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Openlands Annual Report 2025
CONSERVE, CONNECT, CREATE TOGETHER
Open lands are not empty lands, but precious grounds whose careful cultivation and imaginative design enable our fractious, fractured culture to reach its highest creative and social potential. Founded in 1963, Openlands protects the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help balance and enrich our lives.
Blair Kamin, 2025 Openlands Gerald W. Adelmann Conservation Leadership Award Recipient
“
We conserve the landscapes that sustain us, connect people and communities to nature, and create the partnerships and systems that allow conservation to endure.
Michael S. Davidson
President & CEO
“
Across the country, support for conservation is increasingly uncertain, even as pressure on land grows. In moments like this, local and regional leadership becomes essential.
Alan M. Bell
Board Chair
TREES
$
0
Trees Planted and Cared for Across 11.03 Acres of Land
0
New TreeKeepers Trained in English and Spanish
$
0
Invested in Communities Though Urban Forestry
COMMUNITY
0
Community Conservation Efforts Funded Through the ComEd Region Green Grant
0
New CPS Schoolyards Transformed Through Space to Grow
LAND
0
Acres Transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
0
Acres Under Active Restoration at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
0
Acres Acquired in Will Country, Adjacent to the 854-Acre Hadley Valley Forest Preserve
0
Volunteer Hours
POLICY
0
+
Messages Sent to Policymakers by Engaged Advocates to Advance Conservation Policy Initiatives
Where We Work
<8%
of our region’s landscapes remain permanently protected for future generations.
“
To make the forest preserves amazing places where nature thrives, conservation takes action. And we know that the forest preserves can’t do it alone. That’s why I’m grateful to be here celebrating a monumental project that brought together partners from every level.
Toni Preckwinkle
President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
Deer Grove Forest Preserve, Cook County
CONSERVE
Conservation means bringing civic leaders together to meet modern challenges.
In 2025, Openlands released The Chicago Lakefront: Protected, Yet Precarious, a timely report that spotlights legal and procedural gaps that put the City’s most prized civic asset at risk. The report calls for an update to the Lakefront Protection Ordinance, a municipal law that Openlands helped champion in the early 1970s in response to development pressures at the time.
Following the report’s positive reception, Openlands is working with the Metropolitan Planning Council and City officials to reform the ordinance, strengthening protection from intrusive development and renewing a comprehensive vision for the lakefront into the future.
Conservation in our region often depends on private land, which presents a vital opportunity to advance ecological protection.
This year, Openlands partnered with Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington as part of a broader 30,000-trees-by-2030 initiative across Advocate Health locations.
A comprehensive inventory of more than 1,600 trees revealed rare remnant oak savannas and mature bur oaks— ecosystems of high ecological significance.
Through a staff-led planting effort, Openlands guided the selection and planting of 75 native trees at the Good Shepherd campus.
This work demonstrates that thoughtful conservation on private property is essential to protecting ecologically significant landscapes across the region—and without it, broader conservation goals cannot be achieved.
Conservation reflects decades of commitment.
Openlands closed the books on the O’Hare Modernization Wetlands Mitigation Project—one of the largest restoration efforts in the region’s history.
Twenty years ago, the City of Chicago entrusted Openlands with a $26 million initiative to restore 280.14 acres of wetlands lost due to the expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
Through effective stewardship of this funding, Openlands delivered 530 acres of wetlands and protected over 1,600 acres of natural areas across five sites in the Des Plaines River watershed, including Deer Grove Forest Preserve and Bobolink Meadow Land and Water Reserve in Cook County, as well as Hadley Valley Preserve, Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, and the Drummond Floodplain within Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County.
These landscapes demonstrate the power of long-term partnerships to restore ecological function while strengthening the health and resilience of surrounding communities.
While this milestone marks the completion of a major chapter, stewardship continues through local partners such as the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Openlands is supporting ongoing research and site monitoring to inform adaptive management, ensuring these landscapes remain healthy and resilient.
Conservation heals the land through large-scale restoration.
Openlands, in partnership with The Wetlands Initiative and the U.S. Forest Service, is leading the restoration of more than 1,300 acres within the Grant Creek watershed at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie—now the largest active restoration effort of its kind in the region.
This initial phase focuses on removing invasive species and preparing the landscape for the return of natural hydrology, including the remeandering of Grant Creek.
Midewin is home to one of the region’s largest concentrations of grassland birds, many of which rely on expansive, open habitats to survive. In addition to rebuilding critical ecosystems, the first phase of work supports ongoing research to better understand shifts in grassland bird populations.
