Chapter Events

 Tick borne diseases are a risk for anyone working in or enjoying the outdoors. This presentation will cover the tick species commonly found in Illinois, tick-borne diseases and their life cycle, tick habitat preferences, and measures you can take to reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases.

Speaker: Chris Evans,  Extension Forestry and Research Specialist

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

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! 

Learn about the bats of Illinois and Lake County, including steps you can take to provide habitat for bats in your backyard or neighborhood. Understand threats to bats and simple ways you can help to protect your local bat populations.

Speaker: Dr Joy O'Keefe, Associate Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Our upcoming webinar with Basil Camu explores practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems, drawing on real world practices from Leaf & Limb and community centered models for restoring life where we live, work, and play.!  

Inviting birds into gardens by creating habitat is a joyful way to connect with nature and help support birds and pollinators. This presentation features Pam Karlson’s photos from her Chicago bird garden habitat she created, illustrating how it’s possible to attract over 100 bird species. Tips include landscape enhancements, practices and plant selection, with an emphasis on native plants. 

Speaker: Pam Karlson, certified professional gardener/ garden designer and licensed wildlife & migratory bird rescue and rehabilitation volunteer.

Join Joey Santore, creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, for a candid Wild Ones National Webinar examining how inherited garden aesthetics shape native plant landscapes. Drawing on field experience and real ecology, Joey challenges tidy design norms and explores why dense, irregular plant communities are often the most resilient and ecologically sound.

Jumping worms (Amynthas spp.) are an invasive group of earthworms now found in parts of Illinois.  This program will share current research on their identification, biology, and ecological impacts, along with emerging approaches for monitoring and management. 

Speaker: Tricia Bethke, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator at the Morton Arboretum

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.

Sometimes, even the best-intended native landscape can be seen as offensive to some of the neighbors, or even the municipality. This presentation will offer tips, techniques and plant suggestions for front and backyard native landscaping, that will be sure to pacify even the most provincial passerby.

Speaker:  Native Landscape Designer, Dave Neu

Seeds are key for restoring our ecosystems and adding native plants to our yards. As diverse as our native plants are, they are equally diverse in how they disperse their seeds. We'll look at different approaches for seed collection, equipment and techniques to clean that seed, and sowing to get the best results out of those seeds.

Speaker:  Luke Dahlberg, Native Seed Program Manager at Citizens for Conservation

Join us for a leisurely hike along the enchanting trails of Reed Turner Woodland, a dedicated IL Nature Preserve since the 1980's. This 50-acre preserve is home to over 500 different plant and tree species.  Our walk will focus on native woodland goldenrods and asters, how to identify the different species, and which species work well in home landscapes.   Space is limited.  Registration is required, 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon!