Conservation experts gather for Wild Things Conference
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The leading experts on conservation converged for the Wild Things Conference in Rosemont on Saturday.
The biennial convention is one of the largest conservation gatherings in the Midwest.
'It's like our Christmas,' said Amy Doll of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves. 'It's an energetic and inspired group of nature nerds.'
The topics might not seem attractive for some, but the questions of conservation and climate are king and queen-bee here.
'Our public lands really belong to all of us, and it's up to all of us to protect them and steward them,' volunteer coordinator Jessie Crow-Mermel said.
Crowds gather in Channahon to watch bald eagles
The very first 'Wild Things' was 20 years ago and has become the largest conservation conference in the Midwest, bringing together experts on ecosystems from bats, birds and bees to bioswales.
'Clean water and clean air and also how to advocate and talk and share about those things with our community, and also the tools and resources they need to care for nature where they live,' Doll said.
'I'm just here to learn and glean from so many great people who put in time and effort and energy into keeping our ecosystem vibrant and restoring our prairies,' Beersheba Abernathy of Need An Angel Sons & Daughters Association added.
WGN's Sean Lewis got a front row seat at the conference Saturday morning. To see the full story, watch the video in the player above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elderly Chicago resident seeks help after city tree damages her home
CHICAGO (WGN) – Velva Cox has lived in her South Side home for 50 years. At one time, her block on South Honore Avenue was filled with mature trees. 'I thought that was so pretty,' Cox said. 'That's why I wanted this house.' The block has seen a lot of changes over the years and many of those trees are now gone. Errant driver causes 1-week delay in Kennedy ramp re-opening However, the large, mature ash in front of the 79-year-old's home still remains. 'I like the tree because of the shade,' Cox said. That shade has a downside, too. One of the tree's branches now sits just inches above Cox's roof line, scraping against the shingles and apparently causing damage. 'The shingles is coming up on it and there's holes in my roof,' she said. In recent years, Cox asked the city to trim the tree, but said she was told it wasn't possible and she couldn't afford to pay to trim the tree, which is located on city property. Another $1.6M SNAP benefits stolen as 'big beautiful bill' looks to save In need of assistance, Cox contacted WGN Investigates. Less than a day after we notified the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, city crews came out and trimmed Cox's tree, as well as others on the block. 'There were multiple trees on the block that you could probably tell hadn't been trimmed in 15 years,' said the department's James Sheehan. Last year, WGN Investigates reported how the city changed the way it trimmed its trees, moving to a grid system rather than responding to resident complaints. SEE ALSO: Homeowner waits years for City of Chicago tree trim service City officials have acknowledged that some trees in need of maintenance may have gotten overlooked, but said the process has become more efficient under the new system, resulting in more trees being trimmed in more neighborhoods. 'We trimmed over 180,000 trees…a 200% increase, but there are definitely some that slip through the cracks,' Sheehan said. Officials said residents with trees that need trimming but are not in imminent danger of injuring people or property should call their alderman's office or email StreetsandSan@ Interviewed after the branch was removed, Cox said she was just thankful the work was finally done. Illinois pays $1.3M for unopened migrant shelter despite Pritzker pledge 'Thank you, Jesus, it's over,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sources: CPD officer critical after South Side shooting
CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago police officer is in critical condition after a shooting on the city's South Side Thursday night, police sources tell WGN TV News. Sources confirmed a police officer was shot near East 82nd Street and South Drexel Avenue. She is being taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. No other information is available at this time. Stay with WGN News as this article will be updated with more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Long Grove bridge hit by moving truck, allegedly for the 67th time
LONG GROVE, Ill. (WGN) — Water is wet. The sky is blue. Someone hit the Long Grove Covered Bridge again. A WGN TV News viewer sent a small treasure trove of photos detailing the latest vehicle that was too tall to pass over Buffalo Creek. The viewer told WGN TV News this is allegedly the 67th time the bridge has been struck by a vehicle. Built 1906, it was initially named after Buffalo Creek, and didn't feature a wooden roof over the top of it. The wooden cover was added in 1972. The bridge, which measures 8-feet-6-inches tall, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2018, and was promptly plowed through two weeks later. Cover Story: The infamous Long Grove Covered Bridge It was restored, but 23 hours after the official reopening in August 2020, another driver in a chartered school bus not only hit it, but got stuck. The good news is, it wasn't completely obliterated like it was in 2018. With how frequent the bridge has been struck over the years, one would think there's a lack of signage around the well-battered crossing, but that's not the case. Signs are posted on, before and after crossing the bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road, and they have done little to stop vehicles from leaving various dings and dents over the years, fines for which start at $700. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
