Past Event

Roots of the Prairie School Landscape

A Road Scholar program by Barbara Geiger

**This Program is No Longer Available through the Road Scholar Catalogue**


Why do the Midwestern states look the way they do? In part, because of the genius and foresight of three of the best landscape designers in the business รป Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), O.C. Simonds (1855-1931), and Jens Jensen (1860-1951). This slide lecture tells the story of how these early landscapers transformed raw space or farm fields into beautifully designed naturalistic spaces, respecting and enhancing each site’s natural topography, and relying primarily on native Illinois plant species. Their efforts led to the development of our state park system and county forest preserve systems, and laid the groundwork for our modern ecology.

For more information contact Kristin Hoxie, 217.224.6873.