Wild Things 2019: Full Schedule

3:30pm CST

A Photographic Journey of the Calumet Region

Explore nature preserves in the Calumet Region, an area connected by the Calumet River. Ranging from the Lake Michigan shoreline to dunes, wetlands, and woodlands, the Calumet is home to a dizzying array of plants and animals. This region includes part of Southern Cook County, IL, and portions of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties, IN, including Pullman Nat'l Monument and Indiana Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore.

Presenters

Susan Kirt

Susan Kirt Photography

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 44

Session 6, 6R

Track Flora/Fauna/Geology of the Chicago Region

3:30pm CST

Acoustic Ecology: A Socially-Engaged Sonic Arts Approach in Urban and Natural Environments

Acoustic ecology, also known as soundscape studies or ecoacoustics, is a multi-disciplinary field studying the relationship between an individual and its environment mediated by sound. Active, socially embedded approaches at the intersections of art and science investigate environmental patterns and change in sound. From the artist’s own practice, key works will be introduced, using readily available audio recording technologies.

Presenters

Eric Leonardson

Co-chair/Founder, Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology

Eric is a Chicago-based audio artist, teaching in the Department of Sound at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and a founder and co-chair of the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology (MSAE). Established in 2009, MSAE is a membership organization dedicated to exploring... Read More →

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 42, 43

Session 6, 6T

Track Arts/Culture/HIstory

3:30pm CST

Bird Conservation in the Forest Preserves of Cook County

Bird monitors, researchers and stewards discuss what it takes to maintain or restore key bird habitat types. They will share a new publication that uses monitoring data to identify the most important preserves for birds in the Cook County Forest Preserves and shares best practices for habitat restoration. Two smaller preserves with many challenges and attempted solutions—Somme Prairie Grove and Somme Prairie Nature Preserve—serve as examples. Bring your questions!

Presenters

Jim Herkert

Illinois Audubon Society

Stephen Packard

Site Steward, Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves

Judy Pollock

Chicago Audubon Society

Laurel Ross

Chicago Audubon Society

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 33, 34

Session 6, 6E

Track Birds

3:30pm CST

Bridging the Gap Between Knowledge and Restoration Using Technology for Adaptive Management in the Fight Against Invasive Phragmites.

A cross-disciplinary team from AES is developing new technology, field management techniques, and ecological responses for adaptive management on Phragmites infestations within ecological restoration sites. Aerial imaging and remote sensing approaches are contributing to efficiencies of Phragmites monitoring in the Lake Michigan basin and elsewhere, with significant agency, academic, and NGO collaboration.

Presenters

Will Overbeck

Applied Ecological Services, Inc.

A plant ecologist active in ecological restoration, I graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003, where I studied scientific illustration at the Field Museum of Natural History. I have worked on restoration of prairies, savannas, and woodlands in the Chicago... Read More →

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 49

Session 6, 6S

Track Ecological Restoration and Land Management

3:30pm CST

Building A Weather-Ready Nation

This presentation will provide an overview of National Weather Service operations and information. We will also discuss safety and preparedness information pertinent to those spending time outside.

Presenters

Mike Bardou

Field Museum Affliate

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 50

Session 6, 6K

Track Sustainability

3:30pm CST

Cavity-nesting Birds in Chicago's Cemeteries

Cemeteries comprise only a small part of Chicago's urban forest, but to wildlife they offer resources that are difficult to find in the surrounding hardscape. One resource is dead and dying trees (“snags”), on which cavity-nesting birds depend for nesting and foraging. In Chicago’s cemeteries we assessed snag availability as well as other aspects of habitat quality as relevant to cavity-nesting birds.

Presenters

Alexis Smith

University of Illinois at Chicago

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 52, 53

Session 6, 6Q

Track Birds

3:30pm CST

Chicago Urban Greenprint: Combining Social and Environmental Data to Determine Target Locations for Conservation in Cook County

The Nature Conservancy collaborated with local partners at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Morton Arboretum to look at areas in Cook County that have poor air quality, high risk of flooding, and high heat. We layered this with data on income level and high percentages of youth and elderly to identify neighborhoods where conservation interventions will make the biggest difference.

Presenters

Sarah Hagen

The Nature Conservancy

John Legge

The Nature Conservancy

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 47

Session 6, 6H

Track Urban Ecology

3:30pm CST

Discussing the New Illinois Fires Accomplished Map: What Gets Measured Gets Done

This Map is unique in that we use a base map of all protected areas in the state, and then layer all polygons of accomplished fires submitted by various agencies. The short presentation of the map will be followed by this opening discussion question: What would a successful fire program look like on this map? What effective habits can we use to improve our fire programs?

Presenters

Dave Hoffman

Bill Kleiman

Project Director, IL Fire Manager, TNC Nachusa Grasslands

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 54, 56, 58

Session 6, 6J

Track Ecological Restoration and Land Management

3:30pm CST

Friends of the Chicago River: A Q&A on How to Build an Environmental Organization

Sparked by a magazine article headlined “Our Friendless River” 40 years ago, Friends of the Chicago River today has a dozen employees, 6,000 supporters, and oversees projects ranging from school programming to wildlife habitat restoration to influencing policy. In a Q&A, executive director Margaret Frisbie talks about the challenges and successes of running a non-profit environmental organization.

