School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Fall 2019 Colloquium Series Wednesday, October 2, 2019 12:15 PM -1:30 PM Science Building D-135 Natalie Bump Vena, J.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Urban Studies, Queens College Grassroots Governance: Volunteer Stewardship and Ecological Restoration in the Cook County Forest Preserves, IL The Forest Preserve District of Cook County began acquiring land in 1916 and today owns and manages 69,000 noncontiguous acres in the county that encompasses Chicago. This paper analyzes how a corps of volunteer stewards transformed the district's prevailing land management policy from forestation to ecological restoration, by cultivating scientific expertise and leveraging their political power as constituents in the late twentieth century[cid:image001.png@01D5754D.7EDFDEB0] [cid:image002.png@01D5754D.7EDFDEB0] Arooj Malik Queens College 65-30 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, NY 11367 College Assistant Urban Studies (718)997-5130