Thursday, March 12th, 2026
Veterans Terrace at Echo Park - Burlington, WI
doors open @ 7:15 for Registration and Coffee Tea Juice Danish Muffins Fruit
Summit Welcome and Introductions begin @ 8:00
Featured Speakers and Presentations
Matthew Winden
The Economic Benefits of Conservation
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Dr. Winden is Associate Dean and Professor in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Before taking on his current role, he was the Chair of the Economics Department and Assistant Director of the Fiscal and Economic Research Center. His research is in environmental and natural resource economics issues and focuses on estimating dollar values for environmental impacts that are not priced in markets. He teaches courses in economic theory, resource and environmental economics, and quantitative methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Winden earned his PhD from The Ohio State University.
Yoel Stuart
eDNA Data from the Fox River
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Methodological advances have made Environmental DNA (eDNA) a cheaper, simpler, non-invasive way to document biodiversity. By sequencing genetic material released by organisms in the wild, we can match eDNA to reference sequences to detect species. eDNA does as well or better than conventional approaches in most aquatic systems, so managers and policy makers recognize eDNA metabarcoding as a powerful component of conservation programs. However, eDNA approaches are only as good as the available reference sequences. The development of comprehensive reference databases is therefore critical to advancing conservation outcomes. My team and I are building a publicly available eDNA reference database of complete mitochondrial genomes for all Illinois fish species. This will be an exponential increase in eDNA infrastructure useful to monitor fish species in Illinois, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi Basin, contributing to conservation efforts to find rare species, detect invasive species, and protect species of concern. While building this resource, we are also conducting an eDNA survey of the Fox River to assess fish diversity in a key Illinois watershed. In Summer 2025, we sampled eDNA from ~50 sites on the Fox and its tributaries. These sites match the sites surveyed by IDNR every five years using traditional fishing techniques. We will compare our findings to IDNRs to further understand the ways in which eDNA can improve biodiversity monitoring. We also collected eDNA above and below 10 dams on the Fox, to set a baseline for the fish communities there, to track how communities respond to planned dam removal.
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Dr. Stuart studied intertidal barnacles as an undergraduate at UC Davis, Anolis lizards as a graduate student at Harvard, and modern populations of threespine stickleback fish as a postdoc at UT Austin. He has been a professor at Loyola University Chicago since 2019, where his lab has focused most on a fossilized population of threespine stickleback. His general interests are in the speed and repeatability of evolution in response to environmental change, though his lab is beginning to find ways to help respond to the ecological crises of the Anthropocene.
Gary Swick
The State of the Fox 2026
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Friends of the Fox River President, Gary Swick, will provide an overview of the many projects and happenings along the the Fox River from the headwaters to is southern confluence.
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Gary Swick used his BS in Natural Resource Mgt. from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and a MSEd in Outdoor Teacher Education as the foundation for developing a field-based High School Environmental Science suite of eight courses. Under his direction, students planted thousands of trees, restored acres of natural areas, generated files of research, and accomplished many other acts of environmental stewardship that have become local history. Many of those students are now professionals in the environmental field. In addition, he also invested 10 years at Northern Illinois University as an instructor, and 18 summers as a raft guide on the Snake River in Wyoming.
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Gary serves as the President of the Friends of the Fox River and is a board member on several other non-profit conservation groups. He is an avid outdoor recreationist.
Mila Marshall
Protecting What We Share:
Relationship-Driven Strategies for Advocacy Success
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Advocacy works best when it’s personal, persistent, and purposeful. In my work as a Clean Water Advocate with the Illinois Sierra Club, I’ve seen firsthand how connecting with people where they are, whether policymakers, community members, or neighbors can transform understanding into action. But advocacy can also be exhausting, and it’s easy to feel like one voice isn’t enough. That’s why sustaining your efforts, even in small, consistent ways, is so powerful: every comment, conversation, and meeting adds up. And when we combine connection with persistence, we win protecting waterways, wetlands, and communities, sometimes in ways that seem small at first but ripple far beyond. I will be sharing strategies and examples from my experience that will help you connect, sustain, and win in your own advocacy.
