Join us for a special evening tracing the history and future of the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve’s natural areas.

Part I: The Grassroots Movement

We’ll begin with a blast from the past: the original 1976 "Save the Prairie" slide show. Narrated by WGN’s Glen Walters, this historical presentation documents the compelling, grassroots efforts of Homewood residents to ensure the former Washington Park Race Track land was preserved. It’s a fascinating look at the state of the land and the residents who spearheaded the conservation movement.

Part II: Best Practices, Then and Now

Following the historical presentation, Clayton Wassilak—who leads the Preserve’s natural area improvement efforts—will take us into the present. Clayton will explain how modern ecological restoration best practices have changed over the decades. He’ll then detail the critical work we are doing today to ensure the legacy started by our predecessors continues to restore and enhance the prairie for future generations.

Come see where we started and where we’re going!