Brian “Fox” Ellis Presents: “Prairie Fire: Exploring the Natural History of the Heartland through Stories and Songs”

Plains Indian folklore and pioneer history blend in this celebration of one of America’s most diverse and magnificent ecosystems. Through the adventures of a seed, journey through the four seasons with the plants and animals that call the prairie home. Trace the geological history of the oak savanna through the travels of “Rusty”, a molecule of ferrous oxide. Learn of the struggles and successes to restore the prairie to America’s heartland. Explore the human and natural history of the tall grass prairie through this dynamic presentation of ecological folklore. Hear the legends of the original inhabitants of the American Savanna come to life through the stories of the ancient mound builders and the Plains Indians. Travel in prairie schooners and keelboats with the first settlers of this region. Listen to the natural and agricultural history of the prairie through the writings of Aldo Leapold and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Learn the ecological history of this diverse habitat from plate tectonics and glaciation to woolly mammoths and buffalo grass. The performance can focus on the human history and development of this region or the biodiversity and ecology of the prairie depending on the needs of the host. Prairie fires and pioneer politics will blend in this epic performance of song and story, poetry and myth.