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