News

Consortium Welcomes 12 New Members

The newest Chicago Wilderness members are a microcosm of the consortium’s growth over the last year.

The Backyard Nature Center links school curricula with nature sites in Cook County’s New Trier Township. Barrington Hills Conservation Trust is dedicated to preserving the open land, rural character, and ecologically significant resources of Barrington Hills. The mission of the City of Elgin Parks & Recreation Department Hawthorn Hill Nature Center is to nurture natural wonder through education programs for schools, families, teachers, and volunteers. The Environmental Science Program of Dundee-Crown High School uses the 4 Rs — Recycling, River Research, Restoration, and Renewable Energy as the framework for a curriculum that empowers students. The mission of Kishwaukétoe (“Clear Water”) Nature Conservancy is to develop, restore, protect, preserve, and enhance the natural resources of the 231-acre high-quality wetland of Geneva Lake, Wisconsin.

Lincoln-Way Community High School is restoring the Community Prairie to give students hands-on experience in local conservation and create an interdisciplinary classroom for biology, chemistry, English, and vocational education. The Oswego ECO Commission mobilizes citizens, community groups, and city government toward a vision of a “Green Community.” As part of Scenic Illinois’ scenic byway and highway program, efforts are underway to promote the use of native plants and wildflowers along roadsides and parkways. The University of Chicago Civic Knowledge Project aims to enhance the circulation of knowledge on the South Side of Chicago across lines of race, ethnicity, class, and religion. Valparaiso Chain of Lakes Watershed Group was founded to protect the Northwest Indiana lakes and surrounding environments through education, conservation, pollution monitoring, and research. The Warrenville Environmental Advisory Commission develops educational programs to promote environmental awareness to community members and the City Council. The nonprofit Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee promotes the use of native plants. As of January 1, 2008, the Campaign for Sensible Growth and Glenview Prairie Preservation Project have fulfilled their missions and disbanded, bringing total membership to 223 organizations. Chicago Wilderness hopes to continue to lose members for this reason!

— Michelle Mohney