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Ecologist and conservation photographer Chris Helzer set out to prove that prairies are full of life and beauty, even at a very small scale, by spending a year photographing everything he could find within a single square meter of prairie in his hometown of Aurora, Nebraska. While highlighting the incredible diversity of plant and animals he found within that tiny plot, Chris also became inspired by the stories that played out in front of him and the peace and wonder he experienced by focusing closely on one place. After a book, museum exhibit, and numerous presentations on his year at the plot, he decided to repeat the year-long experience and had even more fun the second time. Chris will show photos from that second year at his square meter plot and share many of the stories from the project, both his own experiences and those of the species he watched and photographed. He will also do his best to inspire you to visit prairies or other natural areas and to look more closely at them than you might otherwise. Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter with Chris Helzer is at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 9 at the Coralville Center for the Perfoming Arts. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Chris' books will be available for purchase from University of Iowa Press and the event is presented by Martin Construction and sponsored by Iowa Native Plant Society and the city of Coralville. About the speaker: Chris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. Chris is the author of The Prairie Ecologist blog, and two books: "The Ecology and Management of Prairies" and "Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter." He is also a frequent contributor to NEBRASKAland magazine and other publications. Chris and his family live in Aurora, Nebraska.