Some people say they would love to work outside every day while others admit they wouldn't be able to handle it. So what is it really like to be a field biologist? Botanist Chris Benda will take the audience on a tour of the typical day for a field biologist including informative and engaging stories from his 15 years of fieldwork.
I am a botanist, contractor, teacher, author, and photographer. My specialty is natural areas, native plants, and herps. I volunteer with many organizations like the Illinois Native Plant Society.
We'll hear from local volunteers about their adventures in the field and learn more about bird monitoring projects that they have been contributing to. Each citizen scientist will provide a brief introduction about their project, a story from the field and an opportunity for audience members to learn more about how they can participate. Presenters include: Mike McNamee (Orland Grasslands), Rich and Marion Miller (Chimney Swifts), Libby Keyes (Secretive March Bird Surveys), and Suzanne Erin (Climate Watch Surveys and Hyde Park Cemetery).
In a love letter to urban nature in the anthropocene, we rethink pedagogies of ecological restoration, reclaiming marginal and invaded ecosystems as natural habitat for children. Playworkers from Fraternal Forest will share lessons learned from a spontaneous experiment in outdoor adventure play. The Welles Park NaturePlace group will share stories about a successful nature play space built through a community organization process.
Our session will highlight the evolution of ecological restoration in the Midwest since its origins. The first presenter will discuss the legacy of restoration in the Midwest with a focus on the contributions of Chicagoland individuals. The second presenter will review regional case studies and how the field continues to develop in response to changing land-use, climate, and invasive species.
Baltimore Checkerspots Are Remarkable: Mark and Recapture Study and Habitat Restoration for One of the Iconic Butterflies in the Chicago Region Tom Velat, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Since 2010, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been conducting mark and recapture studies and restoration work for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton). Hear a brief background of the species status in our area and observations of its response to management and rainfall at the District’s only known breeding population in DuPage County.
Using Radio Telemetry to Monitor Movements of Common Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) in Wolf Lake, Chicago Jared Bilak, SIU/Shedd Aquarium; Matt Whiles; Robin Warne; Phil Willink, The Aquarius Project The common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is listed as an Illinois threatened species, yet its seasonal behavior is not well understood. Working with the Shedd Aquarium, we implanted 27 radio telemetry transmitters over two study periods to track mudpuppy habitat use throughout the year in Wolf Lake, Chicago. Significant movements during one study period were initiated by temperature changes.
A collaborative approach to understanding the bats of Northeastern Illinois Liza Lehrer, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo; Juanita Armstrong-Ullberg and Jessica Prince, Forest Preserve District of Will County; Greg Rajsky, Severson Dells Nature Center Bats play a vital role in our ecosystem yet are currently facing several major threats. Several agencies are collaborating in a coordinated study to monitor bats in Northeastern Illinois. Bat calls are recorded by volunteers who walk transects through local natural areas. These data will be used to determine how bats use the region’s urban landscape and how the bat community is changing over time.
Distribution of Flying Squirrels in DuPage County Brian Kraskiewicz, DuPage County Forest Preserves The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is an arboreal, nocturnal rodent that has been rarely studied in urban and suburban landscapes. Thought to be common throughout Illinois, southern flying squirrels are rarely observed due to their activity patterns, elusiveness, and small size. Using trail cameras we investigated the distribution within DuPage County.
White-tailed Deer in the Chicago Area Mike Neri, Forest Preserves of Cook County Deer are found all over the region. We will look at the history of the herd and what research can tell us about management going forward.
Habitat Potential of Post-industrial Landscapes Dr. Lauren Umek, Chicago Park District and Alison Anastasio, University of Chicago Slag is a byproduct from the steel industry with properties similar to dolomite. Restoration ecology methods suggest to cover slag fields with at least 12" of topsoil, but existing plant communities suggest that these sites could host unique species more typical to a dolomite prairie. We present this concept and preliminary results of a study exploring the ecological potential of these sites.
Novel Ecosystems : What's All the Fuss About? Thomas Simpson, McHenry County Conservation District Is "Novel Ecosystem" simply another name for a buckthorn thicket? Or, is it the leading edge of a new way of looking at the practice of conservation, which rejects the past (think historical prairie or oak savanna) as relevant to our management of land for the future? A serious consideration of Novel Ecosystems and related ideas challenges us to better understand why we do Ecological Restoration.
