We hope that our attending members and guests enjoyed the presentation for our Annual Meeting on November 12, 2024. We were happy to host Dr. Abigail Derby Lewis as our keynote speaker. She is the Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum in Chicago, IL.
The Keller Science Action Center is a division dedicated to translating museum science into lasting results for conservation and cultural understanding. Dr. Lewis’s work as a conservation ecologist focuses on landscape conservation planning and climate change adaptation for urban nature. She is a Commissioner for the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission and Co-Chairs the Chicago Wilderness Climate Committee.
At this year’s annual meeting, we were proud to present the following awards:
Volunteer of the Year: Gil Hernandez, Jr. was recognized for his uncompromising support for the Conversación de Conservación partnership and for encouraging and inviting Latino communities to become better acquainted with our natural world.
Hackmatack Hero: The Friends recognized Kim Compton with the McHenry County Conservation District with the Hackmatack Hero Award for her “above and beyond” support for years of co-sponsored conservation outreach events – by always “being there” to ensure the success of the program.
Tamarack Awardees: This year the Friends recognized four key organizations with Tamarack Awards for their long-standing, steadfast, and financial commitment to the protection of Tamarack Farms. Those Awardees included Openlands, Illinois Audubon Society, The Conservation Fund, and the McHenry County Conservation Foundation.
Other individuals and organizations that also supported this acquisition included the Bobolink Foundation, James and Elizabeth Bramsen, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hamill, Nancy Hamill Winter, and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.