Chicago Wilderness: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Chicago Wilderness and the Chicago Wilderness consortium. Click a question below to see the answer.
Questions about the Chicago region's natural communities
Questions about the Chicago Wilderness consortium
Questions about the Chicago region's natural communities
No matter where you live in the Chicago region, you are not far from a natural area. Learn more about enjoying the outdoors in the Explore Chicago Wilderness section of this web site.
Chicago Wilderness is a regional nature reserve that stretches from southeastern Wisconsin through northeastern Illinois and into northwestern Indiana. It includes more than 225,000 acres of protected natural lands and a variety of unprotected natural areas. This network of wild places contains woodlands, forests, grasslands, streams, and wetlands. Some of these places are rarer, and more threatened, than tropical rainforests.
Chicago Wilderness seems to be an oxymoron, but this region harbors some of the best remnants of our native Midwest plant and animal communities. It is only through active protection, management and restoration programs that the natural areas of Chicago Wilderness will survive.
The Chicago region is one of a handful of metropolitan areas in the world that has a high concentration of globally significant natural communities. The region includes some of the best surviving examples of eastern tallgrass prairie and open oak woodlands or savannas. It supports many rare plants and animals, including nearly 200 species listed as endangered or threatened in Illinois. Less that one-tenth of one percent of Illinois' tallgrass prairie and even smaller fragments of natural oak savannas remain, making these grassland and woodland communities extremely rare.
Chicago Wilderness lies between Lake Michigan on one side and agricultural land on the other. It stretches from Chiwaukee Prairie in Wisconsin to Goose Lake Prairie southwest of Joliet, and southeast around the shore of Lake Michigan to the Indiana Dunes. Chicago Wilderness natural areas are located in northeastern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana.
You'll find information on experiencing nature in the region in the Explore Chicago Wilderness section of this site. The Wilderness in the Chicago region section includes an overview of the diverse natural communities in the Chicago region, creatures that live there, threats to these communities and means of addressing these threats. You'll find more details on biodiversity and current local conservation efforts in the About Biodiversity section. The Chicago Wilderness consortium also offers a variety of informative publications for the general public, educators, land managers, and scientists. You can find more information in the Publications and Products section of this site.
Questions about the Chicago Wilderness consortium
The Chicago Wilderness consortium is an unprecedented alliance of more than 200 public and private organizations that have joined forces to protect, restore and manage the natural lands of the Chicago region and the plants and animals that inhabit them.
The member organizations, and the thousands of volunteers who work with them, are pooling their resources and expertise to most effectively protect, manage and restore the natural heritage of the central Midwestern region. Key goals include:
- Helping to restore natural communities on public and private lands.
- Working to prevent the ongoing loss of critical habitat and promoting careful development.
- Offering opportunities for citizens to become involved in local biodiversity conservation.
Financial support for Chicago Wilderness is provided by the member organizations, as well as through local, state and federal grants. Current funders include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' C2000 program, Boeing, and the MacArthur Foundation. Member organizations work together to develop projects that are reviewed by Chicago Wilderness committees. Each project addresses a critical conservation need in the region, and meets criteria based on the key goals of the Chicago Wilderness consortium as stated in the Biodiversity Recovery Plan.
Many Chicago Wilderness member organizations offer individuals opportunities to become members or volunteers. To learn more, see the Get Involved section of this web site. Individuals can also participate in workshops, guided tours and other events and activities that are held throughout the region. See the What's Happening Now section of this site for more information about upcoming events.
Organizations whose missions include biodiversity protection are eligible to join the Chicago Wilderness consortium. For more information, call Michelle Uting at (847) 965-9253 or contact her via e-mail at muting@chicagowilderness.org.
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