University of Chicago and Rainbow Beach Dunes Community Steward, Chicago Park District
urban ecology and evolution; plants; teaching environmental and urban studies at University of Chicago; grad programs in biological and environmental fields; Rainbow Beach Dunes stewardship; plant and human communities in the Calumet region
Headwater Streams - An Aquatic Menagerie in your Neighborhood or Backyard Ders Anderson and Laura Barghusen, Openlands Headwater streams, those 2500+ small 1st and 2nd order creeks spread throughout the Chicago Wilderness region, are potentially full of hidden aquatic biodiversity just waiting for you to be the first to explore, discover, and report on. If you are restoring or stewarding terrestrial habitats, learn how to include the amazing aquatic biodiversity in those little creeks on your site.
Plum Creek Stream Restoration: Lessons Learned from Six Years of Planning, Engineering, and Permitting that Led to Thirty Days of Construction Zach Taylor, Friends of the Forest Preserves; Josh Arrigoni and Aaron Feggestad, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.; Chip O’Leary, Forest Preserves of Cook County The idea was to restore 1,150 bank feet of Plum Creek by pulling back a heavily channelized and eroding slope, protecting banks, and creating in-stream pools. Turns out it wasn’t that simple. “I guess you can’t do stream projects in Cook County” was a phrase uttered by all. Extensive and costly permitting coupled with ballooning cost had us considering options for returning grant money.
Laura Barghusen is an Aquatic Ecologist at Openlands, a non-profit located in Chicago that protects the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region. Laura works to improve access to northeastern Illinois Water Trails and to encourage education and stewardship... Read More →
Deputy Director of Resource Management, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Chip O’Leary is the Deputy Director for Resource Management at the Forest Preserves of Cook County. He has been a restoration ecologist in the Chicago Wilderness Region for 20 years. He has worked on large-scale prairie and wetland restorations and revitalization of oak savannas... Read More →
How to Monitor 2500 Shrubs Planted by Volunteers in an Urban Forest Preserve—A Learning Experience Linda Marton, Chicago Ornithological Society and Jamie Doherty, Centennial Volunteers Over the last three years, volunteers have planted more than 2,000 shrubs in LaBagh Woods, a forest preserve located on Chicago’s north side. A monitoring program has been established to collect data on the plantings using an app. This discussion will focus on the planning and development of this volunteer program, the challenges faced along the way, and some useful examples for building a similar program.
Rapid Floristic Quality Assessment as a Stewardship Tool Mark Hauser, Friends of the Chicago River The Centennial Volunteers project has been using a Rapid Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) to measure the ecological condition or quality of areas under restoration. Evaluating these sites using this metric and the % native plant coverage, has allowed stewards to make meaningful management decisions. During this case study we will demonstrate this easy method of calculating ecosystem health.
While looking for activities for Earth Day, I stumbled upon the Centennial Volunteer program at LaBagh woods in Chicago. I fell in love with the work that they were doing there and now almost three years later, I have become a member of the leadership team. Along with Linda Marton... Read More →
Ecology Outreach Manager, Friends of the Chicago River
Mark has been with Friends of the Chicago River since September 2007. He has managed the Chicago River Schools Network since that time, and has recently begun training volunteers to repair gullies, monitor wildlife habitat and conduct plant surveys along the river in support of restoration... Read More →
Pilot Study on the Importance of Patch Size to Urban Monarch Butterfly Larval Survivorship Erika Hasle, The Field Museum and Jessica Ross, University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum Many people are planting milkweed to provide host plants for monarch caterpillars. We conducted a small pilot study to understand the role of patch size in successfully rearing monarch larvae from egg to chrysalis. Our presentation will highlight the results from this summer along with our lessons learned and plans to expand this project in the summer of 2019.
Can Suburbs and Small Towns Save the Monarch Butterfly? Mark Johnston, Field Museum It’s all over the news: monarch butterflies have plummeted over the last 20 years. Last summer “clouds of monarchs” were in suburbs and smaller cities. Are neighborhoods, suburbs, and towns getting effective habitat on the ground? That’s what we think, so we’ve expanded our urban monarch research to focus on these areas. Join us to learn how more places can participate, and the huge implications. Monarch Moms: Cultures of Ecological Care in the Suburbs Alexis Winter, Keller Science Action Center, The Field Museum Suburbs are often maligned as places where consumerism trumps environmentalism, but our work on monarch butterfly conservation has led us to many dedicated people raising monarchs and creating habitat for them in Chicago’s suburbs. Why has raising monarchs become such a popular activity, and how might we build on this enthusiasm? And how might we revise our understanding of suburban ecology?
