Past Speakers

You can find a list of the wonderful speakers we’ve had.  If you need contact information for any of them, just send us an e-mail.  

2019:

January: Wintersowing, led by Janice Gricus, held at Seguin

February: Naturally Beautiful Conference, featuring Ben Vogt and Claudia West

April: Earth Words, Carol LaChapelle

May: The Monarch and Its Migration, Doug Taron

June: Father’s Day Wolf Road Prairie Walk, Rita McCabe

July: Expanding Our Borders: Forest Preserves of Cook County, Nina Baki, Cook County Forest Preserves

August: Our Rivers, Mark Hauser, Friends of the Chicago River

September: Plant Blindness, Chris Benda, “Illinois Botanizer”

October: Oaktober Forum

November: Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program, Megan Dunning, Morton Arboretum

2018

January: Edible Wild Plants by Pat Armstrong

February: Amphibians of Chicago by Joey Cavataio

April: Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration by Adrian Ayres Fisher

May: Creating Healthy Habitat for the Rusty-patched Bumblebee by Fayette Aurelia Nichols

July: Flies of the Midwest, Joe Rowlet

August: Pre-settlement Relationship of Plants and Culture, Tom Smith, Brothertown Indian Nation of Wisconsin

September: Pocket Prairies in Six Easy Steps, Edie Rowell

October: Made in the Shade: Gardening for Beauty and Butterflies in Shady Places, Monica Buckley, Red Stem Landscapes

November: Favorite Native Plants Through the Seasons, Denise Sandoval, Good-Natured Landscapes

2017

January: Program on Dragonflies by Marla Garrison

February: Rick Darke and Heather Holm presented at our conference

March: Pat Sullivan-Schroyer on Woodland Gardens 

April: Carol Rice on Using Sedges as Landscape Plants

May: Tim Lewis on Name that Plant: An Interactive Plant ID Game

June: Emily Minor and Stephanie Walquist on Citizen Science

July: Art Gara on Nature’s Jewelbox: Wildflower Gardens

August: Conor Shaw on Native Trees and Shrubs (focus on smaller landscapes)

September: Clare Ryan from MWIPN on Alternatives to Common Invasive Plants

October: Dr. Alan Molumby on Urban Bees

2016

January:  Winter Sowing Workshop with Linda Walker

February: The Unnoticed Splendor of Ants Presented by Dr Sean Menke

March: Focus on Bats with Sara Rose (Trailside Museum Naturalist)

April: Native Orchids with Kathleen Garness

June: Rare Plants and Unique Natural Areas of Illinois by Christopher David Benda (IL Botanizer)

July: Does LaBagh Woods Matter? Restoration and Why LaBagh is Critical for the Plants and Animals of the Chicago area by Jeff Skretny

August: Sustainable Landscape Design by Denise Sandoval of Good Natured Landscapes

September: Fall Preparations: Clean-up, Seed Collecting/Storing, and Expanding Beds by WCWO’s very own Stephanie Walquist

October: The Power of Observation: Making and Keeping a Nature Journal/Sketchbook with Sallie Wolf

November: Rain Gardens for Beauty, Wildlife, and Stormwater Control by Monica Buckley

2015:

January: Wintersowing Native Seeds with Linda Walker

February:Oak Park’s Historic Oak Propagation Project and Morton Arboretum’s Oak Recovery Project with Kathryn Jonas

April: Pam Todd: The Power of Us by WCWO’s very own Pam Todd

May: Living Landscapes Conference May 17, 2015–Keynote was Doug Tallamy with 7 workshops 

July: Native Plantings to Attract Migratory Birds to your Garden by Judy Pollock

August: Small Changes with Big Impacts: How Gardeners Can Help Native Plants and Animals by NIIPN 

September: Mushrooms of the Chicago Region Presented by Patrick Leacock

October: Boost Next Year’s Biodiversity: Eco-Sensitive Clean-up by Stephanie Walquist, WCWO

November: Where Nature Comes Home Presented by Dennis Paige