The late 1800s and early 1900s were a turning point in conservation and garden design, a response to increasing urbanization that laid the groundwork for today's ecologically based landscape design. Leading this bold new “Prairie Style” were Jens Jensen and O. C. Simonds, both of whose work continues to grace the Chicago region and beyond.

Jensen left a legacy of over 600 landscapes, many using native plants, including the Forest Preserve Districts of Cook County and Lake County, Indiana Dunes National Park, the Shakespeare Garden on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University, and Columbus Park in Chicago. Simonds’s enduring influence includes Graceland Cemetery, Fort Sheridan, parts of Chicago’s Lincoln Park, and Morton Arboretum.

Jensen scholar Dr. Bob Grese will explore the work of Jensen and Simonds and suggest ways their work can continue to inspire gardens and conservation efforts today. Dr. Grese is a professor emeritus in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the former director of the university’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. He is an honorary member of the Garden Club of America and a past president of the Ann Arbor Chapter of the Wild Ones. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Green Bay Trail and the Glencoe Sustainability Task Force.

This event will be recorded and placed on the library's YouTube channel. Register if you want us to email the recording link to you. Walk-ins (for the live event) are welcome!