Insights gained will help guide future restoration phases and strengthen conservation strategies for threatened and endangered species.
“
The dream of protecting Tamarack Farms has now become a reality… Hackmatack’s more than 11,000 acres are home to rare natural communities, unusual glacial landforms, high-quality waters, and abundant native plants.
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator of Illinois
Tamarack Farms, Richmond, Illinois
CONNECT
Connection is building a mosaic of protected lands.
In 2024, Openlands, The Conservation Fund, and Illinois Audubon Society acquired Tamarack Farms, a 985-acre property for the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
The acquisition represents nearly ten percent of the Refuge’s total footprint, creating the third-largest conservation area in the region.
This year, Openlands celebrated a major milestone with the transfer of 161 acres of Tamarack Farms to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permanent federal protection.
Senator Dick Durbin returned to visit the Refuge following the transfer, highlighting more than a decade of leadership and collaboration to expand the region’s first National Wildlife Refuge serving 12 million residents across Chicago, Rockford, and Milwaukee metropolitan areas.
Even with federal rollbacks, Tamarack Farms stands as a powerful example of how strong local partnerships can still advance large landscape conservation.
Connections are made through shared storytelling.
Openlands co-hosted the Chicago premiere of the documentary, From Rails to Trails, with WTTW.
This film brings together stories from communities across the country to reflect on how former rail corridors have been transformed into public trails that now connect people to nature.
The film highlights the national impact of the rails-to-trails movement. Openlands was an early leader in rail-to-trail conversions through its work on the Illinois Prairie Path, beginning in 1964, helping set a model for trail development across the country.
As longtime stewards of land in the region, Openlands continues to build on this legacy by expanding recreation opportunities through alternative land use and planning.
Developed in partnership with the Student Conservation Association, the program introduces participants to careers in arboriculture before committing to a longer-term apprenticeship.
Running from June to November, participants receive hands-on fieldwork experience stewarding and planting trees, and obtain training and certifications, including the Openlands TreeKeepers and the Illinois Arborist Association’s Intro to Climbing courses.
All participants in the inaugural cohort applied to the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship and were accepted—advancing their path into the region’s growing green workforce.
Connection is expanding existing protected landscapes.
This year, Openlands acquired the Brandt Property, an 88-acre parcel in Will County just east of Hadley Valley Forest Preserve—one of the five O’Hare restoration sites created when airport expansion removed wetlands.
The property was at immediate risk of development, and a $226,000 grant from the Prairie State Conservation Coalition, along with support from the Negaunee Foundation Opportunity Fund, made this timely acquisition possible.
The site contains a critical wildlife habitat along Spring Creek and helps improve local water quality. Once permanently protected, the site will join the Spring Creek Greenway, expanding residents’ access to nature in a rapidly developing area.
“
Let our school be an embodiment of joy where we can laugh, cry, share and create memories. Let our school be a place where we build leaders with bear-bright minds, bold and unbreaking.
Armani West
a student at Myra Bradwell School of Excellence
Spencer Technology
Academy
CREATE
Creating is building healthier spaces for students.
This year, the Space To Grow program celebrated its 10-year anniversary, marking a decade of transforming hard, concrete schoolyards into greener, healthier spaces for students and surrounding communities.
Openlands and Healthy Schools Campaign, together with capital partners including Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, the Chicago Department of Environment, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, celebrated the opening of five new green schoolyards in Chicago—bringing the total to 41 schools across the city.
Collectively, these schoolyards have engaged more than 10,000 students, and added over 650,000 square feet of permeable surfaces, capturing 8.7 million gallons of water per rain event. Across Chicago’s South, Southwest, and West Side neighborhoods, once-paved schoolyards are becoming flood-resilient community hubs where children can learn, play, and connect with nature.
Creating is developing on-ramps for green careers.
In 2025, Openlands launched a new pre-apprenticeship program to complement our Arborist Registered Apprenticeship (ARA)—one of just a few such programs in the country.
Developed in partnership with the Student Conservation Association, the program introduces participants to careers in arboriculture before committing to a longer-term apprenticeship.
Running from June to November, participants receive hands-on fieldwork experience stewarding and planting trees, and obtain training and certifications, including the Openlands TreeKeepers and the Illinois Arborist Association’s Intro to Climbing courses.
All participants in the inaugural cohort applied to the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship and were accepted—advancing their path into the region’s growing conservation workforce.
