Lessons from the Environment w/ Bill Berry

Join Bill Berry, journalist and author, for a presentation that will examine the environmental turning points that have shaped northern Wisconsin. It traces the early DDT battles, the 1970s–80s cleanup of the Wisconsin River, and today’s challenge of “forever chemicals” like PFAS. It also explores the promise of the soil health movement and considers the future of northern Wisconsin in a warming world. Journalist and author Bill Berry has been covering environmental topics for 50 years. His 2014 book, "Banning DDT: How Citizen Activists in Wisconsin Led the Way," was an award-winning account of how average folks made a difference in an effort that helped save the majestic bald eagle and an array of other species. Berry got his start as a reporter in Merrill. From there, he went on to a career that focused on local, state, and national environmental topics for newspapers, magazines, and national conservation groups. He has been a columnist for the Madison Capital Times, founded by Merrill native William T. Evjue, for 23 years.