Chapter Events

Join award-winning author, photographer, and educator Rick Darke for What Is Wild and Why It Matters, a free national webinar on Tuesday, April 28th at 10 am CT. Discover how inviting a bit of authentic wildness can create a vibrant landscape that sustains you and local biodiversity. This national event is presented in collaboration between Wild Ones and Homegrown National Park.

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Note: This program will be presented both in-person and via livestream.  A link to join the livestream is available here https://www.youtube.com/live/7SE__WAoVqM?si=zwClXs_qiNYA3p5N.

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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. 

Presenter Bios:

David Manigold started volunteering at the Dayton Bluffs Preserve before retiring from the practice of medicine. Over time he became certified as an Illinois Extension Master Naturalist and assumed the duties of Volunteer Coordinator. In that role he helps coordinate the workdays of volunteers who are involved in removal of invasive species; collection, processing and dispersal of native seed; development and maintenance of trails; and organizing prescribed burns. He has also coordinated the restoration of an abandoned pioneer cemetery on site. 

Chris Woeltje has been an Illinois Extension Master Naturalist since 2024 but has been passionate about the natural world since he was a young boy.  For a brief time, Chris worked at Pizzo Nursery as the nursery manager and his world opened to learning about native plants and ecological restoration. He became obsessed with the native plants in his area and wanted to recreate a prairie on his own property. Fast forward several years and Chris began volunteering at Dayton Bluffs Preserve.  It was here that he began participating in multiple volunteer opportunities and was able to learn more about ecological restoration. Chris’ proudest accomplishments stem from being involved with The Conservation Foundation, where he was introduced to citizen science projects, like frog call surveys, plants of concern and acoustic bat monitoring. 

We’re hosting a special screening of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a beautifully shot 60-minute documentary that reveals the vital—and often overlooked—role caterpillars play in our ecosystems.

Watch the trailer here! https://vimeo.com/1117213704

From blooming meadows to city parks and backyard gardens, this inspiring film celebrates the magic of nature while showing families practical ways to make a difference.

Along the way, you’ll see the groundbreaking work of The Caterpillar Lab, entomologist David Wagner, and Doug Tallamy, co-founder of Homegrown National Park.

Event Details
DATE: April 23, 2026
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: ICC North Campus Arbor Hall Auditorium
PRICE: FREE
PRESENTED BY: Wild Ones - Illinois Prairie Chapter, Ecology Action Center, Parklands Foundation, Grand Prairie Bird Alliance, Normal Parks & Recreation and Normal Theater

What you’ll get:

--Inspiring stories about why caterpillars are essential to healthy ecosystems

--Simple steps you can take to create habitat in your own yard or community

--A chance to ask questions during a live Q&A

--Free handouts to help you take action right away

This is a chance to see nature in a whole new light—and to be part of the movement to bring it home. We hope you’ll join us!

Dayton Bluffs Preserve is a 253-acre natural area owned by The Conservation Foundation and leased to the city of Ottawa.  Approximately 154-acres are wooded, the remainder a restored prairie. There are four different hiking trails totaling 7.1 miles. Almost one mile of the trail is on the Fox River shoreline. 

This Preserve is the subject of our May program so this is a great opportunity to see it two weeks after we hear about it.

Members will be able to find more information about this field trip in the May 1 newsletter including how to register for it. If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].

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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.

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Note:  This program will also be livestreamed and recorded.  A link to join the livestream will be provided here closer to the program date.

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Don Gardner was always curious about the prairie plants he found along the railroad and at remnant sites around his childhood home at a small dairy farm in Kempton, IL.  In 1974 he began to the reconstruction of a prairie in the former cow pasture, and it has flourished over the last 50 years to now host around 140 species of native plants, all from within 100 miles. Don's careful approach to prairie reconstruction and intensive management of the site have resulted in a remarkably high quality and colorful prairie.  Join us as we explore methods of establishing and maintaining a rich local prairie and look at some of the current projects and challenges at the site.

Speaker Bio:

Scott Saffer fights invasive plants and helps manage Don Gardner's prairie in Kempton, IL.  He grew up wandering the woods around Moraine View State Park, fishing local creeks and lakes, and exploring Weston Prairie Cemetery.  After years of teaching science on Indian reservations in Arizona and New Mexico, he returned to teach in Central Illinois, retiring this year.  Along the way he worked on various research projects for the U.S. Forest Service, Centers for Disease Control, University of New Mexico Museum of Southwestern Biology, and Illinois Natural History Survey.  He's done field work on topics including rodents, Hantavirus, prairies, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and insects.  Currently he's learning the intricacies of tending the prairie from Don Gardner, and working with his students on a muti-year research project reintroducing prairie cicadas to the site.

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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.

After twenty years, The Meadows at Lurie Garden had changed beyond recognition — the once-diverse planting had been overtaken by a few dominant species, and invasive weeds were gaining ground. It became clear that to restore the spirit of the garden, we had to begin again. In this talk, I’ll share the story of that renewal — from the moment we decided to start fresh, through the challenges of excavation and rebuilding the soil, to working alongside Piet Oudolf as he envisioned a new design for the space. Along the way, I’ll reflect on what this process taught us about resilience in the landscape — how even beloved gardens need renewal, how healthy soil and plant diversity form the true foundation of beauty, and how collaboration and patience are as essential to gardening as sunlight and rain.

Presenter Bio:

Kristian Brooks is the Horticulturist for Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park, where she helps steward one of the most influential contemporary perennial plantings in the world. She works closely with designer Piet Oudolf and the Lurie Garden team to maintain and reimagine complex plant communities that balance artistry with ecology. Her work focuses on the long-term care and renewal of perennial landscapes that serve as inspiration for visitors from all over the world. Kristian has previously held positions with Chicago Botanic Garden and her family’s farm and nursery, Farmer’s Garden Greenhouse in Michigan. She feels most at home surrounded by plants and is proud to continue a generations-long legacy of caring for them.

Details coming soon! 

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This participatory presentation will explore ways to restore our yards, focusing on the relationships between native plants, birds, bees and butterflies, going beyond the typical pollinator garden to first research and then replant the larger native ecosystem. Then using our yards as a beacon for broader change the audience will map successful strategies for restoring your neighborhood, and the broader community, working with partners who share our passion, such as Wild Ones, the Illinois Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners, and Bird City advocates. 

Presenter Bio:

Brian “Fox” Ellis is an author, storyteller and naturalist, who is currently Director of Outreach and Education for the Illinois Audubon Society, where he is also editor of Illinois Audubon magazine. Because of recent moves, he has transformed three communities, planted 12,000 trees, landscaped several schools, businesses, and a hospital grounds, creating wildlife corridors and an eBird Hotspot from scratch. Fox is currently managing Illinois Audubon Society’s Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary Certification program with the goal of restoring communities across the state.

Details coming soon! 

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