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Mila holds a PhD in ecology and works to mobilize and energize diverse networks across Illinois around clean water issues related to wastewater, agriculture and industry. She advocates for novel partnerships that protect the quality of streams, lakes, rivers, and Illinois tributaries for all. Furthermore she addresses the legacies of water infrastructure disinvestment by building bridges towards solutions through connecting and educating the scientific and legislative communities at the city, county and state levels. She serves as the Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Sierra Club Chapter, is the CEO of the Chicago Area Waterways Heritage Committee, President of the Black Women Boaters Club - Chicago Chapter and editor at Chicago News Weekly. Finally Dr. Marshall serves the State of Illinois as a member of the Groundwater Advisory Board and Natural Resources Advisory Council.
Jason Robinson
Bombus Affinis
aka Rusty Patch Bumble Bee
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Since the listing of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (RPBB) as an Endangered Species, bumble bees have become popular targets of scientific and public interest. In Illinois, RPBB are primarily limited to the northern 1/3 of the state, a distributional pattern that is shared with several other bumble bee species. Citizen science and crowd sourced monitoring efforts have been very useful in generating occurrence records for bumble bee species everywhere. I will discuss historical patterns of species richness and geographical distribution of bumble bees in eastern N America, and Illinois, and provide some tips for identifying these animals from photographs. I will provide an overview of how we assess habitats, and conduct netting surveys, to provide the necessary information for Section 7 Consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Finally, I will discuss some management actions that land owners or conservation practitioners might find to provide benefits to bumble bees in habitats across a continuum of anthropogenically disturbed to reference conditions.
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Jason Robinson has been an entomologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey since 2012. He has a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and a MS in Zoology, from NC State University where he worked on stream fish communities in western NC. An avid and life-long fly fisherman, he soon found that he was at least as interested in aquatic insects as he was in stream fishes. He then completed a PhD at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, studying aquatic insects across 16 different national parks across the highlands of the southeastern US. At INHS he has continued to work on aquatic insects, while expanding interests to federally listed Rusty Patched Bumble Bee and Hines Emerald Dragonfy, along with other state listed insect species. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music, flyfishing, foraging and spending time with his family.
Tommy Gunn
The ABC’s of RCPP
Oak Conservation for Private Landowners
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Learn about the partnership between the American Bird Conservancy, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and several other conservation organizations working collaboratively to address the loss of oak habitats in Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois. We will explore the why, how and results of this ongoing project that works with private landowners to improve these habitats.
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Tommy graduated from Southern Illinois University studying Forestry and has worked as a Forester for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, for the Colorado State Forest Service, and has also worked as a consulting forester. In Tommy’s role with ABC, he works in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service as a forester for the Oak Ecosystem Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). He provides technical knowledge and assistance to private landowners, foresters, and partners, improving oak ecosystems to benefit focal bird species.
Dave Marshall
Underwater Habitat Investigations, LLC
Reconstructing Historical Nearshore Nongame Fish Assemblages in Southern Wisconsin Glacial Lakes
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Scattered across the landscapes of northeastern Illinois and southeast Wisconsin are glacial lakes that support remnants of a once diverse nearshore assemblage of nongame fishes. Water quality remains favorable in most of these lakes since the calcareous geology helps sequester phosphorus inputs that increased after European settlement changed the landscape. Lake management planning rarely mentions the many nongame fish species that previously inhabited or have declined in these lakes. When nongame fish are mentioned, priorities remain focused on phosphorus and recreational uses. The importance of nongame fish and their ecosystem services are generally not recognized or prioritized. Reconstructing and highlighting historical nongame fish assemblages and better understanding what remains and what has been lost may increase public awareness and expand lake management goals to include this important function in lake ecosystems.
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Dave received a BA degree at UW-Milwaukee in 1975 with a major in Biological Aspects of Conservation and Limnology and Fisheries emphasis. He worked for Wisconsin DNR from 1976 to 2006 in the Water Resources Management and Fisheries & Habitat Protection programs. Upon retirement Dave established Underwater Habitat Investigations LLC specializing in nongame fish distribution surveys and conservation aquaculture.
Nitrate pollution and expansion of free-floating plants in 3 lower Wisconsin River oxbow lakes
Conserving the Starhead Topminnow (Fundulus Dispar) in Wisconsin: Part 2 Conservation Aquaculture
Should We Care About the Little Fish in Our Lakes?