Creating together means empowering communities to lead grassroots conservation.
Openlands partnered with ComEd to award $150,000 in Green Region Grants to 18 communities across northern Illinois.
These grants support locally driven projects that restore green spaces, expand pollinator habitat, strengthen climate resilience, and create environmental education opportunities.
The Green Region Grant Program has invested more than $2.45 million in nearly 300 conservation projects since 2013—restoring over 1,800 acres of land, planting nearly 39,000 trees, and constructing 85,000 feet of ADA-accessible trails across northern Illinois.
“
Some towns may look at being surrounded by conservation as being boxed in and not being able to expand. We are looking at it as a great big hug and we are ready to embrace that hug fully. Richmond is ready to be a nature-based community.
Toni Wardanian
Village of Richmond President
Volunteer workday at Walking Stick Woods Natural Area, Cook County
TOGETHER
Together, we can create nature-based communities.
In 2025, Openlands acquired a 2.5-acre parcel along Route 12 in Richmond, Illinois—small in size but critical in connectivity.
This parcel is poised to become a gateway between the Village of Richmond and the growing landscape of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
Openlands acquired the parcel to ensure long-term public access and connectivity. The parcel will serve as an entry point where residents can park, bike, or walk into the Refuge and nearby protected lands, including the Glacial Park Conservation Area.
By improving access to the Refuge, this property opens the door to new conservation opportunities that will strengthen Richmond’s growing recreation-based economy.
Together, strong programs can grow beyond a single organization.
This year, Openlands began the transition of Birds In My Neighborhood to Windy City Lab under the leadership of J’orge Garcia—a former coordinator of the program at Openlands.
Since 2013, the program has connected more than 16,000 students to the birds and biodiversity in their own neighborhoods, helping young people see nature as part of everyday life.
This transition reflects Openlands’ long-standing role as an incubator of conservation innovation, including launching organizations such as Friends of the Chicago River and Alliance for the Great Lakes.
The next chapter builds on a strong foundation while expanding opportunities for education, volunteer engagement, and pathways into conservation.
As Windy City Bird Lab carries the program forward, Openlands continues to advance bird conservation through land protection, policy advocacy, and habitat restoration across Illinois.
Together, neighbors care for nature close to home.
Openlands partnered with Green Latinos and Latinos Progresando to host a Spanish-language TreeKeeper course, expanding opportunities for Spanish-speaking residents to gain hands-on training in tree care and stewardship.
The course welcomed 19 participants, bringing the total number of TreeKeepers caring for our region’s trees to more than 2,337. Through this partnership and others,
Openlands is committed to offering the TreeKeeper course in Spanish for three years, training up to 75 new TreeKeepers and providing stipends for community members to serve as instructors, coordinate planting projects in their neighborhoods and steward trees planted by Openlands.
Together, conservation grows community pride.
In the Calumet region, conservation is not a single project—it is long-term placemaking with deep partnerships.
Openlands has taken a holistic approach—coordinating ecological restoration, capital infrastructure, education, and cultural storytelling to ensure the area becomes both healthy and accessible for the community.
Community’s youth are key players. Through the Beaubien Youth Ambassadors Program, Openlands, Friends of the Forest Preserves and the Forest Preserves of Cook County engaged high school students in hands-on ecological restoration and historical interpretation.
Working alongside curriculum developers, they are contributing to educational materials and bilingual resources that will further activate public events and paddling programs beginning in 2026.
Financials
Revenue
Expenses
FY2025 Financial Report
Revenue
Expense
Net Asset Detail
Remembering Nancy Corwith Hamill Winter
Openlands honors the life and legacy of Nancy Corwith Hamill Winter, one of our greatest champions for conservation. Her leadership helped shape conservation across Illinois and beyond, from Nachusa Grasslands and Emiquon to decades of stewardship in Jo Daviess County. She advanced a vision grounded in ecology, cultural heritage, and a deep respect for Indigenous stewardship and the enduring relationship between people and land.
Our relationship with Nancy was rooted in a multigenerational commitment to nature. Her father, Corwith “Corky” Hamill, was a founding member of Openlands, and her parents helped to realize the Illinois Prairie Path. Nancy began her own conservation career as Openlands’ first intern, contributing to the organizing that led to the Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail.
In the years that followed, Nancy, alongside her siblings Jon Hamill and Betsy Bramsen and through the Hamill Family Foundation, helped catalyze transformative projects. These include early support for Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, pioneering investment in Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, and the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, to name a few.
