A new addition to the 2023 Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival is a special writer’s evening program. The event is open to the public.
On Saturday, April 15, at 6 p.m. two nature writers/illustrators will share their writing lives with the public at McMillan Memorial Library, 490 East Grand Avenue, in Wisconsin Rapids. This event will be held in the auditorium and is underwritten by Hamerstrom Fund for Writing at Incourage Foundation of South Wood County and McMillan Memorial Library. Via Zoom at 6 p.m., LITA JUDGE shares her connection to her grandparents, the late Drs. Frederick and Frances Hamerstrom known worldwide for their work as field biologists, and authors of numerous scientific papers and books; as well as Lita’s own creative talents related to her successful life as an author and illustrator of numerous titles.
Following at 7 p.m, in person, will be EMILY M. STONE, author of “natural connections I” and “natural connections II.” Emily works as naturalist/education director at the Cable Natural History Museum in Cable, WI. her weekly column, “Natural Connections” is published in more than twenty local and regional newspapers. She has earned several Excellence in Craft awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Emily received a degree in outdoor education from Northland College, and a Field Naturalist Masters from the University of Vermont.
Lita Judge is the author and illustrator of 30 nonfiction books including The Wisdom of Trees, Mary’s Monster, One Thousand Tracings, Born in the Wild, Red Sled, and Hoot and Peep. Her book, Flight School, has recently been adapted into an off-Broadway musical which was shown in New York City and China. Awards for her books include the International Reading Association Children’s Book Award, and ALA Notable, NCTE Notable Book, a Kirkus Best Book, and the Jane Addams Honor. Before she created art and books, Lita was a geologist and worked on dinosaur digs. But a trip to Venice, Italy inspired her to quit her job and pursue a lifelong passion for creating art. Now, when not in her studio, she can be found backpacking through Europe with her sketchbook and easel in hand. Painting in the streets of Italy, France, Sweden, Russia and many other places have inspired her many books. The novel, Mary’s Monster, was inspired through reading Mary Shelley’s journals while exploring places she had traveled. This book created a rich opportunity to explore working in a completely new form, that of combining free verse with full page illustrations in novel form. Lita was drawn to capturing the interior world of Mary Shelley’s mind, as well as the realistic images of her life. Creating this book was a journey in itself and took five years to complete. Lita lives in New Hampshire.
Following the Saturday night writer’s program, the 2023 Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival has a morning of birding tours and talks, including innovative ways to protect the habitat partnering with the Farmers of Mill Creek Watershed Council. For complete schedule of programs, go to: cleangreenaction.org On Facebook go to: WIPrairieChickenFestival and Clean Green Action. Invite friends and attend to learn more about efforts to save one of Wisconsin’s unique birds, and their habitat, and other environmental ideas.
