Saturday Morning Special: Wanted DEAD !! Invasive Species

Description: Unraveling the confusion and misinformation around invasive species. We’re not talking about attic raccoons or even bindweed. We’re talking about the number one cause of species extinctions in the world: Providing a clear definition, a breakdown of their egregious impact, as well as the ecological knowledge to determine if something is invasive and how to remove it! Presented in a unique and entertaining part-live/part-video format, this lesson will include an ecological analysis of what invasive species are in context, as well as a lineup of the most common and aggressive invasive species in our area and what you can do about them, both at home and beyond.

Speaker Bio:

Wyatt Widmer (Wyatt E. Coyote) is a restoration ecologist specializing in intersectional land management, a practice that treats ecological care as a form of community stewardship. Since 2022, he has operated Wyatt E Coyote LLC, an ecological restoration business, alongside partner Grace Oommen. Widmer’s volunteer experience includes serving as a steward for the Forest Preserves of Cook County—attaining the position as the youngest site steward in the Forest Preserves in 2021. He also holds the vice presidency of the Save the Prairie Society, where he helps manage the Wolf Road Prairie State Nature Preserve. His roles in local government and community organizing include serving as a commissioner on the Village of Brookfield Conservation Commission and co-chairing the Brookfield Native Plants Club. Since 2019, he has also produced educational environmental content on social media and conducted various tours, speeches, and presentations throughout the Chicagoland area.