Her generosity and leadership made bold ideas possible. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her children, Ethan and Sylvia, and to her family. Her legacy endures in the lands she helped protect.
Donors
OPENLANDS is deeply grateful to our funding partners, supporters and volunteers who helped fulfill the mission of Openlands over the past fiscal year, October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.
* In Memoriam
^ Perennial Donors: Openlands is grateful to its most loyal donors who have supported us annually for 20 years or more.
Corporations, Foundations, Governments, and Organizations
$100,000 to $500,000
Amazon
Anonymous
ComEd, an Exelon Company
Crown Family Philanthropies
Hunter Family Foundation
Nancy H. Hamill Charitable Lead Unitrust
The Grainger Foundation
U. S. Forest Service
$50,000 to $99,999
Anonymous
Bobolink Foundation
CBRE
Healthy Schools Campaign
McDougal Family Foundation
Rivian Foundation
Robert Hendricksen Co.
Willow Springs Foundation
$25,000 to $49,999
Arbor Day Foundation
The Bowman C. Lingle Trust
Central Indiana Community Foundation
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Full Circle Foundation
Lake County Stormwater
Management Commission
Lumina Foundation
Peoples Gas
Pepper Family Foundation
Polk Bros. Foundation
Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves
Prince Charitable Trusts
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Solberg Manufacturing, Inc.
U.S. EPA
$10,000 to $24,999
BNSF Railway Foundation
The Buchanan Family Foundation
EA Foundation
G. Carl Ball Family Foundation
Land Trust Alliance
Morningstar, Inc.
Harold M. and Adeline S.
Morrison Family Foundation
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
The Lumpkin Family Foundation
The Mammel Family Foundation
Margot and Thomas Pritzker Family Foundation
The Siragusa Family Foundation
U.S. Bank
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$5,000 to $9,999
25 E Washington
Aldridge Gives Foundation
City of Blue Island
Builders Initiative
Charities Aid Foundation of America Ecosia
The Field Foundation of Illinois
Good Heart Work Smart Foundation
Heitman, LLC
JoDaviess Conservation Foundation
Lake County Forest Preserve District
McGraw Foundation
McMaster-Carr Supply Company
Melcher & Tucker Consultants
Scott Byron & Co., Inc.
The South Church
Ventas
Winkler Tree & Lawn Care
$2,500 to $4,999
Bartlett Tree Experts
Builders Vision
Chicago Architecture Center
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.
Christy Webber Landscapes
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cox Enterprises
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies Davey Resource Group, Inc.
First Congregational Church of Western Springs
Forest Preserve District of Will County
Kittleman & Associates
M.R. Bauer Foundation
McHenry County Conservation District
Midwest Groundcovers, LLC
R&R Winters Family Foundation
Gene & Rosemary Schulter Foundation
S&E Bramsen Foundation
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
The Morton Arboretum
Village & Wilderness
Vivo Foundation
Wilson Sporting Goods
Wintrust
$1,000 to $2,499
Advocate Health Care
The Big Cat Foundation
Des Plaines River Association
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Illinois Tool Works Jocarno Fund
LUMW Foundation
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
Pilot Light Prairie Moon Nursery
Salesforce
Theodore Eckert Foundation
Urban Forestry Organization
$500 to $999
Francis Beidler III and Prudence R. Beidler Foundation
Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Association
The Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation
Park Ridge Wilderness Scouts and Princesses
Sirius Fund
DBA York Utility Services
York Construction & Management Services, LLC.
$250 to $499
Allstate Insurance Company
Corrine Daniels
W.W. Grainger
GreenLatinos
Millennium Park Foundation
Richard L. & Lois S. Werner Family Foundation
The Trade Desk
Leadership Circle
Openlands gratefully acknowledges the following supporters who made contributions of $1,000 or more.
