Walder Foundation Announces First Biota Awards to Researchers Tackling Biodiversity
Walder’s Biota Awards invests $1.5 million in research projects to protect biodiversity locally and globally
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. Researchers in Chicago are uniquely positioned to understand how humans and nature can coexist – as such, the Biota Awards funds early-career researchers to pursue projects that will have a tangible impact on our ecosystems.
“We’re thrilled to announce the first Biota Award recipients. These incredible researchers are making remarkable strides to understand and protect biodiversity,” said Elizabeth Walder, president and executive director of Walder Foundation. “As a global community, we are in the midst of extremely high plant and animal extinction rates, and all five recipients have made it their mission to secure a thriving, biodiverse future for everyone.”
Chicago is a densely populated city, surrounded by diverse and rare ecosystems, including remnant prairie, wetlands, and one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world. While threats to biodiversity in the region are vast, potential solutions exist and are critical to our people as well as these places. Restoring and protecting biodiversity can make food systems more productive, make cities more livable, and help mitigate climate change while making communities more resilient.
“The Biota Awards are an important part of the Foundation’s commitment to the Chicago region,” said Jack Westwood, program director for environmental sustainability. “Through these awards, we are providing support for outstanding Chicago-based scientists at a pivotal stage in their careers. They are all committed to harnessing their research to protect biodiversity so that people and nature can thrive here in Chicago and in some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems.”
Each Biota Award recipient institution will receive $300,000 over the course of three years to develop and deliver on-the-ground solutions to biodiversity challenges:
Rebecca Barak, Ph.D., Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University
The Grass can be Greener: Exploring Lawn Alternatives for Biodiversity Support, Climate Change Resilience, and Infrastructure Improvements
Noé U. de la Sancha, Ph.D., Chicago State University
Impacts of Rapid Habitat Change: Mammalian Diversity and Its Response to Deforestation in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot
Adam W. Ferguson, Ph.D., Field Museum of Natural History
Small Mammal and Pathogen Diversity in South Side Parks in Chicago: Implications for Human Health and Well-being
Meghan Midgley, Ph.D., The Morton Arboretum
The Consequences of Burn Pile Scars for Oak Ecosystem Biodiversity
Sara Ruane, Ph.D., Field Museum of Natural History
Understanding Chicagoland’s Changing Conservation Landscape: Resurveys for Reptiles and Amphibians of Will County, Illinois
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