Mississippi Valley Conservancy invites members and friends to its Annual
Friends Gathering on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. at the First Congregational Church
in La Crosse. This special event brings together supporters, landowners, and community
members to reflect on recent conservation successes and look ahead to future priorities. This
year’s gathering will feature a special presentation, Mysteries in the Grass: A Filmmaker’s
Journey into the Hidden Lives of Grassland Birds, by renowned natural history filmmaker Neil
Rettig.
Neil Rettig brings more than five decades of experience and six Emmy Awards to his work
documenting wildlife around the world. His career has taken him from South America to the
Arctic, capturing rare and compelling stories of nature. He is widely known for his daring
canopy work filming tropical eagles, including harpy and Philippine eagles, as well as for
regional productions such as the BBC award-winning Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat
and National Geographic’s Wild Mississippi.
Since 1990, Neil and his wife, Laura, have called the Driftless region home, living on a ridge-top
farm. In recent years, Neil has focused his lens closer to home, collaborating with the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology and conservation partners to document endangered grassland birds—species
that rely on the same prairies and open landscapes protected by the Conservancy.
During his presentation, Neil will share behind-the-scenes stories and imagery from his recent
grassland habitat project, offering an intimate look at elusive species such as bobolinks and
meadowlarks. His work highlights the vital connection between storytelling, habitat protection,
and community-based conservation.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: Breakfast and conversation at 8:30 a.m.; Program from 9:00 a.m. to noon
Location: First Congregational Church, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Breakfast: Coffee, tea and water will be provided; members and friends are encouraged to bring
breakfast goodies or fruit to share
Admission: Free and open to members and all friends of conservation. Please RSVP so we can
plan for seating: MississippiValleyConservancy.org/events
