Forests in Cities

Presented by: The Natural Areas Conservancy

“Forested natural areas” are distinct from other parts of the urban forest, like street and park trees, in terms of size, biodiversity, species composition, and how they’re managed.

These spaces look and feel like the woods, and support plant and animal communities from the soil underfoot to the leaves in the top of the forest canopy. Urban forested natural areas are complex ecosystems that face multiple and magnified stressors which are amplified in the urban context.

The Forests in Cities network (FiC) was launched in 2019 to promote and advance healthy forested natural areas in cities across America through science, management, partnerships, and communications. It is composed of teams of forest practitioners and advocates from 21 metro regions across the United States.

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Several people walking on a path near colorful trees in fall.

Event Information

This workshop is a time for network members and partners to connect, engage in peer-to-peer learning, and discover new advancements in the field of forested natural areas management.

This meeting offers:

A space for those interested in forested natural areas to connect, network, and share best practices for protecting and managing urban forested natural areas.
Presentations on new advancements in the field along with facilitated discussions.
A field trip to experience first-hand how our partners in the Chicago Region are restoring local forested natural areas.

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8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | Check-in and breakfast

Location: Salon 3, 3rd Floor, Palmer House Hotel

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Session 1 & 2 - Palmer House Hotel

Location: Salon 3, 3rd Floor, Palmer House Hotel

Session 1: Introduction and Networking This session will feature a brief introduction to forested natural areas and the Forests in Cities Network followed by structured networking. Come to hear updates about what the Forests in Cities Network is doing and brainstorm ways to make our work stronger.

Session 2: Forested Natural Area Care National Roundtable This roundtable discussion will feature examples of forested natural area care nationally. Participants will have the opportunity to share what is going on in their city and learn best practices from other cities.

12:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Field Tours

Big Marsh Park Once the site of a steel and other industry dumping ground, Big Marsh Park is now 300 acres of hemi-marsh wetland, prairie, scrubland, savanna, and unique slag habitats under active ecological restoration. The park is home to the Ford Calumet Environmental Center and hosts a bike park with features for all abilities. Big Marsh also hosts a number of research projects, from small mammal diversity, to the effects of brush pile burns on soil and community ecology, to exploring “slag barrens” as a novel ecosystem and habitat for protecting rare dolomite prairie species.

Jackson Park In 1890, Chicago was selected for the world’s fair with Frederick Law Olmsted as the designer and Daniel Burnham chief of construction at Jackson Park. The oak woodland at Jackson Park’s Wooded Island was intended as a respite from the hurly-burly of the great fair. A large-scale project beginning in 2015 created additional native habitat and enhanced existing areas within Jackson Park, including savanna, woodland, wetland, prairie, and dune habitats, in addition to amenity improvements such as trails and overlooks. Jackson Park natural areas are managed by the park district as well as multiple volunteer groups. Today, Jackson Park is one of the most popular birding locations in the city.