Open Call for Essays
on the Topic: What Does Chicago Wilderness Mean to Me?

Guidelines for Submission

Chicago Wilderness means many things to many people. To start with, there are the formal definitions:

Chicago Wilderness more than 250,000 acres of protected natural lands in the Chicago region and the wildlife that depends on it.

Chicago Wilderness the consortium of roughly 200 member organizations working together to preserve our natural areas and local biodiversity.

Chicago WILDERNESS the magazine that celebrates the wild nature of the region and the people working to protect it.

But for a lot of people, “Chicago Wilderness” transcends such basic descriptions. It has become an important part of people’s lives — and that’s where it gets even more interesting.

For some, it’s the inspiration of finding native nature so close to home. For others, it’s the opportunity to collaborate with organizations and individuals to protect local biodiversity. For yet others, it’s an inspiring way to think about the future.

But whatever it is for you, we want to hear from a wide range of readers’ voices: What is “Chicago Wilderness” to you?

Did you discover something in nature that changed the way you see the place you live? Has having healthy local nature nearby affected your life in any other way? Did you have a rich experience as part of a collaborative conservation project? What does it mean to have a regional ecological identity, let alone an actual network of natural lands? These are just a few of many possible starting points — be creative, have fun, and be true to your own unique personal experience.

There’s no deadline for submissions; we hope to continue to publish essays from our readers and participants on a rolling basis.

Essays can range from 400 to 1,000 words.

Decisions to publish essays will be made by Chicago WILDERNESS. We will contact author in the event we decide to publish an article — please allow one month for a response. Article may be edited, in cooperation with author. CW does not pay for these essays.

Submit essays by e-mail to:news@chicagowildernessmag.org or submit by mail to 5225 Old Orchard Road, Suite 37, Skokie, IL 60077.