The Prairie Enthusiast and book Healing Wounds: Giving Back to Nature

Gary Eldred, “Mr. Prairie Enthusiast” was an unlikely leader, with little formal training but with an intense determination to give back to nature. In 1987, he founded the Southwest Wisconsin Prairie Enthusiasts. At the time, the idea of local people organizing themselves to purchase, restore, and educate about native fire-adapted ecosystems was a novelty. Building on success, the organization expanded and rebranded as The Prairie Enthusiasts, which has enabled thousands of activists to work together to heal nature’s wounds.

In this newly published memoir, author Gary Eldred shares his unlikely stories of how a miserable person found a passion and became the leader of a grassroots, boots-on-the-ground movement, The Prairie Enthusiasts, to protect and restore the remaining fire-adapted ecosystems of the Upper Midwest. Hear his fascinating, inspiring story of how his passions for curiosity, creativity, and understanding nature plus loving friends made all the difference.