Join a local hero for an exciting night of adventure stories this Wednesday, April 19th! Ridgway was born in Mt Carmel in 1850, and he retired to Olney after his career at the Smithsonian Institution. Illinois’ most pre-eminent bird man will recall the history of the Illinois Audubon Society and the evolution of bird watching as it grew from a hobby to a scientific discipline. Hear stories that celebrate the legacy of bird watchers, namely, creating a cadre of citizen scientists, encouraging the next generation of conservationists, and protecting habitat for future generations.

Storyteller and Author Brian “Fox” Ellis portrays Robert Ridgway, telling the story of his journey across the western wilderness in 1868, when he was still a teenager, and his life-long work at the Smithsonian Institution.