Nature is Counting on Us | Stephen Packard | TEDxNorthbrookLibrary

Volunteers in “eco-communities” are having a great time while taking the fate of threatened ecosystems into their hands. In a visually stunning talk, eco-pioneer and visionary Stephen Packard demonstrates the stunning impact of stewards restoring a forest preserve - while reaching out to the rest of the planet. Stephen Packard has been a grassroots conservationist since the 1970s. He helped discover how to restore health to tallgrass prairies, savannas, and woodlands. As a volunteer and staff of The Nature Conservancy and Audubon, he helped develop the technical discipline and the popular appreciation of ecological restoration in the Chicago region. Packard edited the “Tallgrass Restoration Handbook,” a principal text in this new field. He taught conservation policy at Northwestern University and helped organize the Volunteer Stewardship Network, Mighty Acorns, Society for Ecological Restoration, and Chicago Wilderness. Packard is the hero of “Miracle Under the Oaks” by New York Times science writer William K. Stevens. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx