Openlands

🌏 Earth Day reminds us that cities are ecosystems, too. Coming soon, explore this idea at Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem, an inspiring new exhibition designed and co-curated by Studio Gang in collaboration with the CAC. Learn how you can take action to create healthier urban habitats and save birds from colliding with building glass, a problem that currently kills more than 1 billion birds each year in the US. The companion exhibition, Chicago’s Living Habitat, co‑curated with Openlands, connects the design of our cities with the environments that make them possible. 📍Opens June 11 at the Chicago Architecture Center. Details at the link in bio. @studiogang @openlands

‼️Action Alert: Illinois Wetlands Need Our Help‼️ Today, the @chicagotribune Editorial Board urged state leaders to step up protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA ruling left wetlands more vulnerable than ever. Here’s what’s at stake: • 563,000 acres of Illinois wetlands currently have no state, county, or federal protection. • Wetlands are critical wildlife habitat and natural infrastructure that reduce flooding, filter pollution, and protect water quality. • Illinois has already lost most of its wetlands. We cannot afford to lose what remains. Take action today via the link in our bio.

Did you know you can explore parts of the Underground Railroad by canoe on the South Side of Chicago? The African American Heritage Water Trail traces 180+ years of Black history along the Little Calumet River, once traveled by freedom seekers escaping slavery. I joined a free guided paddle starting at Beaubien Woods in Altgeld Gardens neighborhood where everything was included—gear, instruction, and powerful storytelling. This was more than just a peaceful summer activity. It brought together people of all backgrounds and ages to reflect, connect, and experience a side of Chicago most don’t know exists. If you’re looking for a meaningful, hidden gem experience in the city, this is one worth seeking out. . . . . #Chicago #ThingsToDoinChicago #SouthSide #HiddenGem #FreeThingsToDoChicago #UndergroundRailroad #BlackHistoryChicago #Nature #ChicagoGuide #LocalGuide #TheHauteSeeker @openlands @fpdcc

Two University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate students from Dr. Mike Ward’s lab joined Openlands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie staff to install acoustic bird monitors and speakers at the site. The monitors record in-flight bird calls to identify species in and around the prairie. Additionally, speakers are broadcasting the calls of two State-endangered species, the upland sandpiper and bobolink, at night, hopefully attracting migratory groups of both species to Midewin to nest. As the restoration of Midewin progresses, the data from the monitors will be used to track how the bird community evolves as their native habitat returns. Today is National Endangered Species Day. Monitors like these give us a behind-the-scenes look into the science behind conservation. One of the best ways we can help endangered species is by monitoring their populations. Learn more about our conservation work at Midewin on our website (link in bio).

Our 2026 Spanish TreeKeepers Course is open for registration! This FREE certification course runs from June 2nd to July 2nd and teaches you how to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. During this course, you’ll learn how to plant, prune, mulch, and care for local trees. Once certified, you’ll be able to host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, and work in a local chapter to advance community forestry goals. This course is taught entirely in Spanish at Centro Comunitario @latinospro and is 100% FREE. Sign up today through the link in our bio.

Earth Month only lasts 30 days. Openlands is conserving nature all year long—and forever. None of that is possible without your support. THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up this Earth Month: all our donors, volunteers, corporate partners, TreeKeepers, and all the other Openlanders who met this important moment. Our work is far from over. Every day of the year, Openlands works to protect nature today and for generations to come. You can continue to make a real impact on that work by donating today. Link in bio.

TREEKEEPER SPOTLIGHT: Paul Aeschleman, TreeKeeper 1,764 (Pictured in the first image second from left) "I have found a volunteer activity that allows me to combine three favorite activities: tree planting, cycling, and a day of hard work with neighbors looking to improve and preserve Chicago's urban forest. To date, I've had to opportunity to cycle hundreds of miles throughout the city and suburbs, plant over 100 trees, visit communities I may not have visited, and work with a fantastic groups of volunteers who love their communities. A highlight of each workday is the great work that the Openlands staff does planning the event, providing quality tools, and presenting a thorough safety and awareness message before starting work. Best of all though is returning to location of past tree plantings and seeing how the trees have transformed once barren areas into welcoming green spaces. Hope to see you all out a tree planting in the near future." - Paul To learn more about our TreeKeepers course and get involved in upcoming tree plantings, visit the link in our bio.

It’s spring bird migration! Bird migration is an incredible global spectacle, and the Chicago region sits on the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major migration flyways in the United States. Our region’s abundant ecosystems and habitats provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds for migrating birds, demonstrating a key benefit of land conservation. Here are five birds you should keep an eye out for this May: First image: Caspian Tern (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US) Second Image: Eastern Kingbird (Photo credit: Lisa Musgrave) Third Image: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Photo credit: Lisa Musgrave) Fourth Image: Scarlet Tanager (Photo credit: Maren Robinson) Fifth Image: Yellow Warbler (Photo credit: Maren Robinson) To learn more about birds you can observe in our region this spring migration, read our most recent blog post through the link in our bio.

Credico, @docusign , and @kohler joined the Openlands team for a morning of mulching at Douglass Park. Thank you so much to all three of our corporate partners for coming out to care for our local trees! Is your company looking for ways to give back and get outside? Explore Openlands' corporate partnerships through the link in our bio.

Thanks to the @cityofoakforest and @ey_us for celebrating Arbor Day with us! Together, we planted over 50 trees in the area surrounding @south_suburban . Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate this special day with us! When we plant trees in our communities, we are investing in clean air, native species, and healthier futures for our residents. If you or your workplace want to join us at a tree planting near you, take a look at the link in our bio for upcoming opportunities.

PRESS RELEASE: Momentum builds to complete the 500-mile Grand Illinois Trail. The Grand Illinois Trail (GIT) has been three decades in the making. Now, 90% of the route is complete, linking iconic Illinois destinations: from the Chicago lakefront and Fox River Valley, through prairie farmlands, to the Mississippi River bluffs. Over the past several months, more than 50 local organizations, leaders, and other supporters have come together with the renewed purpose of completing the 500-mile route of the GIT. Thanks to the efforts of this Grand Illinois Trail Alliance, local partners are actively pursuing five trail projects to close half of these remaining gaps, including: The Burnham Greenway, a Lansing Trail, The Canal Connecter Trail, a Carbon Cliff trail, and a stretch of the Great River Trail. You can read Openlands' full press release and learn more about how you can experience The Grand Illinois Trail through the link in our bio.

Action Alert! Every day, over 48 acres of productive and resilient Illinois farmland and natural areas are paved over for development. Once these lands are gone, we cannot get them back. The Farmer Tax Benefit Act is gaining momentum at the Illinois Capitol, and we need your help to get it across the finish line. This proposal give farmers and landowners a meaningful financial incentive to permanently protect their land for generations to come. It takes less than a minute to send an email to your State Representative and State Senator. Click the link in our bio to take action today.