For Leaders in
Biodiversity Science

Walder Foundation has opened the 2026 Biota Awards, a program to fund early-career researchers based in Illinois who seek to restore, protect, and conserve biodiversity locally and around the world.

Block Club Chicago features Sara Ruane, Ph.D., in an article about Field Museum’s new exhibit, “Reptiles Alive!”.

Trinity Conn’s project to focus on leveraging genomics to restore climate-resilient reefs.

Six postdoctoral scientists will advance research to protect and increase biodiversity in Chicago and beyond.

The EPA estimates that lawn irrigation accounts for one third of all residential water use in the U.S. Learn more about alternative lawn care options from 2022 Biota Awardee Rebecca (Becky) Barak.

The author was delighted when the wood-chomping rodents surfaced at the harbor. Then one turned up dead.

Fox pup season on Prince Edward Island can be an exciting time to observe the young animals, but it's important not to get too close while doing so, a wildlife expert says.

Discover how learning more about how bats harbor viruses and infections without becoming ill could help keep humans healthy, too.

The latest tactic in Chicago’s ongoing war against rats is to attack the problem at the source — with birth control instead of poison.

The Great Lakes region plays a vital role in bird migration, lying at the intersection of two migratory flyways, with around 350 species passing through each spring like songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, marsh birds and shorebirds.

2024 Biota Awardee Benjamin Van Doren’s research on migratory birds has been featured in the Chicago Park District’s annual report.

Communication is key to survival in the animal kingdom. From alarm calls to mating signals, animals rely on vocalizations and body language to interact with one another. But can they learn and interpret the communication of entirely different species?

While Groundhog Day remains a fun tradition, meteorologists rely on data and computer models for more accurate forecasts. This year, the National Weather Service said it’s a toss-up whether Illinois will see an early spring.

“There’s just a lot we don’t know, and this is sort of the first step in getting a better grasp on what this biodiversity really means,” said Sara Ruane, associate curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Field Museum.

New research shows songbird migration may be driven by more than innate patterns and memory. Recorded flight calls reveal probable social associations between species making the nighttime trek.

Rats normally make an excellent meal for owls, hawks, eagles and other birds of prey. But too often in cities like Chicago, the rodents are laced with poisons known as anticoagulant rodenticides.

Loyola University Chicago shares more about faculty member Yoel E. Stuart’s receipt of a Biota Award in 2023.

Evanston Roundtable features Liza Lehrer and Lincoln Park Zoo’s bat monitoring project.

Van Doren Lab of Migration Biology has received a $300,000 grant from the Walder Foundation in support of research on bird migration through Chicago.

DePaul University shares on how Noé de la Sancha takes a global view on the lives of tiny creatures.

University of Illinois Chicago’s Gabriela Nuñez-Mir receives award to fund invasive plant research.

CHICAGO, IL – May 7, 2024–Today, the Walder Foundation announced five 2024 Biota Award recipients. Now in its third year, the Biota Awards continue to advance early-career researchers who are working to understand, protect, and restore the unique and diverse ecosystems in Chicago and around the world.

SKOKIE, IL - Today, the Walder Foundation announced the five 2023 Biota Award recipients whose research aims to understand, protect, and restore biodiversity in Chicago and around the world.

SKOKIE, Ill. (March 30, 2022) – Walder Foundation announced today the five Biota Award recipients whose research aims to restore, protect and conserve biodiversity in the Chicago region and around the world.

Philanthropy News Digest covers the Walder Foundation’s announcement of its 2024 Biota Awardees, recognizing pioneering biodiversity research.

A WTTW article investigates Chicago researchers' push for native plant-based lawn alternatives to replace environmentally taxing turf grass.

WBEZ Chicago’s Sasha-Ann Simons hosts an interview with Sara Ruane, assistant curator of herpetology at the Field Museum, Meghan Midgley, soil ecologist at The Morton Arboretum, and Jack Westwood, program director of the Biota Awards.

Lincoln Park Zoo’s Chicago Garden Wildlife Project helps to enhance the advantages of gardens through data-based information using several strategies.