$1,000,000+
Anonymous
$500,000–$1,000,000
Anonymous
Kimberly Duchossois
$100,000–$499,999
Shaun & Andy Block^
Dean & Jenny Fischer
Jill Riddell & Tim Brown
$25,000–$49,999
Bob & Joan Feitler
Barbara Goodman Manilow
Jonathan & Nancy Hamill
William R. Jentes
Martina Keller & Don McLellan
Dan Lauderback & Jennifer Cromheecke
Rika & Joe D. Mansueto
Carey S. Roberts
Nancy Sutherland & Jim Mikkelson^
$10,000–$24,999
Fred & Cynthia Acker^
Alan M. Bell
Lynn Buhl
Stephanie Comer Julie Dorfman & Jerry Herst
Daisy Feidt
Kunal & Monica Kapoor Michael & Lindy Keiser
Tom Lanctot
Cheryl Lenz
Ralph Lerner^
Carrie McNally & Rick Maechling
Shauna Peet^
Glenn & Barbara Reed
JoAnn Seagren & Scott Lang Judith Stockdale & Jonathan Boyer^
Linda Toelke
$5,000–$9,999
Jill Allread Family^
James L. Alexander
Ron & Tracy Bundy
Steven Byers & Nancy Williamson
James & Glenda L. Cartwright
Matthew & Lynora Dobry
Naomi Donnelley
Barbi & Tom Donnelley^
Joe Ferguson & Suzanne Malec-McKenna^
Hugh & Marlene Frisbie
Ronald & Diane Hamburger
Barbara & Dennis Kessler^ Heidi Kiesler
Nancy Chadbourne Maze^
Kate Becker Morrison
Jan Notz & John K. Notz, Jr.*^
Jane Elinor Notz & Ian Watson^
David & Sara Reusswig
John Shillinglaw*
Elizabeth Shope
Travis Solberg
Steven Sondheimer
Janet L. Swenson
Anne Tucker
$2,500–$4,999
Fred N. Bates & Ellen B. Benjamin^
James & Elizabeth Bramsen
Deborah J. Gillespie
Mary Honda
Vance & Randee Johnson
Keller Family^
Barbara Mahany Family Fund
Martha Meyer
Daniel Needham
Andy Otting & Laura Hohnhold^
John D. Rogner
Deborah D. Ross
Louise Saltzman
Louis F. Schauer
Patricia & Dick Schnadig
Leslie Ann Shad
Debra Shore
Adele Simmons^
Jan & Stan E. Tymorek
Catherine M. & Frederick H. Waddell
Wayne White
Matthew Witkovsky
Cynthia Wojcieszek
$1,000–$2,499
Gerald W. Adelmann^
Tamara Andrade
Janice K. Becker
Paul & Karen Becker
Patricia A. Bland^
Susan D. Bowey^
Tiffany Bowlby
Elizabeth Bruml
Karen & Michael Buoscio
Barbara & George Clark
Bill & Suzanne Clarkin
Christina Codo
Matthew Cotter
Judith Dainko
Michael S. Davidson &
Christopher C. DeKuiper
Brad & Bailey Davis
Matthew Derov
David & Holly Diedrich
Jay D. & Kim Dietz
Lynn Donaldson
Aidan Donnelley Rowley
William Drake & JoAnn Carney
Lisa Dush
Eliza & Timothy Earle
Kathleen Fauth
Sarah Forbes Orwig
John & Michele Gillett
Louise Glasser
Sue & Bruce Gottschall
Sandy M. Guettler^
James & Kathleen Gysler
Marietta Hance
John & Laila Harmann
Joan W. Harris
Mark & Lori Harris
Amanda Hinton
Art & Nancy Hirsch
Russell J. Hoffmann^
Shawn & Lewis Ingall
Blair Kamin & Barbara Mahany
Paul & Leslie Karas
Thomas E. Keim
Gary & Susan Klein
Anita Kramer
Peter Landon
Beth Lange
Margaret Lass-Gardiner
Mark & Martha Laubacher
Marcena Love^
Claude B. M. Maechling
Jim & Kitty Mann
Alun & Catherine Marsden
Judy & John McCarter
Ann L. McGill^
Neil & Deb McIlvain
Alison McKinzie
Carol McManus
Chris & Megan Mellee
Pamela Miles^
Neil Morriss
Thomas Musick
Jossy Nebenzahl
James Noel O’Connor
Sally A. Olds
Hank & Wendy Paulson
Tom Price
James & Leslie Rachlin
Rita & Bruce Renwick^
Laura & Ricardo Rosenkranz
J Sanderson Stevens
Robert & Lynn Seitz
Carolyn Miller Short^
