HeartLands Conservancy invites anyone interested in the Cahokia Mounds to attend a Thursday meeting about the future of the historic site.

The theme of the gathering is "The Mounds - America's First Cities: A Feasibility Study."

The purpose of the meeting is to elevate the status of the Cahokia mounds as a national historic site, to protect, interpret and promote the culture of the prehistoric Mississippian Mounds civilization and to study ways to connect the main site to other mounds in Southern Illinois and the St. Louis area.

The study will consist of public outreach and listening sessions, research case studies of existing models, and inventory of existing resources to provide a connected interpretive network.

The study will also assess the impact of a national-level designation on regional tourism, economic development, and improving the community's quality of life.

The meeting will be held at the Fairmont City Community Center at 4001 Cookson Road in Fairmont City. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. and the program starts at 6:00 p.m.