ILLINOIS—Along historic Route 66 in downtown Elwood, Illinois, banners are flying on street poles in honor of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie’s 25th anniversary. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, Midewin will celebrate this milestone with a National Forest Foundation-sponsored virtual program that features a James Beard award-winning chef.

The anniversary banners remind residents that a quarter-century has passed since Midewin, the only national tallgrass prairie, was established in 1996 with the Illinois Land Conservation Act. The act enabled restoration of land surrounding the Joliet Area Ammunition Plant, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, an instrumental site during World War II.

“These banners are representative of the restoration process at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and we are grateful to the Village of Elwood and other partners and neighbors who are involved in commemorating 25 years of restoration and service,” said Midewin Prairie Supervisor Wade Spang.

Register here for Midewin’s virtual anniversary program on Feb. 10, where participants will learn to use prairie ingredients in their own kitchens. Renowned chef Sarah Stegner will prepare wild beans, rice and squash patties with elderberry. While cooking, she’ll explain the importance of identifying providers of local ingredients so that elderberries and more can remain on our shared public lands where others can see how they grow. The program begins at 6 p.m. CST. Participants can log in at 5:45 p.m. to see a Midewin anniversary video.

Over the past 25 years, restoration on Midewin’s land has given the public access to a prairie landscape that was increasingly hard to find. At one time, Illinois was blanketed by millions of acres of prairie—a biome that, by some estimates, is as rare as the rainforest. Some studies indicate that, after nearly two centuries of sustained development, less than 0.1% of that original tallgrass prairie remains in Illinois. Remarkably, the restored prairie at Midewin equals twice the combined acreage of all the state’s remnants of original prairie.

“The Village of Elwood is honored to partner with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and commemorate 25 years of restoration,” said Elwood Mayor Doug Jenco. “Some of my fondest memories as a child were traveling to the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, now Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where my father was employed for 35 years. Even as a young man, Elwood’s open lands seemed to call out to me and ultimately became the place where I proudly call home.”

To see the many events planned for this year, and to learn more about Midewin’s history and future, visit Midewin’s 25th anniversary website.