Meanderings LIVE! 2022

This summer, we had a blast! Not only did we celebrate the opening and completion of the first two phases of the Exploration Garden at Swansea Clinton Hills Conservation Park, but we hosted the first Meanderings LIVE!

All enjoyed the Exploration Garden with its beautiful natural areas as they connected with friends and neighbors in conservation while listening to live music performed by the Trophy Mules. This one-of-a-kind evening featured food from Fletcher‘s Kitchen & Tap in Swansea and a specialty drink called the “prescribed burn.“

We are so grateful to all who joined us in this evening of inspiration in conservation. We look forward to celebrating future milestones in our story as an organization and our expanding regional reach and conservation impact in southwestern Illinois.

With a nod to our mission, this event featured the people inside our beloved quarterly magazine doing their part to make southwestern Illinois a more remarkable and greener place. They ignited our minds, moved our hearts, and reminded us that nature isn‘t just something we aim to preserve. It‘s something we all need to thrive.

We were fortunate to hear from the local storyteller and the legend of the Piasa Bird and nature. A family that brought a park to their neighborhood, all while celebrating their multi-generational legacy. A burn boss working to positively transform our region‘s landscape using the ancient science of prescribed fire. A conservation leader actively saving local frogs and made national news about his studies of a very clumsy amphibian. An artist and author that has brought her art throughout the Mississippi River watershed to raise awareness of society‘s connectivity with water. A Belleville place-maker who launched the effort to transform abandoned lots in her neighborhood into unique places that people want to be. And a leader‘s journey of exploration and conservation in our region.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors who helped bring this event from the page to the stage!

DJM Ecological Services, Inc., Studio Archaeos, and Kaskaskia Regional Port District.