Midewin releases 2023 event planner, photography by veterans

January 26, 2023

Fall leaves on a branch — *Photograph of fall colors at the trails near Boathouse Road on the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Photo courtesy Jessica Klinge, US Army and Brushwood Center veterans program coordinator.*

Falcon sitting on a tree branch — *A falcon perched on a tree branch. Photo courtesy Greg Dubois, US Navy and At Ease Nature Platoon instructor and guide.*

Illinois—Staff on the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie welcomed U.S. military veterans and their families last fall to take nature photos on the prairie. Now the beautiful photos are featured in the 2023 Midewin Planner. It’s part of a program called, At Ease Nature Platoon, a community partnership with Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods. The program focuses on health and wellness by helping veterans connect with nature.

“Brushwood Center’s ‘At Ease’ Nature Platoon program at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie empowers well-being through the power of art and nature. We create a therapeutic environment for veterans who are recovering from the effects of combat or service,” said Brushwood Center Executive Director Catherine Game.

For more information, visit Brushwood Center’s “At Ease” Nature Platoon project, where the planner is available online. You’ll also find a link to the Flickr album, “At Ease” Nature Platoon, where you can view all the photographs taken by program participants. Also, hear from veterans and their families in the YouTube video about this unique program and how healing and beneficial connecting with nature can be.

Burr oak tree — A burr oak tree land surveyors used as a reference point in the 1820s. It stands near the corner of Boathouse Road and South Patrol Road. It’s called a “witness tree” or “bearing tree” because it witnesses the corner of a surveyed parcel of land. Photo courtesy Kristin Gasik, daughter of WWII US Army veteran Thomas Vallow, who earned two Purple Heart medals.

Printed copies of the planner are available to the public at the prairie’s Welcome Center; Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods will also distribute planners to Veterans Administration Centers across the Chicago area.