Kristen Smith presents at Greener Grove Meeting 9-23-25, Lincoln Center in Downers Grove
Walking around during the day, we see wildlife all around us: squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and maybe even deer. Walking in the quiet of early morning or late night - or sleeping with the windows open - we hear the amplified sounds of nocturnal animals going about their “day” against the quiet.
In her presentation at Greener Grove’s September meeting, environmental educator Kristin Smith discussed the types of local wildlife that live here in the suburbs, resources to tap into when you have questions or need assistance, and how to make yards more wildlife friendly. Drawing on her experiences working at Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lyman Woods, the Field Museum, etc., as well as her current role as an animal control officer in Morton Grove, she offered many insights - and stories - to living with wildlife.
Local Wildlife
Kristin highlighted common wildlife in our area - including opossums, raccoons, skunks, white-tailed deer, coyotes, rabbits and bats - and shared some interesting facts about each one, as well as the roles they play in our local ecosystem. For example, Illinois is home to four types of squirrels: red, gray, fox and southern flying squirrel. And, there are 13 species of bats in Illinois. Some of these populations help with seed disbursement (e.g., squirrels and raccoons), others help control insect and small mammal populations (e.g., opossums). Populations vary season to season based and year to year.
An Animal is Here - Resources to Tap Into
While most keep to themselves and go about what they do, there are times when they need help - or their human neighbors have questions.
If you observe an animal that is unwell in your yard/neighborhood or have other concerns about wildlife, you can reach out to DuPage County Animal Services or the Downers Grove Police Department (Community Services Officers typically address these types of inquiries). A resource that focuses on rehabilitation of wildlife is the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife employs biologists who can also answer wildlife questions. Biologists are assigned by district - Dupage is covered by Nicky Strahl.
Local ordinances as well as state and Federal laws also come into play when interacting with wildlife. For example, the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918 is a Federal law that protects bird populations. Click on the link to learn more, including which birds are protected and what is allowed/not allowed. Each community has ordinances regarding feeding and trapping wildlife. Look up local Downers Grove ordinances here.
Wildlife and Your Yard
At Greener Grove, we’ve talked a lot about cultivating an environmentally friendly yard. Some additional resources Kristin mentioned include:
Illinois Pollinators - https://illinoispollinators.org/
U.S. Fish & Wildlife - especially their instructions for building a bat box - https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-10/how-build-bat-box
National Wildlife Federation - https://www.nwf.org/
Take Action
Co-existing with local wildlife helps build healthy ecosystems and preserves the natural environment here in Downers Grove…
Check out the resources linked above to protect wildlife in the area.
Attend our next meeting on Tuesday, October 28, at 7PM at the Lincoln Center. The topic is “Have a Waste-Less Holiday”.
Join us for our next Greener Grove Meeting, October 28, 2025
