A Backyard Prairie: What Is a Backyard Prairie and Lessons Learned

Presented by Fred Delcomyn and James L. Ellis: In 2003 Fred Delcomyn imagined his central Illinois backyard of two and half acres, farmed many years for corn and soybeans, restored to tallgrass prairie. Over the next seventeen years, Delcomyn, with the help of his friend James Ellis planned, prepared, planted seeds, photographed, and burned these acres to reconstruct a prairie. In this program, Delcomyn and Ellis will recount the journey of and lessons learned about prairie restoration through photographs and stories that they chronicle in their 2021 book, A Backyard Prairie: The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers, published by Southern Illinois University Press. More information about this book can be found at http://siupress.com/books/978-0-8093-3819-1. This virtual program will take place on Zoom and requires advance registration. Please click the “Register” button at the bottom of the program website to register for this program.