Rare Plants and Unique Natural Areas of Illinois
Illinois was a pioneer in the natural areas movement and the result is a statewide network of natural areas and nature preserves. Virtually every county in Illinois has a natural preserve yet many people are unaware of them. The "Rare Plants and Unique Natural Areas of Illinois" presentation highlights the many beautiful natural areas found in the different regions of Illinois with professional photography and insightful commentary.
Speaker Bio:
Christopher David Benda is a botanist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. He is also the current President of the Illinois Native Plant Society (INPS) as well as President of the Southern Chapter of INPS. Chris moved to Illinois in 2004 and earned his Master's Degree in Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign in 2007. He worked on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory Update from 2008 - 2012 and most recently conducted botanical surveys for the Forest Preserves of Cook County's Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan. Chris teaches "The Flora of Southern Illinois" at Southern Illinois University in the summer and "Tree ID and Ecology" at The Morton Arboretum in the fall.? He lives in Makanda, Illinois. Many of his photographs can be viewed on the Illinois Botonizer Facebook page and blog.