Join Us in Defense of Biodiversity: The 2026 Chicago-Calumet River Summit

Join international and local experts on January 30 for Friends of the Chicago River’s premiere policy event, the Chicago-Calumet River Summit. This year’s theme, In Defense of Biodiversity, brings together voices from across the region and beyond to explore the systems change needed to shape ecosystems of today and tomorrow. We invite you to connect with peers, learn from leading experts, and help strengthen the collective work that makes our region’s waterways more resilient and equitable. Get tickets here.

This year’s Summit highlights the layered processes -- from systems, to culture, to connectivity and resilience -- that are all needed to defend biodiversity in a time of profound ecological change. We are at a pivotal moment: climate pressures, habitat fragmentation, and weakened federal protections are converging just as local and regional partners are mobilizing with new tools, research, and community-driven strategies. The Summit is designed to reflect this crossroads, as these sessions offer a collective vision for how our region can protect biodiversity and the people who depend on it.

Below is the full list of presenters featured throughout the day.

  •  Juan Carlos Bravo, Associate Director, Transnational Initiatives, The Wildlands Network
  • Austin Happel, Research Biologist, Shedd Aquarium
  • Sunny Nelson, Vice President, Conservation & Science, Lincoln Park Zoo
  • Catherine O’Reilly, Conservation Program Coordinator, Energy Resources Center, University of Illinois Chicago
  • Dexter Patterson, Faculty at University of Wisconsin-Madison & Co-Founder of BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin
  • Jen Walling, Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council
  • Phil Willink, Co-author of Fishes of the Chicago Region & Academic Researcher, Illinois Natural History Survey

New This Year!

VIP Brunch (9:30–10:30 a.m.)

A limited-number ticketed brunch experience featuring exclusive remarks and networking with:

  • Adam Bianchi, General Superintendent, Forest Preserves of Cook County
  • Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River
  • John Murray, Interim Executive Director, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
  • Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Superintendent & CEO, Chicago Park District
  •  Moderator: Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Environment Reporter, Grist and WBEZ Chicago

Chicago River Blue Awards Cocktail Hour (4:30–6 p.m.)

A celebratory close to the day featuring the Chicago River Blue Awards, honoring people, projects, and partnerships advancing innovative, river-friendly leadership throughout the watershed. Friends will present the Blue Ribbon Award to recognize outstanding regional impact.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this event. Support Friends’ mission and the Summit’s goals, gain high-profile visibility, and be part of shaping the future of our region’s rivers. To learn more, contact Annie Hanrahan at ahanrahan@chicagoriver.org or (312) 939-0490 ext. 19.

Tickets and sponsorships are limited, buy yours today.