Walder Foundation

08/24/2026

Since receiving a 2022 Biota Award, Becky Barak's research on rethinking lawns has helped attract more than $2 million in additional funding, and she and her colleagues have engaged and mentored many emerging conservation leaders in the region.

One of those emerging conservation leaders is Libby Shafer, a Ph.D. candidate in plant biology and conservation at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden (through the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science & Action) whose Bees on the Block project (Host Plant Network) builds off Barak's Biota project. Shafer is bringing Evanston neighbors together to create pollinator habitat and support urban biodiversity.

📰 Read more about Libby's efforts in this recent Evanston Roundtable article: https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/08/09/bees-on-the-block-native-plant-pollinator-project/

🌿 Learn more about Barak's Biota project and the Biota Awards community: biotaawards.org

Evanston neighbors are getting together this summer to begin transforming their front yards into pollinator pathways. It’s all part of Bees on the Block,

08/10/2026

Who are Dreamers today?

➡️ Professionals
➡️ Entrepreneurs
➡️ Community leaders
➡️ College students

Data from thedream.us highlights the impact Dreamers are making across Chicago and Illinois at large, shaping the future of our region.

🔗 Learn about the report and the work of thedream.us: walderfoundation.org/news/when-dreamers-rise-our-cities-rise

🤩 Receive stories like this in your inbox: walderfoundation.org/stay-connected

08/07/2026

Where does scientific progress really begin?

How can we maximize scientific talent and perspective?

🔗Explore possible answers to these questions and more, with insights from students and leaders of Elmhurst University, North Central College, and Chicago State University State University: walderfoundation.org/news/science-doesnt-wait-for-graduation

🤩 Receive stories like this in your inbox: walderfoundation.org/stay-connected

08/04/2026

🔦 Shining a light on the 2026 Biota Awardees 🔦

Next up: Lexi Frank of Field Museum!

❓What can bats and Indigenous knowledge teach us about protecting both ecosystems and human health?

🎥 Watch for five fast facts about Lexi.

Learn more: biotaawards.org

07/31/2026

A recently published study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests there may be 14–20 million insect species worldwide, with only a fraction currently described by science.🐜

The estimate is based on an unprecedented dataset of more than 1.6 million DNA-barcoded insect specimens collected through biodiversity research in Costa Rica. Walder Foundation was honored to support the Costa Rica DNA barcoding efforts that helped make this discovery possible.

There is still so much to discover about life on Earth. As scientists work to understand and protect biodiversity, knowing what exists is the first step.

Congratulations to the research team and their collaborators on this remarkable achievement.

About 1 million insect species have been described, but a new analysis suggests tens of millions more may be out there

07/24/2026

From idea → to impact

Nucleate Chicago is helping:

🔬 Launch new companies

💡 Translate research into action

📍 Grow the Midwest life sciences ecosystem

Learn more about them. ⏩⏩⏩

🔗 Read the full feature: walderfoundation.org/news/just-a-moment-away-how-nucleate-chicago-is-supporting-life-science-innovation-and-expansion-in-the-midwest

🤩 Receive stories like this in your inbox: walderfoundation.org/stay-connected

07/21/2026

🔦 Shining a light on the 2026 Biota Awardees 🔦

Now featuring: Nora Gavin-Smyth of Chicago Botanic Garden!

❓ How do you study — and protect — plant species that are disappearing faster than we can document them?

🎥 Watch for five fast facts about Nora.

Learn more: biotaawards.org

07/19/2026

The impact of Chicago artists extends far beyond the stage.

One example ➡️ 2024 Platform Award recipient Sandra Delgado, a Colombian-Chicagoan theater artist, is leading COLLABORACTION's "You Belong Here" series this July. The series helps independent artists access the space, resources, and support they need to share their work with the community. Sandra's leadership is strengthening and elevating Chicago's cultural and civic fabric.

🔗 Learn more about Sandra's performance during Collaboraction's series and the series at large: collaboraction.org/event-details/the-sandra-delgado-experience-2026-07-24-19-30-1

More information about our Platform Awardees may be found at platformawards.org.

Image courtesy of Collaboraction.

07/17/2026

📰 Recent Chicago Tribune coverage offers a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative efforts underway to monitor and conserve Illinois turtle populations.

The story highlights the importance of wildlife health surveillance and, as appropriate, disease mitigation — a focus that is central to the work of 2023 Biota Awardee Laura Adamovicz, Ph.D., who is featured in the article.

Importantly, Adamovicz works collaboratively with early and established researchers and community partners to move research data into conservation practices.

🔗 Learn more about Laura's work and the Biota Awards program: biotaawards.org

Loss of wetlands, changes in habitat hydrology from dams and agricultural tile drainage, viruses, and poaching put turtle population at risk.