Chicago ( January 4, 2017 ) The seventh biennial Wild Things Conference brings together activists, citizen scientists, researchers, nature enthusiasts and volunteers from across the Chicagoland region for an inspiring day of presentations, workshops and networking.
Kim Wasserman, Executive Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization ( LVEJO ) and Jerome McDonnell, host, of WBEZ's Worldview, will provide the keynote address: Closing of the Cloud Factory: How Little Village Fought and Won for the Environment.
What: More than 100 presentations and workshops designed for people who are passionate ( or interested ) about local wilderness, birds, wildflowers, butterflies, ecological restoration, and all the rest of nature. From ways to help conserve wildlife, wildflowers, birds and salamanders - to sharing best practices, the Wild Things conference brings people together to learn, enjoy, grow and find ways to engage their own communities.
Among the highlights of the conference: Mary Hennen from The Field Museum describes the dramatic local extinction — and then recovery — of Peregrine Falcons now living in an urban environment; Jack Shouba from the Morton Arboretum shares how to identify trees by leaves and bark; and Terry Miesle from Native Bee Awareness Initiative and Fermilab will discuss how pollinators have fared over the last 10 years since the organizations have begun monitoring.
Who: Activists, citizen scientists, researchers, nature enthusiasts and volunteers from across the Chicago region who support conservation efforts and want to learn more about how they can be a part of them.
When: February 18, 2017, 9 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Where: University of Illinois at Chicago — Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, IL 60608
How: Registration available at wildthingscommunity.org .
Contact: Megy Karydes, ( 312 ) 560-2715, megy@karydesconsulting.com .
ABOUT WILD THINGS
Wild Things is a biennial conference for activists, citizen scientists, researchers, nature enthusiasts and volunteers from across the Chicagoland region. An inspiring day of presentations, workshops and networking opportunities around plants, animals, ecosystems, and the people who appreciate and care for them. Major sponsors include The Nature Conservancy, Prairie Moon Nursery and REI. To learn more, visit wildthingscommunity.org .