Center for Humans and Nature

Gerald W. Adelmann received his B.A. from Georgetown University and his M. Phil. from George Washington University. He joined Openlands in 1980 to coordinate a special program that led to the creation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, the first federal land designation of its kind. Today, there are over forty federally designated heritage areas across the United States. In 1988, Mr. Adelmann was appointed Executive Director of Openlands. Under his guidance, Openlands launched the 21st Century Open Space Plan, which called for expanded parklands, greenways, and trails in northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region. His leadership in creating the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie; in preserving the rare and scenic ravines at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, for public enjoyment; and many other conservation and preservation accomplishments has earned him numerous honors and conservation awards. Mr. Adelmann is Chairman of the Center for Humans and Nature and an emeritus member of the National Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He also chairs the Nature and Wildlife subcommittee of Mayor Daley’s Landscape Committee, where he played an integral role in the initiation and recent completion of the Chicago Nature and Wildlife Plan, and is a member of several other boards and commissions. Mr. Adelmann has been involved in conservation and historic preservation projects in China since the early 1990s. He lectures extensively throughout the United States and abroad. He has received an honorary doctorate from Lewis University and is an honorary member of the American Association of Landscape Architects.