Wild Things 2025

Urban Rivers and Shedd Aquarium have partnered to host weekly Community Nights at Park 571 at the confluence of Bubbly Creek on the South Branch of the Chicago River to provide opportunities for members of the Bridgeport, McKinley Park, and Pilsen communities to engage with the river via science and kayaking opportunities. From fishing to water quality testing and getting eye to eye with man made floating wetland habitats we have seen individuals' excitement and visions for the river’s future grow. Join us as we reflect on a summer of sharing joy and finding healing spaces in nature.

Wetland scrapes are shallow depressions, typically less than three feet deep, that hold water seasonally but stay damp for most of the year. They offer diverse habitats for waterfowl, marsh birds, shorebirds, reptiles, and amphibians. When these scrapes fill in with silt from the surrounding watershed and invasive plants, they must be restored.

Pingree Grove Forest Preserve includes one of the largest wetland complexes owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Over time, much of the open water was lost due to the dense growth of invasive species like Narrowleaf Cattail, Reed Canary Grass, and Common Reed. A “wetland scrape” was performed by ILM in 2023 to return an interspersion of open water and emergent vegetation vital for wetland wildlife.

Canal Shores, a non-profit golf course, is redefining how community green spaces can serve diverse purposes. While half of our land is dedicated to maintaining an affordable and inclusive golf course open to all, the other half is a 40-acre restoration in progress featuring a three-mile hiking trail along the canal, built entirely through grassroots volunteer efforts. Since creating a management plan in 2016, we’ve gained momentum, hiring a full-time ecology staff member in 2024 to further our mission. Join us to explore how we’ve engaged the community in environmental stewardship and restoration, the challenges we’ve faced, and the successes we’ve achieved in transforming green spaces for everyone.

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.

Muirhead Spring Forest Preserve, 1121 acres of prairie and agriculture landscape, was recently converted into a mitigation bank wetland. Immediately after construction, the bird demographics changed dramatically. We will discuss the rare breeding & migratory species that have made this site the birding hotspot of Kane County.

There was an unexpected large expansion of the cicadas’ main emergence area in DuPage County, compared to 2007. Island biogeography theory provides one explanation for this. The series of 4-year-early emergences, now established as self-sustaining, appears best explained by nymphal overcrowding. Magicicada septendecula has not been found here. The Valparaiso Moraine proves to be the dividing line between Broods XIII and X in northwestern Indiana.

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.