The event: Nearly 250 wildlife enthusiasts attended the Chicago Zoological Society’s 2015 Conservation Leadership Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago on Sept. 30.
Chicago philanthropic stalwarts Susan Regenstein and the Regenstein Foundation—names that have touched everything from the Chicago Botanic Garden to the Brookfield Zoo—were honored with the Corwith Hamill Lifetime Achievement Conservation Award.
The Edith Rockefeller McCormick Partnership Award went to the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and the George B. Rabb Conservation Medal to International Crane Foundation Co-founder George Archibald.
Cause célebre: “These honorees have a forceful impact on conservation efforts locally and around the globe, and we owe them a deep debt of gratitude…for protecting and preserving wildlife and nature,” said John Grube, chairman of the Chicago Zoological Society’s board of trustees.
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Despite his quip that, without people, there would be no need for conservation, Society President and CEO Stuart Strahl emphasized his belief that everyone can be a conservation leader.
“All of us here believe in conservation, caring for wildlife and nature, and we believe in engaging people and getting other people to do the same,” he said.
The 1914 establishment of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, some of which Brookfield Zoo inhabits today, enabled people to explore and treasure local forests, lakes, rivers, prairies and wildlife. For this, it received the Edith Rockefeller McCormick Partnership Award. Accepting the award on its behalf was Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Introduced by Arnold Randall, general superintendent of the forest preserves, Preckwinkle renewed her commitment to continued cooperation between the forest preserves and Chicago Zoological Society.
Bottom line: The event raised $425,000 for the Chicago Zoological Society’s conservation and education programs.