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• Iowa Valley Grinnell adjunct instructor Jim Kessler to present at conference in Chicago

Iowa Valley Grinnell adjunct instructor Jim Kessler to present at conference in Chicago

Iowa Valley Community College Grinnell adjunct instructor Jim Kessler will be giving his presentation on “Why Native Plants Matter,” this month at a North American conference in Chicago. The Quaker Earthcare Witness Fall Gathering 2012 will be held October 4 – 7, at the Cenacle Conference and Retreat Center in Chicago.

Kessler’s presentation will highlight four main points in explaining why planting local native species in personal, corporate, and public landscapes is essential: (1) to respond to the extinction crisis occurring; (2) to reverse the decline in native migratory songbird populations; (3) to address the impact on biodiversity from the destruction of wildlife habitat; and (4) to increase native pollinator populations that impact food security. He will also present, “A Tallgrass Prairie Journey,” which will demonstrate the impact and beauty of native plant reconstructions and restorations on his and his wife’s 30 acres near Grinnell, Iowa.

Kessler grew up in a Quaker family on a dairy farm near Oskaloosa, Iowa. He became interested in environmental issues during graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa while working on his MA in Biology. Kessler has been involved in prairie reconstruction and restoration efforts for almost 35 years.