Joan Smith
Paul & Anna Spector
Trisha Steele
Nancy Stevenson
Jeffrey & Karen Stokes
David Taliaferro
Garnet C. Thorne
John Veldman
Wendy & Greg Vichick
Douglas & Kim Voigt
David & Pamela B. Waud
David Weaver
James L. Wilson
Chris Wu
Edgar & Carol Yee
$500 to $999
Karen Acker
Lau Ron Adams
Mary & Paul Anderson^
Henry Barkhausen
Meg & Steve Barnhart
MarySue Barrett
Steven & Sandy Becker
Alison Blaser
Nick Bothfeld
Beth Botts
Kathy Bruch
Robert & Suzanne Cash
Sheila & William Clarkin
Barbara Collins
Susan Comstock
Allison & Frederick J. Daley Jr.^
Jon A. Daniels^
Katherine Danko
George & Diana Davis^
Jorge Diaz
Amy T. Dickinson
Mark & Julianne Dieterich
Eileen Dordek
Peter Draper
Lee Edwards
Daniel Goodwin
Gillian Growdon
Sandy & Jack Guthman
Daniel Hebreard
Douglas Hoerr
Robert & Saran Hutchins^
Patricia Jonikaitis
June Keibler
Susan D. Kinde
Joel Koplos
Howard Learner
Robin and Bill Levy Family Trust
Entner Malone
Raed Mansour & Salina Flores^
Rabbi Dr. Susan Marks
Lisa & Andy McDonough
Terry J. Medhurst
William & Anita Miller
Katherine Morsbach
Vince Mosca
Judith Musick
Brenda Nelms
Rommel Noguera & Michelle Bjelke
Andrew & Adina Ott
Daniella & Jonathan Pereira
Susan Piha
Jacquelyn Pope
Bernice Popelka
Elizabeth Pyott
Jeff & Karen Rode
Erin C. Rohan
Ron Rohde
Trisha Rooney
Piper & Jono Rothschild
Jasmin Sanchez
Henrietta Saunders
Mark & Kimberly Shadle
Tristan Shaw
Dale Shields
Bill & Dee Spence
Raymond Stainback
Keith Struve
Joseph C. Szabo
Julie & Dan Wheeler
Chris & Jodi Wine
Rosemary Winters
Lisa Woolford
Ed Zimkus
Green Legacy Society Members
Thank you to the individuals who have included Openlands in their estate plans, helping to protect nature across the Chicago region for generations to come.
If you are interested in joining our Green Legacy program and leaving a lasting impact, we welcome you to contact us at development@openlands.org.
Charlotte Adelman
Gerald W. Adelmann
Jill Allread Family
Gary & Susan Balling
George W. Blossom, III *
Leslie Borns &
John Hollister Purcell *
Henry T. Chandler Jr. *
Bill & Suzanne Clarkin
Cecil & Frances Cooper *
Vivian A. Croan *
Marjorie David *
Michael S. Davidson &
Christopher C. DeKuiper
Garrett & Terry Dee
Leslie S. Douglass
Pamela Feldman
Dean & Jenny Fischer
Carlyn E. Goettsch *
Maureen E. Gustafson
Sandy Guettler^
Terry & Tina Haight
Mark & Lori Harris
Brad Hunt
Leslie Jones
Barbara and Dennis Kessler
Joyce Martha Kieffer *
Joy Knobloch
Dr. Lloyd A. McCarthy *
Carrie McNally &
Rick Maechling
Dori Noah
Marion Parry
Eric K. Peterson, CFP®^
Kenneth Porrello &
Sherry L. McFall
Dr. George B. Rabb^
Steve & Kimberly Ricchio
J. Timothy Ritchie *
Charles * & Louise Saltzman
Mary Jo Savol^
Louis Shauer *
Gerda Schild *
JoAnn Seagren & Scott Lang
Patrick Shaw * &
Mary Sue Glosser
Georgiana Taylor *
Nicole Williams &
Dr. Lawrence Becker
TreeKeepers Volunteer Faculty
Thank you to the following industry experts who volunteer their time to teach the Openlands TreeKeepers course. TreeKeepers learn how to help keep trees green and growing, volunteering in a variety of situations, including street tree care, tree planting, and advocacy.
