Guest Speaker: Spencer Cortwright

Link to Lecture on YouTube

In his presentation, The Gem of Chicago Wilderness: Ecology and Restoration of the Greatest Ecological Area in the U. S., Dr. Spencer Cortwright introduced us to what, for many, may be an under-appreciated treasure, our Chicago Wilderness. A look at the numbers reveals that the Chicago Wilderness is the greatest ecological area in the U. S. Dr. Cortwright will describe major geological, climatological, and other environmental factors that produced this local ecological gem. Examples of the region’s spectacular ecological habitats, such as dune and swale, oak savanna, prairie, forest, and fens, will be presented. The importance of restoration activities for preserving the Chicago Wilderness will be discussed. Join us for this illustrated, informative presentation by Dr. Spencer Cortwright, a scholar and practitioner of ecological preservation in the Chicago area.

Spencer Cortwright was born and raised in Riverside, Illinois. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington University in St. Louis. After a year employed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Spencer earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Indiana University in Bloomington. This was followed by
teaching and research in his post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has been a professor of biology at Indiana University Northwest where he has taught and performed research since fall of 1992. Spencer has worked in restoration ecology for nearly 20 years.