Sponsors include the Illinois Chapters of the Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Society, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Society of American Foresters, and the Environmental Education Association. The agenda includes featured speakers, a plenary session, invited papers related to urban sprawl, exotic species, and forest-riparian issues, and oral and poster presentations, as well as the annual or spring meetings for each of the sponsoring associations. The event is being sponsored by private donations and a small subscription fee. The presenters are part of a program for the general public, called the Allerton Friends Presentation, in which they will discuss issues and research on topics such as deer populations, tracking techniques, turkey populations, identifying flora, and the biodiversity of the park. Among the presenters from the Wildlife Society are Dwayne Etter, Karmen Hollis, Patrick Hubert, Brian Piccolo and Chad Stewart .
Faculty are also on the list to present.
Plans are in place for over 30 different theme gardens and more than 90 how-to lectures. In addition, knowledgeable staff at over 200 product and educational booths, representing organizations such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum, Chicago Park District's Department of Conservatories, and the John G. Shedd Aquarium, will assist with your questions. They are also authors of a new book, The Butterflies of Illinois , published by the Natural History Survey and available in early 2001. The course fee has yet to be determined and the enrollment limit is 25.