by NIAS | Nov 26, 2024
The Return of the Grizzly
A hybrid program that wil be offered in person at the church or via Zoom.
Tuesday, Jan 7th at 7:00pm
St. John United Church of Christ, Freeport, IL
All members of Northwest Illinois Audubon Society (that we have emails for), will receive the zoom link the week before the program. If you are not a member, we want you to join us for this great program, you need to email, [email protected] to receive your zoom link. Zoom (from home) or come in-person to St John United Church of Christ (Presenter Dan Sullivan will be zooming from Montana). There will be a showing of the documentary produced by “Save the Yellowstone Grizzly” organization called, “The Return of the Grizzly.” (You are encouraged to watch their first produced video, “The Beast of Our Time,” found on YouTube.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cfuSIlEIyY&t=158s] After the showing there will be a follow-up zoom discussion with Executive Producer of the documentary, Dan Sullivan. Dan is one of the founding people of the “Save the Yellowstone Grizzly” organization formed in 2016, along with authors; Rick Bass, Terry Tempest Williams and Doug Peacock. Dan is a board advisor for Park County Environmental Council and has been a fierce advocate for wilderness all his life. He has spent decades exploring and protecting the backcountry in and around Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. He has called Livingston, Montana, home for more than 30 years.
The Return of the Grizzly
This powerful 37-minute documentary follows the path and challenges of the “explorer bear,” the pioneering young male grizzlies that come from small, isolated core populations. The grizzly bear needs to explore and pioneer new habitats to spread its gene pool, and its long journeys are increasingly driven–and hemmed in–by the ravages of climate change. “The effect of climate change is creating explorer bears. Safe passage and tolerance for grizzly bears are the best bet for connectivity between Glacier and Yellowstone,” said Doug Peacock, award- winning author, filmmaker, grizzly bear expert and founder of Save the Yellowstone
Grizzly. Safe wildlife corridors over/under busy highways are a win/win for public safety and grizzly survival. “Return of the Grizzly” proves that, through coexistence and tolerance, humans and grizzlies can “learn” to live together, as Native Americans have proven for thousands of years. The film is narrated by one of America’s most beloved actors and storytellers, Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, and is scored by legendary pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat. The executive producers are Doug Peacock and Dan Sullivan. “Return of the Grizzly” offers proven, long-term solutions for human/bear conflict, a vision for the grizzly’s secure future in its native habitat, and ways for YOU to get productively involved in the preservation of this unique American species, one whose independence, strength, and determination mirrors our own.
by NIAS | Nov 26, 2024
The Sloth Storytelling Hour – Monthly Program and Potluck
Tuesday, December 3rd with Potluck at 6:00 pm and program starting at 7:15 pm
St. John United Church of Christ, Freeport, IL
We will start the evening with a delicious potluck meal. Bring a dish to pass and your own table service. NIAS will provide beverages. After the meal, there will be some brief announcements with the program to follow at approximately 7:15.
You may heard of the “Moth Radio Hour” a program where people tell their stories. The Sloth Storytelling Hour is our version of that great storytelling program. We have filled a night with personal stories in nature, including one of an animal encounter, a gardening escapade, an adventure ordeal, and a perfect moment in nature from our membership. The lineup of storytellers for the evening, alphabetically are: Richard Benning,
“Arachnid Window Lair,” Mary Blackmore, “The Hot Mama and the Cool Bird,” Elizabeth Boettner, “My Spark Bird,” Suzanne Falconer, “Sleek Stranger in the Snow,” Don Miller, “Terror on the Eleven Point River,” Steve Simpson, “Things that go “whoosh” on a gravel bar, “Teresa Smith, “Ho, Ho, Ho,” and Kathy Weber, “The Glaring Golden Eye. “It will be a fun night, and thank you storytellers for sharing your stories! (If while reading this you decide you have a story you would like to share that night, please email, [email protected] before that evening. We still have room for two more storytellers.)
by NIAS | Sep 18, 2024
What’s Up with Butterflies?
