Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois

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Symposia

Again, Guardians to Co-Sponsor Take 5

Take 5 is a series of weekend discussions on the environment. They are typically held in spring of the year at the Elizabeth Community Building just west of downtown Elizabeth on US Highway 20. Each session focuses on a current environmental best practice or educational issue.

The Guardians co-sponsor this event with five other local conservation groups: the Northwest Illinois Prairie Enthusiasts, the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, the Northwest Illinois Audubon Society, the Natural Land Institute and the League of Women Voters.

The Corps of Discovery

Begun in 2007, the Corps of Discovery consists of four all-day workshops on Saturdays in the spring at the Lost Mound Refuge. Some of the time will be out on the Refuge and class time will be in the LRA meeting Room.

In the first year, Michael Jeffords, Susan Post and Carolyn Peet Nixon from the Illinois Steward Magazine helped us learn how to observe and record nature as nature changes and evolves over time, and how to better communicate these findings in our work.

The workshops focus on how to help painters, photographers and writers become better observers of nature and how to integrate newly developed observation and communication skills to be better artists and more skillful nature lovers.

This class is for the novice, the serious amateur and the experienced, even professional, artist. There is a maximum of 40 slots. Early registration is recommended.

A Tradition of Hosting Conferences and Lectures

These symposia celebrate a unique aspect of our beautiful surroundings or address an environmental issue of importance to the area.

• In 2000 the Guardians hosted the annual convention of the North American Bluebird Society. The Guardian's annual meeting in the summer included a presentation on native snakes.
   
• In 1997 the Guardians held a "Nature Explorations" field day. Six special places in the county were chosen and knowledgeable leaders guided groups through forests, prairies, wetlands and other natural places.
  
• In 1995 the Guardians sponsored a Mississippi River Symposium. The symposium combined a variety of activities: early morning birding, lectures, field trips on the backwaters of the Mississippi, and an evening reception at the Dubuque River Museum.
   
• In 1993 the Guardians held the very first symposium: "The Nature of Jo Daviess County." Speakers covered such varied topics as wildlife, woodlands and prairies. The afternoon was spent on field trips visiting local woods, prairies and wetlands.

Look to our Calendar for information on an upcoming symposium in the future.