Speaker Series: "What is a Wetland?"
Register
Date and Time:
Sun, Sep 13, 2026; 7:00 PM
(Central)
Add to Calendar
09/13/2026 7:00 PM
America/Chicago
Speaker Series: "What is a Wetland?"
How does a wetland in Lake County end up on a legislator's radar? Sergio Vargas, Policy Manager for Chicagoland Conservation at the Illinois Environmental Council, will walk through how environmental policy actually moves in Illinois and where wetlands fit in that picture. IEC represents more than 130 member organizations statewide, and Sergio's work centers on connecting decision-makers directly to the land through site visits across Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage, and Kane counties. He will share stories from those visits, talk about what makes a coalition effective, and open it up for questions about how local groups and individual residents can be part of the work.
Webinar URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86902082873?pwd=L9nXYraxV77pTWjL1qdPOn3nlSnU4D.1
Linda Tilton
lt@thetiltons.net
MM/DD/yyyy
amOUuwqNAzpGSXwtHmnd12740
Organized By: Woods and Wetlands Group
Location: Virtual
Event Organizers:
Linda Tilton
lt@thetiltons.net
8473674533
Douglas Ower
doug.ower@gmail.com
8478728328
The Sunday Speaker Series is delighted to present Sergio Vargas, of the Illinois Environmental Council, to speak about his work. The IEC strives to safeguard Illinois-its people, plants, animals and our natural systems by building power for people and the environment. This year the council worked to successfully pass the Wetlands Protection Act out of committee and continues to push the bill forward.
Have you ever heard of marshes, estuaries, mangroves, mudflats, mires, ponds, fens, swamps, deltas, billabongs, bogs, lakes, or floodplains? According to NOAA, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,) these are all considered wetlands. Wetlands can be found along oceans or rivers and can be wet all or part of the year.
A ditch along a road may not be considered an authentic wetland. True wetlands are present where water covers the soil part of or all the year and are critical to ecosystems.
Wetlands provide important services to our environment. They serve as habitats for countless plant and animal species, both local and in migration. It has long been understood that these soggy sites help to filter nutrients, sediments and pollutants which improve water quality.
Wetlands reduce soil erosion and have been credited with improving climate change harm. During periods of excessive rain, wetlands absorb and slow floodwaters, which helps to alleviate property damage and may even save lives.
Join us on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT, to hear Sergio Vargas, of the Illinois Environmental Council speak about his work. The IEC strives to safeguard Illinois-its people, plants, animals and our natural systems by building power for people and the environment. This year the council worked to successfully pass the Wetlands Protection Act out of committee and continues to push the bill.
