Brushwood Center Hosts Monarch Conservation Lecture & Garden Tour

On Sunday, June 25, Brushwood Center welcomed Field Museum Senior Conservation Ecologist, Dr. Abigail Derby Lewis, to speak on local and national efforts to preserve the monarch butterfly population east of the Rocky Mountains and their amazing tri-country migration route between Canada and Mexico. This talk was part of Brushwood's Field Lecture Series, a partnership between the Museum's Keller Science Action Center and Brushwood Center to bring current Field Museum research and efforts to residents of northern Illinois.

Dr. Derby Lewis, whose work focuses on climate change adaptation for urban nature, delved into the science of conservation, sharing in-depth data, tools, and resources from the recently published "Urban Monarch Conservation Guidebook." She revealed the strategic importance of urban areas for the preservation of nature and discussed how everyday folks can serve as integral actors in monarch conservation efforts by utilizing their own backyards or even container gardens on apartment patios.

A tour of Brushwood Center's award-winning native garden followed the lecture. Attendees sought advice on their own gardens from Dr. Derby Lewis, a gardening expert when it comes to supporting native wildlife, as well as from Leigh Stewart, president of Brushwood WildBunch, the nonprofit's dedicated garden club.

Upcoming 2017 Field Museum Lecture at Brushwood Center:

• Sunday, September 17, 1-3pm: Tropical Fish Rapid Inventories with Dr. Lesley DeSouza

• Sunday, November 5, 1-3pm: Quality of Life Planning for Conservation in Chicago with Dr. Jacob Cambell

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods promotes the importance of nature for nurturing personal and community wellbeing, cultivating creativity and inspiring learning. To visit the Brushwood Center Art Gallery and to learn more about their program offerings, visit www.BrushwoodCenter.org or drop in at 21850 Riverwoods Road, in Riverwoods, IL.