Our Daily Show Interview! TNI, Hayner, & Lewis and Clark State Historic Site!
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ALTON/GODFREY/HARTFORD - Community members have the chance to experience a weekend of historical, nature-based fun.
Brian “Fox” Ellis, a historian and storyteller, will present three different programs with the Hayner Public Library District, The Nature Institute, and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. Ellis is coming to the Riverbend through the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, which sponsors Illinois-focused cultural programs.
“The goal is that anyone going to any Road Scholars program feels a connection to the culture, history and natural resources of Illinois in some way,” explained Ben with the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. “This is American history, which is big, but it’s also our local Illinois history. You can feel that extra connection.”
At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, Hayner’s Genealogy and Local History Library will host “Adventures with Audubon,” a free hourlong program featuring Ellis’s portrayal of naturalist John James Audubon. Ellis will discuss Audubon’s work with birds and field ecology.
While the program is full, Genealogy & Local History Library Manager Lacy encourages people to call 1-800-613-3163 to join the waitlist. She expressed her excitement for the event and her hope that attendees gain a lot from Ellis’s presentation.
“I hope that they just have a better appreciation for Audubon as a person and a naturalist and also the birds in this area and the United States,” she said. “It’s kind of like a teaser for the rest of the weekend.”
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2025, community members can continue learning about birds by joining Ellis on a hike at The Nature Institute. The “Bird Hike with Brian ‘Fox’ Ellis” kicks off early and goes until 10 a.m. on The Nature Institute’s property.
It costs $10 per participant, and the hike is geared toward adults, though children are welcome. Ramona with The Nature Institute promises attendees will learn more about the local bird life with Ellis’s expertise.
“If you are a nonbirder or a beginner birder, this is a great hike for you because Brian is really great at bringing it to you, making it very, very accessible,” she explained. “He’s going to tell you stories about the birds that you see. He’s going to tell you Audubon stories as we’re hiking. We’re going to search out the cool birds that we are hearing so that everybody gets a chance to see them.”
The weekend will wrap up at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2025, with another presentation by Ellis, this time at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. In “Prince Maximilian and Karl Bodmer: Touring the Wilderness of North America,” Ellis will portray Prince Maximilian, a German explorer who followed Lewis and Clark’s route through North America in the 1830s.
Ellis will showcase art by Karl Bodmer to supplement his performance as Prince Maximilian. Ben encourages people to stop by the free event to learn more about the nature and history of North America.
“Fox will be doing a program as Prince Maximilian, this German prince who, in the 1830s, did a tour through a huge swath of North America,” Ben explained. “He’ll be there as the prince talking about his experiences. We’re talking about exploring North America early on in the 1800s, and this is kind of that next group of people going through after Lewis and Clark. What do they see?”
Ben added that bringing Ellis to the Riverbend region is exciting, and the collaboration between the Hayner Public Library District, The Nature Institute, and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site is “an obvious partnership.” Lacy, Ramona and Ben look forward to sharing nature and history with the community throughout the weekend.
For more information about the Hayner Public Library District, visit their official website at HaynerLibrary.org.
To learn more about The Nature Institute, check out their official website at TheNatureInstitute.org.
For more about the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, go to their official website at CampDubois.com.
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