Fall 2024 Course Instructors and TK Leads, Columbus Park
Drew Hart
Suzanne Malec-McKenna
Alli Preble
Steve Lane
Sarah Helding
Tricia Bethke
Melissa Custic
Charissa Prezzano
Hank Saunders
Joe McCarthy
Rolando Favela
Jerome Scott
Beth Botts
Scott Carlini
Jeff Daube
Linda Gudex
Nancy Joseph
Don Morrison
Ed Zimkus
Cassandra Rushing
Clara Fourcade
Manu Gamez
Daniel Miraval
Pablo Rodriguez
Brianna White
Jeff Jenkins
Neil McIlvain
James Mikkelsen
Spring 2025 Course Instructors and TK Leads, Illinois Institute of Technology
Daniel Kuruna
Jean Linsner
Molly Scallon
Tricia Bethke
Anthony Bianchi
Michael Chamberlain
Michael Dugan
Tom Ebeling
Joe Gawle
Keith Green
Drew (Brent) Hart
Julia Hickey
Steph Lange
Phil Lange
Katie Maher-Lipinski
Neil McIlvain
Liam Nigro
Maddie Peacher
Risa Prezzano
Beth Botts
Vicki Capalbo
Melissa Custic
Matthew Ellenwood
Steve Lane
Alli Preble
Jerome Scott
Alma Olavarría Gallegos
Manu Gamez
Joel Zavala
Summer/Spanish 2025 Course Instructors and TK Leads, Latonis Progresando
Alma Olavarría Gallegos
Jade Aponte
Mike Bremer
Saoirse Cameron
Elizabeth Dominguez
Clara Fourcade
Leslie Leon-Aguilar
Daniel Miraval
Tony Rodriguez
Gerardo Trujillo
Brianna White
Nate Whelden
Manu Gamez
Joel Zavala
Birds in My Neighborhood Teacher Trainers
Thank you to the following nature-based experts who dedicated their time to support the professional development of educators in the Birds in My Neighborhood Program.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Ben Berrick
Rebecca Brokaw
Melissa Siska
Maddy Turner
Environmental Education Association of Illinois
Brekke Bounds
María Dabrowski
Michelle Ramos
In-Kind Supporters
Nature’s Guardian Level
The Negaunee Foundation
Trail Blazer Level
Kimberly Duchossois
Tree Planter Level
Shaun & Andy Block
Bobolink Foundation
Martina Keller & Don McLellan
Margot & Thomas Pritzker Family Foundation
JoAnn Seagren & Scott Lang
Nancy Sutherland
Openlands 2025 Annual Luncheon Lead Sponsors
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations who donated products or services.
Ace Graphics
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Enova International
Field Notes
Natalie Mills Bontumasi,
Good Thomas Design
Vedder
WasteNot Compost
LaSalle Flowers
Martina Keller & Don McLellan
Possibility Place Nursery, Inc.
Prairie Moon Nursery
REI
Urban Canopy
Windy City
Carolina Dominguez Luna
Shane Alden
“
I would like to leave this land as a peaceful place for reflection, access, and happiness, and I entrust it to Openlands to protect for the future.
David Merz
Openlands is deeply grateful to the Merz family for their generous gift of nearly 18 acres in Hazel Crest, Illinois—now under permanent protection. On this cherished landscape, 12 children grew up surrounded by nature and created lasting memories filled with joy and connection.
Openlands Board of Directors
as of March 1, 2026
Executive Committee
Alan M. Bell
Board Chair
Daisy Feidt
Vice Chair
Glenn W. Reed
Treasurer
Garrett Handley Dee
Secretary
JoAnn M. Seagren
Immediate Past Chair
Matt Dobry
Patrick Hanley
Martina Keller
Carrie C. McNally
Curtis Stokes
Anne Tucker
Board Members
Lynn Buhl
Bill Clarkin
Jonathan Copulsky
George W. Davis
Joe Ferguson
Jean M. Franczyk
Deanna Graham
Julie Jahn
Kerl LaJeune
Dan Lauderback
Raed Mansour
Laura Payne
James Rachlin
Matt Render
Alexa Rice
Carey S. Roberts
Douglas Voigt
Nicole S. Williams
Chris Wu
Honorary Directors
Shaun C. Block
Anthony T. Dean
Marshall Field V
Jonathan C. Hamill
Gerald W. Adelmann
President Emeritus
Openlands Staff
As of March 1, 2025
Laura Barghusen
Senior Conservation Research Specialist
Lorna Bates
Director of Human Resources
Kate Bolkin
Forestry Specialist
Chris Bourbois
Restoration Coordinator
Samantha Chavez
Director of Restoration
Michael S. Davidson
President & CEO
Janis DiGiovanna
Director of Administration
Michael Dugan
Vice President of Land Management
Tom Ebeling
Director of Forestry
Sara Egan
Director of Conservation Planning
Kim Elsenbroek
Land Preservation Specialist
Lupe Escárcega
Restoration Coordinator
Katie Fleming
Director of Conservation Workforce
Jessica Fong
Senior Policy Research & Engagement Specialist
Mary Fortmann
Landscape Ecologist
Stacey Huynh
