Annual Friends Gathering plus Grassland Birds Presentation

Join us for our Annual Friends Gathering on Saturday, March 28th at 8:30 a.m. at the First Congregational Church in La Crosse.

Please bring a friend, your favorite baked goods to share, a coffee mug and meet us for some great conversation about conservation. The official program starts at 9:00. We'll provide coffee, tea, and water. (Photo - Feeding time at a meadowlark nest in a secluded grassland habitat. Photo by Neil Rettig)

PROGRAM

8:30 - Sharing of baked goods, coffee and conservation conversation

9:00 - Welcome & introduction  – Carol Abrahamzon AND New lands protected – Abbie Church

9:45 - GUEST PRESENTATION : Mysteries in the Grass: A Filmmaker’s Journey into the Hidden Lives of Grassland Birds

Presented by Neil Rettig, Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and National Geographic photographer (see description below)

11:00 - Annual conservation awards - Recognition of outstanding volunteers and partners from 2025

11:30 - Final remarks - Carol Abrahamzon

MORE ABOUT OUR PRESENTER & PRESENTATION:

Mysteries in the Grass: A Filmmaker’s Journey into the Hidden Lives of Grassland Birds

With six Emmy Awards and more than five decades in the field, Neil Rettig is among the most respected natural history filmmakers in the world. His career has spanned the globe—from South America to the Arctic—capturing rare and compelling stories of wildlife. Best known for his daring canopy work documenting tropical eagles, including the harpy and Philippine eagles, Neil has also brought the natural wonders of the Midwest to the world through films such as the BBC award-winning Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat and National Geographic’s Wild Mississippi.

Neil and his wife Laura have called the Driftless region home since 1990, where they live on a ridge-top farm. In recent years, Neil has turned his lens closer to home, collaborating with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and conservation partners to tell powerful stories that inspire habitat protection. His latest work focuses on endangered grassland birds—species that depend on the same prairies, savannas, and open landscapes Mississippi Valley Conservancy works every day to protect. 

This presentation, Mysteries in the Grass, will highlight Neil’s recent grassland habitat project, the challenges of documenting this hidden world, and how storytelling and land conservation together can secure a future for birds and people alike. Neil will take you behind the scenes with stories and imagery, immersing you in the process of documenting elusive bobolink and meadowlark on properties very similar to our many protected lands here in the Driftless.
 

Feel free to contact us with questions. Call (608) 784-3606 ext.1 or email [email protected].

RSVP NOW!