What brought our families here? Why did they stay? What made it possible to not only survive here, but to thrive here?

The answer to all these questions is the environment: fresh water that sustained life for people, agriculture and animals, but also a protein-rich food supply; miles of green, fertile land that met the needs of these early settlers to feed themselves, their children and the animals necessary to reap the harvests and give them hope for the future.

An important part that made this all possible was bison. Learn how this all came about on Monday, Sept. 22, at the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society. The program, titled “The History of the Nachusa Grasslands and Bison Returning to Illinois,” will be given by Mark Herman at 7 p.m. at the LCHGS office at 113 S. Hennepin Ave. in Dixon.

Herman was born in Virginia, but came to this area to take a position as site coordinator at the Laredo Taft Campus. He also served as superintendent of education at the Byron First Preserve District. Herman’s resume also includes giving history programs at the Midway Village Museum in Rockford.

Herman will explain how the “grasslands” started and how the herd is managed and what happens to the bison that have to be culled when the herd exceeds the land needed to sustain it.

The public is welcome, and there is no fee to attend. There is ample parking nearby, and the office is handicapped accessible. For information, call 815-284-1134.