Events

In this brief presentation and Q&A, Margot Bronec, Community Planning Fellow at the National Park Service, will share how community members can get involved in the ongoing recreation planning efforts in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern (AOC). As part of the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program within the National Park Service, our team is working with communities to advance outdoor recreation and conservation in the Grand Calumet River AOC. Members may be interested in learning about the AOC because Gibson Woods is within the borders of the AOC.

Margot Bronec is an Urban Planner who recently received her master's degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. During her masters, she focused on research and work in the Calumet Region, spanning from the Far South Side of Chicago to Northwest Indiana. She is a lifelong Chicagoan, passionate about environmental planning and recreation.

Three great speakers, breakfast & lunch, silent auction, book sale, door prizes & more!

Registration is OPEN until Oct 1st!

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

This is a business meeting that is open to all members

How can we detect that we are in an old growth forest or one very similar to old growth? How much old growth is left in the eastern half of the U. S.? We will explore the idea of old growth forests. We will visually interpret and visit candidate old growth forests in NW Indiana and SW Michigan!

Spencer Cortwright grew up in Riverside, Illinois—near, but not in, Brookfield Zoo—with the zoo and Cook County Forest Preserves serving as his earliest nature stomping grounds. He earned a biology degree from Washington University in St. Louis, then sharpened his ecological expertise at Indiana University (at the time, not exactly known for football).

Following a postdoctoral stint in ecology research and teaching at the University of Michigan (very much a football powerhouse), Dr. Cortwright joined the faculty at Indiana University Northwest, where he has taught since 1992. He has studied amphibian ecology for more than a quarter-century and restoration ecology for nearly as long, with plenty of overlap between the two. Otherwise, he jokes he’d be far too decrepit to be doing much of anything at all!

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

Registration link coming soon. 

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.