Hosted By Wild Things:

The Wild Things conference is a celebration of nature, wildlife, ecosystem restoration, birding, botanizing, networking, and discovery – from the lowly mushroom to the high-flying falcon. The conservation community comes together to learn from each other and the best experts, and enjoys a day jam-packed with handpicked panels that run the spectrum in causes, complexity, and creativity. Spend a day with other people who care for the ecosystems of Illinois, and the planet, and find ways to help. We are stewards, advocates, and educators – volunteers and professionals – coming together with urgent hope to appreciate and protect prairies, woodlands, wetlands, wild yards, and wilder hearts.

This high-spirited biennial conference is one of the largest conservation gatherings in the Midwest, regularly drawing nearly 2,000 attendees for the single-day event. The 2025 Conference will take place on Saturday, March 1. Join us!

Wild Things is an educational program of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves.

Wild Things 2025 will offer another exciting lineup workshops, presentations, and sessions from regional and national experts, plus meet & greets, video content, exhibitors, sponsors, and more! Tickets for Wild Things 2025 are now on sale and the full conference program will be announced soon.