Presenters

Margaret Frisbie

Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River

Andrew Herrmann

Communications Director, Friends of the Chicago River

Communications director for Friends of the Chicago River, an environmental non-profit whose mission is to improve and protect the Chicago River system for people, plants and animals.

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 55,57

Session 6, 6P

Track Community Engagement

3:30pm CST

Healing People and the Planet

The Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is dedicated to connecting people to art and nature, and has been developing programming aimed at increasing access to nature and the arts for disadvantaged populations. This presentation will explore the health benefits of art and nature, and the ways that environmental organizations can increase equitable access to these benefits through programs and partnerships.

Presenters

Dani Abboud

Director of Community Programs and Partnerships, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Dani Abboud is the Director of Community Programs and Partnerships at Brushwood Center. Dani builds and maintains Brushwood Center’s partnerships with community organizations, manages program coordination, and oversees the It's A W.I.N. and At Ease programs. They work with community... Read More →

Joan Game

Executive Director, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Catherine Game is the Executive Director of Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods. Catherine ensures that the legacy of Brushwood Center thrives through strong partnerships and inspiring programs that connect art, nature, and wellness. Prior to joining Brushwood Center, Catherine served... Read More →

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 46

Session 6, 6A

Track Advocacy and Environmental Justice

3:30pm CST

I Don't See as Many Butterflies as I Used To. Is This Statement Really True?

The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network tracks long-term trends in butterfly populations. A significant decline in abundance was observed from 1997 to 2017. Declines were observed both regionally and in individual counties, and involve aggregate observations without regard to species. Declines include common species that have previously been regarded as well-adapted to human-altered habitats.

Presenters

Allen Lawrance

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Doug Taron

Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 22

Session 6, 6G

Track Ecological Monitoring/Research

3:30pm CST

iNaturalist Workshop

Get an intro to iNaturalist, a community science platform and global network of people making observations of nature. Learn how to create observations of flora & fauna, get help with identification, create projects, and use iNat data for restoration planning, nature education, monitoring, and research. This talk is for anyone new to iNat such as educators, stewards, professionals, or the general public.

Presenters

cassi saari

Natural Areas Project Manager, Chicago Park District

Part of the Chicago Park District's urban natural areas management team—supporting on-the-ground work through mapping, planning, and coordination with researchers and other partner organizations in our efforts to study, protect, restore, and share with the public CPD's 100+ prairies... Read More →

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 45

Session 6, 6F

Track Ecological Monitoring/Research

3:30pm CST

Mosses of the Chicago Region: What Little We Know, and Where We Go

The moss flora of the Chicago region is understudied and research across the region is difficult to trace. This presentation will deliver a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of moss diversity and distribution in the region, utilizing a century of literature and herbarium records. A discussion will follow to consider what steps can be taken next to begin filling in the knowledge gaps.

Presenters

Edward Warden

Community Stewardship Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy

Moss, birds, social media...ALL THE THINGS

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 23-32

Session 6, 6M

Track Flora/Fauna/Geology of the Chicago Region

3:30pm CST

Oak Roots: Their Life From Acorn to Oak Tree

For the past forty years I have tried to improve the root systems of the oak trees that we have produced and found that the more I find out the less I really seem to know about them. We have used several growing methods over the years and found that the closer—and further!—we kept things to/from nature the better the oaks did. Those two points are hard to reconcile and I'd like to share how.

Presenters

Connor Shaw

Possibility Place Nursery

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 21

Session 6, 6N

Track Flora/Fauna/Geology of the Chicago Region

3:30pm CST

On the Banks of the (Pre-Contact) Little Calumet

Between 1300 and 1400 AD, a sizable Native American village was located on the banks of the Little Calumet River. This presentation describes excavations of this site by the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, which revealed an abundance of resources hunted, grown, and harvested by the inhabitants, and highlights the relationship between the villagers and the 14th century environment of the area.

Presenters

Melissa Baltus

University of Toledo

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 48

Session 6, 6B

Track Archaeology

3:30pm CST

The Driftless Reader: Exploring a Literature of Place

In 2017 the University of Wisconsin Press published The Driftless Reader, a collection of readings from and about the Midwest’s Driftless Area. Curt Meine, who co-edited the volume with Keefe Keeley, will share the story of their effort to capture through literature and images the bioregional identity of the Driftless—and what this project can tell us about efforts to explore other literatures of place.

Presenters

Curt Meine

Senior Fellow, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Center for Humans and Nature

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rm. 51

Session 6, 6C

3:30pm CST

Women in Conservation

Join a round table discussion on women in conservation. As women take a greater role in the field navigating a career path can be challenging. An open discussion group will allow for shared experiences and ideas for future opportunities. The speaker will share her career path and experiences and will be joined by other women in local conservation organizations.

Presenters

Melina Frezados

Forest Preserves of Cook County

Saturday February 23, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CST
rms. 40, 41

Session 6, 6D

Track Community Engagement