Historian to portray conservationist Carson

Relive Rachel Carson's impact on the environment and pesticide use through a first-person re-enactment of key points in her life at "Silent Spring: A Living History Presentation" from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at Willowbrook Wildlife Center, 525 S. Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn.

Historian and actress Leslie Goddard will depict Carson and discuss her childhood love for the living world, her passion for writing, and her work to inform the world about nature's beauty and fragility.

"Through this program, Leslie gives voice to Rachel Carson and shows firsthand her deep love of nature and the vital impact Carson had on the global environmental movement," said Joe Cantore, president of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose best-selling book, "Silent Spring," warned of the potentially dire environmental impact of chemical pesticides after World War II.

The book spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides and inspired a grass-roots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Admission to the all-ages program is $5 per person. Register online or by calling (630) 942-6000.

"Rachel Carson's message about protecting nature from pesticides is as powerful today as it was in 1962," said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Tim Whelan, District 4.

"This is a great opportunity to get to know her better and gain a fuller understanding of the powerful impact she had on environmental conservation."