Local author’s new children’s book spotlights environmental activism

Submitted by Laurie Lawlor

Evanston author Laurie Lawlor’s most recent non-fiction book, Restoring Prairie, Pond and Woods: How a Small Trail can Make a Big Difference, was inspired by the grassroots activism in a small Wisconsin town.

In Eagle, Wisconsin, volunteers from all walks of life set aside political differences to create a trail through an eight-acre, public lot that had been an overgrown garbage dump. With only a bare-bones budget, residents restored three native ecosystems that once thrived in that part of the state: prairie, ephemeral pond/wetland, and woods.

“The Eagle Nature Trail has created unexpected connections,” Lawlor said. “Not only does the trail serve as a pathway between the local elementary school and the public library, but it also helps connect artists and citizen scientists, readers and explorers, students and their peers as an outdoor classroom.”

The land has been a refuge for native plants and animals throughout the seasons and a welcome place for people of all ages to get outside and enjoy the environment – especially during the challenges of COVID-19.

“This remarkable grassroots effort, which began in 2009, inspired my most recent book,” Lawlor added.

The book of full-color photographs for readers 10 and up provides insights into ways communities across America can take action together to help save the Earth.