One important link to this broader community is through the organization known as Chicago Wilderness (http://www.chicagowilderness.org) The Chicago Wilderness coalition consists of public and private groups and institutions dedicated to study, protect and maintain the rich biological diversity of the Chicago region. Northwestern University is a member of the coalition. While the title to the organization may seem like an oxymoron, the basic premise is that the Chicago region has a richer ecosystem than almost any area in the American Midwest.

Two of the larger and richer components of this Chicago Wilderness are the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/) and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (http://www.nps.gov/indu/). The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is the former Joliet Arsenal land, being restored to native habitat. While the U.S. Forest Service manages the Prairie, the success of this undertaking is dependent on volunteered efforts of many groups, including Northwestern students. The area encompassed by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is where the science of ecology had important beginnings. Northwestern students have opportunities with the national park itself, and also with the US Geological Survey ecology research group located at the Dunes.

The Lake Michigan Federation (http://www.lakemichigan.org/) and the Open Lands Project (http://www.openlands.org/) are advocacy organizations, which are directly or indirectly responsible for successes in preserving important parts of the Chicago wilderness. These citizen organizations are pioneering environmental groups.

The Chicago Audubon Society plays a very important role in environmental protection. Many Northwestern students have been involved in the North Branch prairie restoration efforts led by Chicago Audubon (http://www.chicagoaudubon.org/).

Argonne National Laboratory (http://www.anl.gov) is a great research center. It is one of the premier DOE national laboratories. While it is primarily known for energy research, Argonne is also a center for critical environmental research.

The Field Museum (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/) is a major research institution, in addition to being a repository for natural history and culture. It is involved in research and restoration efforts around the globe, from New Guinea to lowland Peru. There are many existing connections between Northwestern and the Field Museum, with the potential for more.

Brookfield Zoo (http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/) is a research zoo which plays a major role in global efforts for species survival and wildlife recovery, as well as having excellent programs of environmental education.

Our nearby neighbor, the Chicago Botanic Gardens (http://www.chicago-botanic.org/) is also a research institution with a global reach. With the new Chicago Botanic Garden-Northwestern University joint degree program in Plant Biology and Conservation, there are going to be increased opportunities for Northwestern students with the Botanic Gardens.

Even closer to home, the US Forest Service has a research station located on campus, in the Industrial Park. The North Central Research Station (http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/4902/) is a social science research group primarily devoted to research on natural environments for urban populations.

Also close to home, the recently reconstructed Evanston Ecology Center (http://www.laddarboretum.org/whoweare.htm), along the canal, concentrates many environmental efforts within Evanston. This center has excellent environmental education programs.

In this brief review it is important to recognize SEED (http://groups.northwestern.edu/seed/) , the Northwestern student environmental organization. SEED's history goes back to before the first Earth Day. In fact the basic kick-off for the first Earth Day was a major event held on our campus, sponsored and organized by SEED. The students from SEED are also responsible for advocating for the creation of the Environmental Policy and Culture Program.

A major part of the development of the EPC program is to nurture and support learning opportunities in conjunction with these type of organizations, thereby extending the Northwestern campus.