The Wetlands Initiative’s 30th Anniversary Gala
Join Us to Celebrate Three Decades of Impact!
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Morgan Arts Complex
3622 South Morgan Street
Chicago, Illinois 60609
6:00 - 7:00 pm Cocktail Reception
7:00 - 9:00 pm Dinner and Program
Event Co-Chairs
Judith Stockdale and Christopher Burke
Featured Speaker
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale! Reserve your spot to celebrate three decades of designing, restoring, and creating wetlands with TWI.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Individuals, organizations, and companies are invited to support TWI’s mission through an event sponsorship. All proceeds from the 30th Anniversary Gala support our work transforming wetland habitats to improve water quality, create habitat for plants and wildlife, and build more climate-resilient communities. View sponsorship opportunities for TWI’s 30th Anniversary Gala here. For questions on sponsorship opportunities, contact Abby Mattson at amattson@wetlands-initiative.org.
Program Details
Keynote guest Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will be joined in conversation by Karen Weigert, a nationally recognized leader in business, sustainability, and community impact. Together, these visionary leaders will explore how bold climate solutions, innovative restoration work, and community-driven strategies can shape the future of our wetlands and our world. Read more about each below.
The evening’s program will also feature a paddle raise supporting TWI’s mission to expand, create, and restore wetlands, with an opportunity to win special field outings led by VIP friends of TWI! Raise your paddle to win…
A morning of fishing with Dale Bowman, avid angler and longtime Outdoors columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, on the gorgeous Hennepin and Hopper Lakes at TWI’s Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge.
A day exploring flora and fauna at Illinois Beach State Park with Joel Greenberg, renowned Chicago birder, naturalist, and author of A Natural History of the Chicago Region and other books.
About Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. Ayana authored The New York Times bestseller What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, work that is carried on with her newsletter and podcast of the same name. Previously, she co-edited the bestselling anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Ayana earned a BA in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave, and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all: Ayana is in love with climate solutions.
About Karen Weigert
Karen Weigert is the Director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago, where she heads the Baumhart Scholars MBA—a high impact program focused on social and environmental impact. Previously, she was the first Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago and served as Executive Vice President of Slipstream, a nonprofit advancing equitable climate solutions.
Karen is the sustainability contributor for WBEZ's In the Loop and has appeared in national and local media, including CBS This Morning, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Crain's. She is dedicated to building thriving communities within an inclusive economy on a healthy planet.