Executive Administrator
Monica Jirak
Director of Development
Chris Kessler
Director of Policy
Claudia Latapí
Assistant Director of Communications
Leslie León-Aguilar
Forestry Program Coordinator
Maddie Liput Land Preservation Attorney
Ivy Lo
Accounting Manager
Kimberly Lucas
Administrative and Finance Coordinator
Laura Mueller
Assistant Director of Development
Ochuko Nana
Staff Accountant
Alma Olavarría Gallegos
Policy Specialist
Carlos Ortega
Forestry Specialist
Daniella Pereira
Chief Operating Officer
Emily Reusswig
Vice President of Policy & Land Conservation
Molly Roche
Forestry Specialist
Tonatiú Rodríguez
Forestry Specialist
Matt Ruhter
Senior Counsel & Director of Land Preservation
Danielle Russell
Conservation Planning Specialist
Craig Shillinglaw
Geographic Information System (GIS) Analyst
Huan Song
Vice President of External Affairs
Paul Spector
Director of Finance
Rebecca Tobar
Institutional Grants Specialist
Gerardo Trujillo
Landscaping Specialist
Jocelyn Vidal
Conservation Planning Coordinator
Openlands Arborist Registered Apprentices
Jonathan Davis
Tyler Futris
Beth Klacko
Robert Dunn
Xavier Conner
Oria Isilme
Openlands Leadership 1963 to Present
Openlands Board Chairs
Alan M. Bell (2024-present)
JoAnn Seagren (2020–2024)
Carrie C. McNally (2016–2020)
Rich Carlson (2014–2016)
Jill Allread (2008–2013)
Nancy Sutherland (2004–2008)
Susan S. Bell (2003–2004)
Anthony T. Dean (1999–2003)
Stephen W. Baird (1996–1999)
Thomas Flavin (1994–1996)
Shaun C. Block (1990–1994)
Frederick N. Bates (1989–1990)
H. James Fox (1984–1989)
Arthur W. Berry (1981–1984)
George W. Overton (1978–1981)
Richard L. Ettlinger (1977–1978)
George E. Bullwinkel (1975–1977)
Farwell Smith (1972–1975)
Jeffrey R. Short (1963–1972)
Openlands Presidents & CEOs
Michael S. Davidson (2023–present)
Gerald W. Adelmann (1988–2023)
Peter Coolsen (1986–1987)
Judith M. Stockdale (1978–1986)
April L. Young (1975–1977)
Richard L. Ettlinger (1975)
Larry Christmas (1975)
Gunnar A. Peterson (1963–1975)
CorLands Presidents (1978–2010)
George W. Overton
George Covington
George E. Bullwinkel
H. James Fox
Kenneth V. Fiske
Stephen W. Baird
Richard J. Carlson
CorLands Executive Directors
Judith M. Stockdale (1978–1983)
Thomas Hahn (1984–1999)
Nancy Kaszak (2000–2003)
Robert Megquier (2004–2010)
In 1978, the Corporation for Open Lands (CorLands) was formed as an affiliate of Openlands to provide technical assistance to local governments and private groups for land acquisition and preservation. CorLands merged with Openlands in 2010.
The Office of Development makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Please contact us at development@openlands.org if your name was omitted or if there was an error in your listing. Thank you.
“
Openlands staff have made this organization one of Chicago’s nonprofit north stars. You keep the city and suburbs moving forward on the eminently worthy goal of enhancing and preserving open spaces that bring us closer to nature and to each other.
Blair Kamin
Openlands 2025 Annual Luncheon
Openlands celebrated its 2025 Annual Luncheon on October 17, 2025.
Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic and former Chicago Tribune columnist Blair Kamin received the Gerald W. Adelmann Conservation Leadership Award, recognizing his enduring impact on advancing conservation, equity, and public access to nature.
Attendees also heard from visionary architect Carol Ross Barney, whose keynote reimagined Chicago as a “green, resilient sponge city” designed to work with nature rather than against it.
The event brought together more than 700 civic leaders, friends, conservationists, corporate partners and passionate community advocates.
The event marked the debut of Openlands’ strategic plan, setting a roadmap for the next generation of conservation leadership in the region.
Together, the event served as both a celebration and a call to action to act boldly to protect land and invest in conservation at the scale this moment demands.
SAVE THE DATE
Openlands 2026 Annual Luncheon
Honoring Jean M. Franczyk with the Gerald W. Adelmann Conservation Leadership Award
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Laura Mueller at lmueller@openlands.org.