Conserving the Starhead Topminnow (Fundulus Dispar) in Wisconsin: Part 3. Re-Establishment Success!
Steve Byers
Wetland Restoration Projects
at Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
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More details coming soon
John Peters
Brandie Dunn
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Fireflies: Precious Jewels of the Night
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They light up our summer evenings and create a sense of wonder and awe. Xerces Society Ambassador, Brandie Dunn, will shed some light on the enchanting world of fireflies. Learn about their life histories and threats they face. Leave inspired to adopt simple actions that can be taken to help conserve them. Every step adds up to brighten the future for these charismatic and universally beloved creatures. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
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​Brandie was honored to become a Xerces Society Ambassador in 2022 and join them in their mission to engage and inspire people to establish meaningful connections with invertebrates. At home, she has prioritized native gardening practices which have brought more sparks of life to the neighborhood that extend far beyond fireflies to include endangered rusty-patched bumble bees.
As a Wisconsin & Illinois Master Naturalist, she volunteers in many different capacities in her church and community to cultivate partnerships which promote conservation, restoration, education, and connect people with the land.
Mike Kies
Paddle for Parks:
2025 Fabulous Fox
National Water Trail Challenge
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The Fabulous Fox National Water Trail Challenge was a powerful expression of river stewardship, as Michael Kies and Wally Werderich set out to canoe the entire length of the Fox River in one continuous journey from headwaters to confluence. Covering more than 188 miles, their journey required endurance, focus, and adaptability, mirroring the long-term commitment needed to care for open space, parks and waterways.
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Michael Kies is an administrator, coach, and athlete with a diverse background spanning park and recreation leadership, professional basketball, and ultra-endurance sports. In his professional career, Kies serves as the Superintendent of Recreation for the St. Charles Park District. He previously held the position of Director of Recreation and Facilities for the Hoffman Estates Park District, where his leadership was instrumental in the district receiving the National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA) Gold Medal Award, the highest honor in the industry. Michael holds a B.S. in Recreation Administration from Elmhurst University and an MBA from Webster University, in addition to being a Certified Park & Recreation Executive (CPRE). He is an active leader in his field, currently serving as Vice Chair of the National Gold Medal Award Committee for the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA).
Wally Werderich
Brian Smetana
Protecting Delavan Lake with Partners
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Success in the Delavan Lake Watershed was in part because of Partnerships. This presentation will explain how partners helped with getting Best Management Practices installed in the watershed to improve water quality. It will also include looking at practices installed and the estimated nutrient reduction that has been achieved.
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Brian Smetana has worked for Walworth County Land Conservation Department for almost 40 years. Although he had a variety of duties, his specialty was working with landowners in implementing Best Management Practices to improve water quality. Recently retired he has returned to Walworth County as a part time employee to continue his conservation passion.
Thomas Slawski
Surface Water Chloride Conditions
and Trends in Southeastern Wisconsin
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This presentation will summarize the historical (1960s-present) and existing conditions and trends in chloride concentrations in surface water streams and lakes as part of the Commission’s Chloride Impact Study. This talk presents key findings of Technical Report No. 63 (see more here at sewrpc.org/Regional-Planning/Chloride-Study) which goal was to determine the extent waterbodies in the study area have been impacted by chloride pollution and to what degree chloride conditions in these waterways are improving, becoming worse, or remaining stable. This information combined with classification data such as watershed size, percent composition of urban and rural land uses, and land use changes over time were included in this analysis.
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These data and trends presented will provide a basis for understanding existing surface water chloride conditions, geographical distribution, and progression of chloride concentration changes throughout the study area. Such data will help determine where to intervene, provide a basis for management goals, and a baseline to assess changes in practices that introduce chloride to the environment. This talk will provide a basis to assess the existing and potential consequences of increasing concentrations of chloride in surface waters on the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of ecosystems and the structural integrity of infrastructure in the study area.
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Thomas Slawski has over 30 years of experience in aquatic ecology specializing in stream habitat and fisheries assessments, design, and restoration techniques. He has received a B.S. Biological Sciences, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in 1991, and Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in 1997. He has been employed at the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission since 1998 and currently holds the position of Chief Biologist of the Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, which specializes in wetland delineation and primary environmental corridor assessments, natural areas and critical species habitat protection, as well as lake and stream management/restoration planning.