Conservation Alliance Honors Exceptional Efforts Across 4-State Region, Including Shedd Aquarium and Partners

CHICAGO - The Chicago Wilderness Alliance, a conservation collaborative that spans portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, honored 31 individuals, organizations, and projects across the region for their exceptional work today, with the announcement of their 2025 Force of Nature Awards and 2025 Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program Site Accreditations.

“Communities across the country are facing unprecedented challenges, so it’s more important than ever to find hope and strength in collective action,” says Elizabeth Kessler, chair of the Alliance and executive director of the McHenry County Conservation District. “The individuals and sites recognized this year remind us that optimism and collaboration remain powerful forces. Their work is not only inspiring—it’s a blueprint for how we can continue to come together to protect what matters most and build a more resilient future.”

2025 Force of Nature Awards

The George B. Rabb Force of Nature Awards are given every two years. The awards are named in honor of the late, longtime director of the Chicago Zoological Society and Brookfield Zoo, who was a tireless leader in international conservation and a central force in the establishment of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. Force of Nature awardees are recognized by their peers for rising to meet the moment with bold ideas, creative solutions, and meaningful collaboration. Their efforts—large or small—create ripples of positive change for nature and for communities, proving that one person or one project can make a difference that reaches far beyond expectations.

The 2025 Force of Nature Awardees include:

• Rewilding the South Branch: Chicago River Restoration Through Partnership: Since 2022, the Shedd Aquarium, the Chicago Park District and Urban Rivers have collaborated on the Rewilding the South Branch project to improve river health, support biodiversity, foster climate resilience and connect residents to the river. A historically industrialized and polluted portion of the South Branch of the Chicago River is once again teeming with wildlife and recreational activity. Shedd has secured more than $1.8 million in grant funds to kickstart and support this collective work. Urban Rivers has installed more than 3,000 square feet of floating wetland habitats in the river to provide resources to wildlife above and below the water’s surface. To expand terrestrial habitat and mitigate impacts of climate change such as flooding and erosion, the Chicago Park District has improved the natural areas at Canal Origins and Canalport Riverwalk Parks, established a new natural area at Park 571 and built new fishing stations. The Park District also worked with community members to design a nature play space at Park 571. These organizations contribute to ecological monitoring to understand habitat quality and wildlife populations and guide restoration efforts. They have hosted more than 1,000 individuals at various recreational and learning opportunities on and near the river to foster a sense of stewardship and appreciation in the South Branch as an ecological, economic and cultural asset.

To recognize the 2025 honorees and accreditations, the Chicago Wilderness Alliance is hosting a Celebration of Conservation on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

The Chicago Wilderness Alliance is a regional collaborative of hundreds of partner organizations and individuals working to implement landscape-scale approaches to conservation in and around the southern shores of Lake Michigan including members from Southeast Wisconsin, Northeast Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Southwest Michigan.

The Alliance brings together leaders, experts, and conservation professionals at all stages of their careers to share diverse voices and perspectives, and to work toward a common vision: creating and protecting a vibrant, accessible region where people and nature thrive.