Chapter Events

Chapter members will be emailed information on this event.

True to its Grand Prairie Division roots, Grand Prairie Friends (GPF) Land Trust, a non-profit conservation land trust began in 1984 through the effort of six volunteers banding together to save a six-acre prairie remnant in Champaign County. Fast forward almost forty years and this organization now preserves, protects and promotes over 1,200-acres of natural spaces across 130-miles of east-Central IL. Join us for a visual field trip to GPF’s unique spaces including the only protected sand prairie pond in east-central Illinois; five cemetery prairies and a Coles County forest dedicated to endangered bats.

About the Speaker:

As a central-Illinois native, Sarah Livesay graduated from Eastern Illinois University and pursued a career in field biology and environmental education. For the past 20 years, Sarah’s focus has been the development and capacity building of conservation non-profit entities. Sarah has provided services to state, national and international non-profits including the Environmental Education Assn of Illinois, National Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Japan Parks & Recreation, among others.

In 2017, Sarah was hired as the first Executive Director for Grand Prairie Friends. Since 1984, Grand Prairie Friends has served as a conservation land trust which preserves, protects and restores over 1,200 acres of natural areas across East-Central Illinois.

In her personal time, Sarah is in her ninth year as a Commissioner for the Champaign County Forest Preserve District and, along with her husband Jeff,  are fledging her two sons as they leave the nest for college

TBA

Come learn about the wild world of moths and how to find them.  The diversity of moths is incredible and once you open your eyes to their presences you will notice them everywhere.  In Illinois alone there are several thousand different species you may encounter.  We will explore the various shapes, sizes, colors, and how moths are important to local ecosystems.  

About the Speaker:

Trevor Edmonson lives in Kankakee County, IL and is site manager for the Kankakee Sands Preserve for the Nature Conservancy in Indiana.  He also has been writing about nature regularly since 2016 for the Kankakee Daily Journal.   He serves on the Midwest Board for the Society of Ecological Restoration and is also a life member of the Illinois Native Plant Society.  He enjoys macro photography, hiking, insects and much 

Andy Stahr will present basic information on the importance of using native plants in the landscape and how native plants are grown, harvested, and processed at their native seed nursery in LaSalle County, IL for sale to the public. Participants will learn about how the native seed nursery was established, the challenges faced during start-up and current operations, and how individuals can help preserve and promote the genetics of Illinois’ remnant landscape through partnership with the nursery.

About the Speaker:

Andy Stahr is a University of Illinois graduate with a degree in Landscape Architecture. In addition to being Co-Owner of The Prairie State Nursery, he currently works for IDOT as a Roadside Management Specialist maintaining and establishing native vegetation along Illinois roadsides. For over 15 years prior to joining IDOT, Andy worked for an ecological restoration firm designing, installing, and maintaining natural areas throughout the Chicago Region.

Chapter members will be provided additional details closer to the event date.