s herbaceous layer recovery, native shrub layer, tree canopy composition and ecosystem services provided by the restoration project. Detailed maps will be included, and the use of geographic information systems to organize contractor data and workflow will be discussed.

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!