In celebration of our 30th anniversary, the Chicago Wilderness Alliance is inviting proposals for dynamic Congress 2026 sessions (hereafter "proposals") that focus on environmental conservation in our region. Sessions may take a variety of forms, including focused topic presentations, moderated panels, interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, storytelling, case study spotlights, or other engaging formats.  

The theme of Congress 2026 is The Alliance at 30: Growing Forward Together. We seek bold ideas and fresh perspectives that support our theme. We welcome ideas that invite participation, share real-world lessons, celebrate successes, and help participants grow forward together.  

Congress 2026 will take place on Friday, November 6 at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. 

Sessions will be 45 minutes long. Presenters are encouraged to thoughtfully structure their time to include participant engagement, dialogue, or Q&A as appropriate to the format.  

This is an open call for proposals. You do not need to be affiliated with or be a partner of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance to submit a proposal.  

Submitting Your Proposal

Proposals must be submitted online via Formsite here or by clicking the "Submit Your Proposal" button below.  

You must create a Formsite account to submit a Congress 2026 proposal or to save and return to your proposal. 

You may create a login and password either by clicking "Log in" at the top of the welcome page or by clicking "Save Progress" at the bottom of any page. When you come back to the form, click "Log in" at the top to continue entering your proposal information. 

You can download a PDF of proposal submission questions here.

If you are submitting multiple proposals, you will need to complete a separate form for each one. 

Proposal Deadline: May 15 

Proposals are due Friday, May 15 at midnight CT. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the link or button above. Notifications about whether proposed sessions have been accepted or declined will be sent by July 31. 

Proposal Guidance 

Proposals should relate to the Alliance's vision to create and protect a vibrant, accessible region where people and nature thrive. We welcome proposals led by, or developed in authentic partnership with, Tribes and communities whose leadership, knowledge, and lived experience strengthen and enrich this work.  

As Congress 2026 marks the Alliance's 30th anniversary, we encourage proposals that share the stories of programs, processes, initiatives, or other successes made possible through the support of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. 

The Congress 2026 tracks (focus areas) are: Land, Water, Climate, People, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and It Wouldn't Have Happened with the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. The last track focuses on the Alliance's history and success stories. 

We are particularly interested in sessions that do one or more of the following: 

• Advance collaboration across sectors, communities, and disciplines 
  

• Offer innovative or creative approaches to conservation and environmental stewardship 
  

• Highlight lessons learned, replicable models, or emerging best practices

• Inspire collective action aligned with the theme of Growing Forward Together 

The evaluation criteria for proposals will be:  

• Relevance to the Alliance’s vision of creating and protecting a vibrant, accessible region where people and nature thrive
  
• Relevance to the Congress 2026 theme of The Alliance at 30: Growing Forward Together 
  
• Originality of topic/presentation, highlighting best practices and innovation in the conservation/environmental field 
  
• Clearly defined learning objectives and session goals 
  
• Applicability and usefulness to Congress participants
  
• Relevance to the Alliance’s Green Vision Initiatives (Managing Healthy Landscapes, Growing with Agriculture, Prioritizing Green Infrastructure, Protecting Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation, Increasing Equitable Access to Nature, Taking Climate Action, Protecting Healthy Water, or Sharing Data). 

Questions? 

Contact Cherie Fisher if you have questions or problems submitting your proposal.