FREEPORT — The Northwest Illinois Audubon Society’s will be holding its monthly program at 7 p.m. Jan. 5, and will be presented by Zoom. It will feature writer/scientist/ecologist Aldo Leopold and his prairie preservation and ecological restorations. Charles Johannsen will talk about his 2005 video “Aldo Leopold at Faville Grove,” the first piece of virgin prairie saved as public land.  

Leopold called Faville Grove “...one of the largest and best remnants of unplowed, ungrazed prairie sod left in the State.” The story focuses on Leopold’s graduate students and local farmers who appreciated the wild orchids growing on the prairie. Personal narratives are provided by Aldo Leopold’s children, some of his graduate students, and the Faville/Tillotson family of Lake Mills. The video traces the history of this prairie remnant since it was saved from the plow — the slow learning curve of prairie maintenance, difficulties with neighboring farmers and, finally, the purchase of adjoining land for ecological restoration. An epilogue (2010) recounts the damage caused by the floods of 2008, as the climate and watershed changed.

The program is open to the public. Individuals who want to participate should email nwilaudubon@gmail.com to receive the link/password to join this Zoom program.

The meeting begins with chapter announcements followed by the program with time for questions and discussions at the end. For more information, visit the Northwest Illinois Audubon Society website at nwilaudubon.org.