Of Bogs & Books reading group tops 300 titles

INGLESIDE – As Of Bogs & Books nears completion of its 29th year, its list of reads has topped 300 titles.

Founded in January 1994, the gatherings occur monthly at Volo Bog State Natural Area. Originally held on Thursday evenings, the discussions eventually settled on the second Saturday. Titles chosen are focused on nature, science and the environment, with an emphasis on nature.

“A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold was the first title discussed. It has been repeated three times since and still occasionally makes the list. Several other titles have been repeated over the years (thus 300 titles rather than 345) including “River of Grass” by Marjorie Stoneman Douglass, “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey and “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv.

The group has resumed in-person gatherings at the Volo Bog SNA Visitor Center after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted but it still includes participants via Zoom. This has allowed participants and even some authors to drop in from Wyoming; Oregon; New York City; Alberta, Canada; and Jamaica.

Local authors occasionally join the discussions, including Joel Greenberg (”A Natural History of the Chicago Region”), Corinne Smith (”Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau’s Last Journey”), Gavin VanHorn (”City Creatures: Animal Encounters in Chicago’s Wilderness”) and Michael Edmonds (”Taking Flight: A History of Birds and People in the Heart of America”).

This fall’s selections are “The Nature of Nature: Why We Need the Wild” by Enric Sala on Sept. 10; “The Overstory: A Novel” by Richard Powers on Oct. 8; and “Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife” by Rodney Stotts on Nov. 12.

Stacy Iwanicki, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ natural resources coordinator for Volo Bog State Natural Area, is the co-founder and host of Of Bogs & Books. She said OB&B is not a group or club, but simply gatherings that anyone can drop in on. There is no minimum commitment required. Come once, come occasionally or participate every month.

For more information, contact Iwanicki at dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or call 815-344-1294.

The Volo Bog State Natural Area is an Illinois Department of Natural Resources site located at 28478 W. Brandenburg Road in Ingleside.