Singing Insect Range Boundaries Carl A. Strang, Volunteer, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Survey work over the past decade has begun to define the range boundaries of singing insect species in the Chicago region, down to the site. Most are north range boundaries, but there also are east edges, west edges, and strange distributional holes, some of which are difficult to explain. There also are a few species whose range boundaries are dynamic, extending year by year.
Diversity and Ecology of Pollinator Flies in Chicago Area Alan J. Molumby, James Woodworth Prairie A brief introduction to the diversity and ecology of pollinator flies, and discussion of some of their ecological relationships.
Understanding Ecological Corridors Along the Chicago River System Andrew Donakowski, Friends of the Chicago River Protecting habitat is critically important, especially in our region with fragmented habitat areas. Friends of the Chicago River has created an interactive land assessment tool that provides a lens for understanding the river system as a connected ecological corridor. This tool will advance a vision of the riverfront that protects wildlife and connects people with the river’s natural wonder.
Lessons Learned in Grassland and Wetland Restoration with a Bird Habitat Focus Heidi Natura, Living Habitats; Judy Pollock, Living Habitats; Linda Masters, Openlands The site now known as Bobolink Meadow Land and Water Reserve in the Forest Preserves of Cook County is a large partnership project which has realized in excess of 200 acres of wetland mitigation and well over 600 acres of contiguous grassland rich in native plant species and nesting birds such as bobolinks, northern harriers and king rails. This presentation will cover methods and lessons learned.
Since 1990, I have been actively involved in promoting the wise use of our natural resources through my planning and design work. It is my responsibility as a registered landscape architect, and mission as the leader of Living Habitats to understand and creatively express the needs... Read More →
Writing Urban Nature: Engaging the City Landscape in the Field and Online Mike Bryson, Roosevelt University The environmental arts & humanities are powerful tools for exploring & engaging the urban landscape. This talk describes the Writing Urban Nature project at Roosevelt University: a field-based course which explores diverse natural ecosystems & human communities in our region, as well as an environmental humanities website featuring students' creative nonfiction & photography.
Beasts of the Page and Pavement: Natural History, Both Imagined and Real Gavin Van Horn, Center for Humans and Nature and Liam Heneghan, DePaul University Wild animals are all around us—populating our cities, roaming our imaginations. Join ecologist Liam Heneghan, author of Beasts at Bedtime: Revealing the Environmental Wisdom in Children’s Literature, and naturalist Gavin Van Horn, author of The Way of Coyote: Shared Journeys in the Urban Wilds, for a presentation and discussion about how animals can help us rethink and re-story our urban areas.
Professor of Sustainability Studies, Roosevelt University
My teaching, research, and writing focus on sustainability within urban and suburban environments, city-based nature writing, the evolving notion of “urban wilderness,” the environmental and literary history of the Chicago region, and the applications of sustainability in higher... Read More →
More than 460 bee species have been vouchered from the Southern Lake Michigan Region, an area consisting of 47 counties in four states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The fauna and their ecologies will be presented.
Wildlife Biologist, Researcher and Author, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Laura Rericha, a wildlife biologist with the Forest Preserves of Cook County and research associate with the Conservation Research Institute, is the quintessential naturalist. Mentored by Floyd Swink, she has become devoted utterly to the fact that plants and animals do not live in... Read More →
Saturday February 23, 2019 4:10pm - 4:55pm CST
rms. 23-32
The Chicago Botanic Garden's Windy City Harvest department focuses on sustainability and conservation through a lens of Food, Health, and Jobs. In this interactive presentation, participants will get an introduction to Windy City Harvest's work through a visual overview, and then participate in an interactive workshop that can spark discussion about the sustainability of the conventional food system.
Youth farm coordinator, Chicago Botanic Garden/Windy City Harvest
Rachel Kimpton is a farmer and educator. She currently oversees all youth development, programming, and vegetable production at the Washington Park Youth Farm, located in historic Washington Park on Chicago's South Side. She holds a Masters Degree in Art Education from the School... Read More →
Saturday February 23, 2019 4:10pm - 4:55pm CST
rm. 51
Buckthorn is a wonderfully unfortunate bane/boon. It is a beautiful, tough, and hearty scourge. So why not make the bully do some good for once? Learn simple tools and safe techniques to turn buckthorn into something better. Engage the youngest stewards and keep them coming back. Empower children with the trust of real tools to fuel their imagination, empathy, and ability to help the natural world.
A panel discussion on the ways that urban natural areas stewardship benefits human communities, beyond the obvious ecological merit to this work. This panel will explore the central question of “how does our work provide benefits to the communities to which our natural areas belong?” and discuss how communication of these benefits can drive community engagement efforts.