Explore the history of the tallgrass prairie—“Illinois’ landscape of home”—both in the classroom and at the Arboretum’s Schulenberg Prairie, one of the finest planted prairies in North America.
This class will examine the plant, animal, and insect communities of the tallgrass prairie and discuss strategies specific to prairie restoration. The class will also investigate the history of the prairie, its importance to Indigenous peoples, and its role in popular culture.
Whether you are a nature enthusiast, naturalist, restoration volunteer, or natural areas professional, you’ll come away from this class with a better understanding of prairies and their place in the natural world.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Cindy Crosby, author and naturalist
Continuing education: This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program.
Age: 16 and older
Course number: W305
Instructor
Cindy Crosby, author and naturalist
Cindy Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books, including The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction, co-author of Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit and author of Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural and Cultural History (Northwestern University Press, 2020). She is a prairie steward at the Schulenberg Prairie and Nachusa Grasslands, and she coordinates dragonfly monitoring programs at both sites. She earned a master’s degree in natural resources at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She blogs each week at Tuesdays in the Tallgrass, and she teaches natural history and trains naturalists in the Chicago region.
What to Know
This program meets indoors and outdoors, weather permitting.
Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and plan to walk more than a mile on uneven terrain.
Continuing Education
This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program.
Program Schedule
This program meets the following two times.
Monday, May 4, 2026, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Chestnut Room, Visitor Center (parking lot P-1), East Side
