Chapter Events

Discover the power of ecological garden design in this free national webinar, Living in the Liberated Landscape: My Yard, with award-winning landscape designer Larry Weaner. Join us for a personal look at how dynamic, self-sustaining landscapes can emerge when we partner with nature instead of controlling it. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience, Larry will share practical strategies for designing dynamic gardens that evolve naturally, support biodiversity, and bring lasting beauty to your yard.

Designing with native plants isn’t just about what you grow, it’s about how you shape your space. In this hands-on workshop, Zoe Evans (Plan it Wild) and Heather Evans (Design Your Wild) guide you through the process of creating a cohesive yard plan that supports both your lifestyle and biodiversity.

Note:  This program will occur online via Zoom.  Advance registration will be required.  A link to register for the program will be available here no later than December 1.  A recording of the program will be available on our YouTube channel following the program.

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Phenology is all about timing—when trees leaf out, flowers bloom, birds migrate, animals bear young and hibernate—and it is everywhere around us. Seasonal events quietly but steadily occur in response to fluctuations in daylength, temperatures, and rainfall patterns, and these events are threaded through our daily lives, shaping our experiences and perceptions. As well, the timing of seasonal activity is being affected by rapidly changing climate conditions, with significant ecological and economic impacts. In this presentation, Theresa Crimmins will  share how we are all phenologists in our own way.  She will also share how you can participate in documenting the timing of seasonal life cycle events—for the benefits to mental health and for the good of the environment, as the data gathered can be directly helpful in supporting climate change action.

Presesnter Bio:

Theresa Crimmins is the Director of the USA National Phenology Network and works enthusiastically to support growth in Nature’s Notebook and a broader appreciation of phenology among scientists and non-scientists alike. Theresa is also an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona and has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, The Hill, Eos, Nautilus, Popular Science, and more, and she has had several appearances on NPR as well as PBS, The Weather Channel, and Fox Weather. Her book, Phenology, came out earlier this spring and her TEDx talk is available online.

Details coming soon! 

Join us at Wild Things 2026 for an exciting lineup of workshops, presentations, and sessions from regional and national experts, plus meet & greets, video content, exhibitors, sponsors, and more! 

Note:  This program will occur online via Zoom.  Advance registration will be required.  A link to register for the program will be available here no later than December 1.  A recording of the program will be available on our YouTube channel following the program.

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What does it mean to love a forest? In this talk, Ethan Tapper,  will draw from his work as a forester and his bestselling book -- How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World -- to discuss what it means to care for forests and other ecosystems at this moment in time. How do we respond to the harmful legacies of the past? How do we use our species' incredible power to heal rather than to harm? How do we reach towards a better future? In a time in which many believe that “protecting” ecosystems means protecting them from ourselves, Ethan argues that humans must take action to help ecosystems heal and to move into a more abundant future. Ethan’s message is at once compassionate and pragmatic, clear-eyed and hopeful, sobering and inspiring, a powerful new idea for how we can build a world that works for all of its ecosystems and all of its people.

Presenter Bio:

Ethan Tapper is a forester, digital storyteller, and the bestselling author of How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World. For more than a decade, Ethan has been recognized as a thought-leader in the world of ecosystem stewardship, winning numerous regional and national awards for his work. More recently, he has been recognized as a writer – since its publication in 2024, How to Love a Forest has been named the winner of the 2025 New England Book Award for nonfiction, and received international acclaim.

Ethan’s message of relationship, responsibility and hope reaches millions of people each year through his writing, social media channels with hundreds of thousands of followers, and the hundreds of walks, talks and keynotes that he delivers across North America each year.

Ethan works, writes, hunts, birds and runs a small consulting forestry business from his home at Bear Island – his 175-acre working forest, homestead, orchard and sugarbush in Vermont – and plays in his punk band, The Bubs. 

Details coming soon! This will be a paid webinar with all proceeds supporting the Seeds for Education Program. 

Details TBA

Details coming soon! 

Note:   At the request of the presenter, a recording of this program will only be made available to chapter members.

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Alan Branhagen, Executive Director of the Natural Land Institute, will introduce us to the marvelous array of butterflies (and moths) that can be found in our region.  We will learn about the various species found here, their status, how we can attract them to our yards with their host and nectar plants and even ways to garden or maintain our landscapes so that we don’t harm them.  Alan hopes the program inspires some reverence for these amazing insects, that sadly, are in trouble. What you see now is the new normal, but it is not normal.  Luckily, these insects have the resiliency to rebound if given a chance.

Presenter Bio:

Alan Branhagen is the Executive Director of the Natural Land Institute in Rockford, Illinois: one of the nation’s first land trusts and organization. Alan was Director of Operations at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul (America’s 15th largest public botanical garden) from 2017-2023 where he managed Horticulture, Plant Curation, and Natural Resource Management. For over 20 years he was the Director of Horticulture at Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical garden where he oversaw all horticulture and site planning as well as resource management of the 915-acre site. He is also the author of the books Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden and The Midwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.

Alan’s career began at the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County in Rockford, Illinois in 1987. For almost a decade he oversaw all forest preserves’ planning, development, and management. He was part of the beginning of the Klehm Arboretum which launched his public horticulture career.  Alan’s career has come full circle back to Rockford. Alan has a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University and a Masters of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University.

Note: This program will be presented both in-person and via livestream.  A link to join the livestream will be available here closer to the presentation date.

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In 2013, The Conservation Foundation (in Naperville) purchased 253 acres of land north of Ottawa, IL on the east side of the Fox River. One hundred and fifty-three acres had been deemed high quality woodland in the 1999 INAI survey. The property has since been certified as a Land & Water Reserve by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is known as Dayton Bluffs Preserve.  A devoted corps of volunteers has cleared many acres of honeysuckle & buckthorn, helped maintain hiking trails, constructed a 100 acre tallgrass prairie and assisted with prescribed prairie and woodland burns. They have also recently created two small wetlands, planting over five thousand native species plugs.  The diversity of habitats present on the property have made it popular with wildlife and human visitors. Volunteers at Dayton Bluffs Preserve near Ottawa, IL will introduce us to the history of the Preserve and many of the plant species found there. 

Note: This program will be presented both in-person and via livestream.  A link to join the livestream will be available here closer to the presentation date:

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As one of the largest landowners in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has a responsibility to effectively manage its roadsides with the public’s health and safety top of mind. It also has an opportunity to create and manage native plant communities that benefit both people and wildlife. This presentation will provide an overview of how IDOT manages the vegetation along its roadways and will highlight programs and policies that aim to protect and enhance the ecological value of roadside vegetation.

Presenter Bios:

Brittany Gavin is the Roadside Management Specialist for IDOT District 4. She has an Architectural Construction Technology degree from Illinois Central College, is an ISA Certified Arborist, and is certified in ecological restoration through the University of Minnesota. Brittany began her current position in 2020, however she has 24 years of experience working at IDOT and is a member of several committees and working groups.

Andy Stahr is the Roadside Management Specialist for IDOT District 3. He has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois, is a Professional Landscape Architect, and has 25 years' experience in landscape architecture, ecological restoration, and native plants. Andy joined IDOT in 2020 in his current position.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!