Of Bogs & Books discussion group surpasses 300 titles
As Of Bogs & Books nears completion of its 29th year, its list of reads has topped 300 titles.
Founded in January 1994, the gatherings occur monthly at Volo Bog State Natural Area. Originally held on Thursday evenings, the discussions eventually settled on the second Saturday of the month. Titles chosen are focused on nature, science, and the environment, with an emphasis on nature.
"A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold was the first title discussed. It has been repeated three times since, and still occasionally makes the list. Several other titles have been repeated over the years (thus 300 titles rather than 345), including "River of Grass" by Marjorie Stoneman Douglass, "Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey, and "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv.
The group has resumed its in-person gatherings at the Volo Bog SNA Visitor Center after COVID restrictions were lifted, but has expanded to include participants via Zoom. This has allowed participants, and even some authors, to drop in from places as far away as Wyoming; Oregon; New York City; Alberta, Canada; and Jamaica.
Local authors occasionally join the discussions in person, including Joel Greenberg ("A Natural History of the Chicago Region"), Corinne Smith ("Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau's Last Journey"), Gavin VanHorn ("City Creatures: Animal Encounters in Chicago's Wilderness"), and Michael Edmonds ("Taking Flight: A History of Birds and People in the Heart of America").
This fall's selections are "The Nature of Nature: Why We Need the Wild by Enric Sala" on Sept. 10; "The Overstory: A Novel, by Richard Powers" on Oct. 8; and "Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife" by Rodney Stotts, on Nov. 12.
Stacy Iwanicki, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' natural resources coordinator for Volo Bog State Natural Area, is the co-founder and host of Of Bogs & Books.
For more information and a complete list of the titles, contact Iwanicki by emailing dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or calling (815) 344-1294.
Volo Bog State Natural Area is an Illinois Department of Natural Resources site located at 28478 W. Brandenburg Road, Ingleside.