Presented by Alan Branhagen, Executive Director of the Natural Land Institute
Monday, November 4th at 7:00pm
St. John United Church of Christ, Freeport, IL
The program will be presented by Alan Branhagen, who will reveal to us the marvelous array of butterflies (and moths) that can be found in our area. You will learn about the various species found here, their status, how you can attract them to your yard with their host and nectar plants. You will also learn ways to garden or maintain your landscape so that you don’t harm them. Alan hopes the program inspires some reverence for these amazing insects that are sadly in trouble. What you see now is the new normal, but it is not normal. Luckily, they have resiliency to rebound if given a chance. Alan is an all-around naturalist specializing in birds, butterflies, botany, and planning and design with nature. He is the author of three books: The Gardeners Butterfly Book, Native Plants of the Midwest, and The Midwest Native Plant Primer. These books will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation.
by NIAS | Sep 18, 2024
Cardiphonia – Utterances From the Heart
Presented by Ed Collins, McHenry County Conservation District Director of Land Preservation and Natural Resource Management
Tuesday, October 1st at 7:00pm
St. John United Church of Christ, Freeport, IL
Beyond biological inventories, species indexes, and the precise language of science lies a deeper and more profound truth driving those lives spent in the service of wild places. In a world where communication is increasingly defined by technology and artificial intelligence, the land seeks those who would learn a more ancient form of speech, taught in a language rising from the very bones of the earth itself. We know the truth of that language intuitively, not in the synapses of our minds but in the chambers of our heart. For it is our heart that understands the entire cosmos is scripture each time we marvel at a thunderstorm, gaze into a sea of nighttime stars or feel our breath race as the cranes call overhead on a foggy spring morning. What is spoken by the heart is heard by the heart and rediscovering our hearts in conservation work empowers us to shape our own destiny and that of the future. Ed’s career spans thirty-eight years with the McHenry County Conservation District where he currently serves as the Director of Land Preservation and Natural Resource Management, administering restoration and land preservation efforts on 26,000 acres of open space. During that time, he has been involved in a number of interesting projects including the re-meandering of Nippersink Creek in Glacial Park, the development of the first comprehensive spatial mapping of oak loss in the region and most recently playing an instrumental role in the creation of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. Ed teaches classes in Forensic Ecology and Ecological Spirituality. His hobbies include collecting drain tile memorabilia, constructing stone labyrinths and working as a trained hypnotist.
by NIAS | Jul 29, 2024
One Hundred Years and Counting, The History of the “Refuge”
Presented by Ed Britton, Wildlife Refuge Manager, Savanna District, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Tuesday, September 3rd at 7:00pm
St. John United Church of Christ, Freeport, IL
We hope you come out and listen to Ed Britton’s presentation on the amazing 100-year history of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
Established in 1924 to be a refuge for fish, wildlife and plants and a breeding place for migratory birds, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge now covers more than 240,000 acres and extends roughly 261 miles of the Mississippi River across four states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa.
More than 290 species of birds migrate throughout the refuge every year. About 40% of the waterfowl in the nation use the Mississippi River as a travel corridor in the fall migration. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge hosts more than 300 pairs of Bald Eagles, in part due to having one of the largest blocks of floodplain forest habitat in the lower 48 states. The refuge is designated as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention and a Globally Important Bird Area.
Just as the refuge provides a great place for wildlife, it also offers phenomenal opportunities for public recreation. More than 3.7 million visits take place each year as people come to hunt, fish, watch wildlife, take pictures, attend public programs, walk, boat, swim and much more.
Ed has worked 47 years with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the National Wildlife Refuge System. He started his career along the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, have worked throughout the United States, including the Bering Sea in Alaska. Currently, he has been at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge for 29 years as the Savanna District Manager. His office covers 80 miles of river from Dubuque down to the Quad Cities and contains 64,000 acres in IL, IA and WI.
