Join us for a conversation with Ben Petropoulos about the Prairie

On Saturday, November 16th, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, the Western Illinois Museum welcomes Ben Petropoulos, Land Conservation Specialist with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and USDA, to Our Front Porch. This program will focus on the technical strategies behind prairie restoration in West Central Illinois and delve into what it means to be a responsible steward of the land. Warm beverages will be served, and a suggested $5 donation will be accepted at the door.

Designed as a mix of workshop, conversation, and best practices exchange, Ben will discuss the ecological principles behind the most effective prairie restoration strategies and how they relate to our local natural history. The native prairie that once thrived in west central Illinois evolved under conditions very different from today’s, so successful restoration requires emulating those pre-settlement conditions—a challenge that raises both practical and philosophical questions.

Topics will include:

• The environmental importance of our local prairies
• Practical strategies for seeding and maintaining prairie on your land
• Available government programs that offer financial support
• Ways non-landowners can contribute to prairie conservation
• Philosophical challenges in recreating pre-settlement landscapes in a modern context
• And wherever else the conversation takes us!

In ecology, a “community” is defined as “an interacting group of various species in a common location.” By coming together to discuss and reflect on what our local prairie communities mean to us, we contribute not only to their preservation but to our shared sense of community as well.

This program is funded in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Illinois Humanities Council.

The Western Illinois Museum, a nonprofit organization, celebrates and preserves the history, culture, and traditions of McDonough County. As a vibrant community hub, the Museum features exhibits, an open collection area, lectures, music, and other programs in a historic building located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square.

For a full schedule of events, visit wimuseum.org or follow @wimuseum on social media. For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum.org.