Plenary: Conservation and Restoration in Urban Ecosystems
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 9:00 am – 10:30 am CST (1.5 hours)
Watch the July 14, 2026 plenary recording here!
Description:
According to the United Nations, more than half of the world’s population resides in urban areas, and this figure is projected to rise to almost 70% by 2050. This plenary brings together researchers and practitioners to explore the challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration in urban areas. The session will examine critical issues such as conservation and biodiversity in urban environments, the impacts of the wildland–urban interface, and the fragmentation effects of road networks on ecosystems, habitats, and individual species. Speakers will also highlight strategies for restoration and conservation of large-scale urban forests, wetlands, and river ecosystems, for the benefit of both people and nature. Central to the discussion is the role of local communities in shaping decision-making processes, offering practical insights into more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban ecosystems.
Panelists:
Professor | Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Volker Radeloff, Margaret Murie Professor of Biodiversity Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, studies how rapid land use and climate change affect biodiversity and wild places around the globe. He analyzes satellite images to map species’ habitats and biodiversity hotspots, monitor conservation threats, and plan conservation actions. His international research has taken him to places like the Caucasus, Mongolia, Patagonia, Tanzania, Yakutia, and Yunnan. His research demonstrated how nature returned after the collapse of the Soviet Union triggered widespread agricultural abandonment, the effectiveness of protected areas, and the habitat use by many wildlife species of conservation concern. In the US, he collaborates with the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey to monitor the wildland urban interface and estimate its effects on wildfires and biodiversity.
Research Director, Urban Rivers
Daniel Smith
Assistant Research Scholar, University of Florida
Dr. Smith is an assistant research scholar and member of the graduate research faculty in the Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, School of Landscape Architecture and Planning and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Florida. He is former chair of the National Academies Transportation Research Board Standing Committee on Environmental Analysis and Ecology and a member of the USFWS Florida Panther Recovery Program’s Sub-team on Transportation Issues. He has 35 years’ experience in conservation ecology and environmental planning. His primary research focus is studying movement patterns and habitat use of terrestrial vertebrates and integrating conservation, transportation, and land-use planning.
Senior Ecologist and Professional Wetland Scientist, Heartland Ecological Group
Aaron is a Senior Ecologist and Professional Wetland Scientist with Heartland Ecological Group, Inc. As a consultant, he specializes in restoring and stewarding natural communities through assessment and inventory, design and planning, and field implementation. His work has spanned more than 10,000 acres across diverse natural communities and economic sectors, many in or near urban areas. He has delivered more than 50 industry presentations and technical workshops on lessons learned and best practices in restoration and stewardship. As a board member of two conservation non-profits, and co-founder of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Collaborative, he works with community volunteers and leaders to conserve and steward remnant natural communities in and around urbanized areas. His research interests include identifying and restoring oak ecosystems and the Midwestern Carex flora.
Senior Project Manager, Department of Cultural and Natural Resources, Chicago Park District
Lauren Umek is a Senior Project Manager in the Department of Cultural and Natural Resources with the Chicago Park District. There, she manages the design, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of natural area installation projects in Chicago’s public parks. She works to create urban wetlands, prairies, savannas, and woodlands in the City that maximize biodiversity and ecosystem services while considering budget, safety, maintenance, recreation, aesthetics, and historic preservation. Her recent projects integrate public access and recreation opportunities with habitat improvement along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, the conservation potential of post-industrial landscapes, and the use of short-stature species as a native alternative to un-used lawns. Dr. Umek’s work is framed through an expertise in invasive species, urban ecological restoration and plant-soil interactions.
Moderator:
Director, Lakeshore Nature Preserve, University of Wisconsin-Madison
As Director of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Brad Herrick oversees the research, teaching, and outreach mission of the 300-acre campus natural area. He works collaboratively with Preserve staff, the Preserve Committee, and Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to support the teaching and research mission of UW–Madison and promote the Wisconsin Idea. Brad has over 20 years of experience as a research ecologist. He was most recently the Ecologist and Research Program Manager at the UW-Arboretum where he led diverse teams of ecologists, land managers, data analysts, educators, and citizen scientists to advance the science of restoration ecology while communicating to broad audiences.
Herrick’s research interests include plant community ecology, invasion biology, and the effects of urbanization on ecosystem health. He is a founding member and co-director of the Healthy Soil Collaborative, a partnership of researchers and outreach specialists from the United States and Canada, conducting ecosystem-scale research on questions related to soil health, invasive species and sustainability.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Luther College and a master’s degree in ecosystems studies from UW–Green Bay. He is a PhD candidate in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison.
