Learn to Recreate Responsibly

A new national social media series produced by the USDA Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation, Recreate Responsibly, will spotlight Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Midewin NTP is one of 12 national forests and national grasslands featured in the series and will be highlighted during a Facebook watch party at 7 p.m., July 9.

TV host and producer of the Public Broadcasting Service travel series Travels with Darley, Darley Newman, hosts the series, which highlights exciting facts, insights and useful tips for travelers visiting national forests or national grasslands. Never-before-streamed footage will be seen as the 2020 production focuses on recreating responsibly.

American bison live just outside Chicago at Midewin, and participants will learn about their ecology, economical, cultural and historic importance during July, which is National Bison Month. National Forest Week celebrations continue from July 13 through July 19.

A series of short videos in English and Spanish provides useful advice for travelers, including leaving no trace, practicing physical distancing and how to plan ahead safely and responsibly.

Register online at Darley.link/nfwatchparty. For more information, visit Vimeo.com/channels/virtualfieldtrip.

a sparrow on a tree branch in the winter

Midewin Focuses on Veterans

The 2022 At Ease Date Planner features photos taken by U.S. military veterans and family members through Brushwood Center’s At Ease Nature and Art Platoon at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Read More »

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Bison

National Bison Day Educational Virtual Crawl

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie will help participants learn about bison through displays, activities and more at nearly a dozen partner sites on the route. Featured topics include Bison and Owls, Bison in Art and Culture, and Historic Buffalo Jumps. Read More »

Water Quality Monitors Serve Important Role

Stoneflies and other macroinvertebrates are a sure sign of water quality at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Year over year, monitors are noticing increases in stoneflies, damselflies, dragonflies, mayflies and more. Volunteers and staff members work in tandem with the Illinois RiverWatch Network to collect water samples. Read More »

Macott Woodsy Owl standing a a group of people out in nature

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Photo Contest

Midewin mascot Woodsy Owl will turn 50 on September 15, and amateur photographers can enter to win a chance at seeing their work adorn the cover of the 2022 Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Conservation Education Schedule booklet. Read More »

3 pics fuzed together a bic of 2 birds and a bison

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Celebrates National Bison Month

A bison web cam was installed in 2016 so that millions of people around the world could see bison. This year, a webinar program will provide live feeds from two historic buffalo jumps: First People’s Buffalo Jump, in Montana, and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site, in Alberta, Canada. Read More »

3 Images put together of women out in a garden and field

Celebrate National Pollinator Week with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Throughout National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, virtual Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie public programs will highlight the world of pollinators and what you can do to help increase and improve natural habitat for pollinators. Read More »

Canal Corridor Association Associate Director Erin Maze installs bicycles at the Iron Bridge Trailhead at the USDA Forest Service’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

Celebrate Earth Day with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

From bluebells to bicycles, silver anniversary celebrations and more, there are new, exciting ways to celebrate April 22, Earth Day 2021, with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie including an expanded bicycle-share station, a new Spring Blossoms self-guided tour and a panel discussion. Read More »

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Silver Anniversary Panel Discussion

As part of the MidewinNational Tallgrass Prairie Silver Anniversary celebrations, at 6 p.m., March 3, a panel of staff members with Midewin NTP will talk about prairie restoration tools and techniques that have been essential to restoration in the past 25 years at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie – including invasive species management. Read More »

Midewin Celebrates 25 Years with Five Virtual Events

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2021, offering free virtual events throughout the winter and spring! Read More »

Learn About Bison Online with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

There are more ways than ever to celebrate America’s national mammal, such as a digital map of local area “bison crawl” sites with in-person or virtual programs, including six libraries with interpretive spotlights on National Bison Day, November 7. Read More »

Midewin Monarch Butterfly

Celebrate National Public Lands Day Virtually at Midewin

The USDA Forest Service’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is one of just 50 National Public Lands Day virtual sites to be highlighted by the National Environmental Education Foundation. Celebrate National Public Lands Day learning photo techniques and sharing your fall colors photos and stories from Midewin NTP during a virtual session on Saturday, September 26 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Read More »

Illinois Prairies are Brilliant with September Colors and Wildlife

Even the grasses provide new color this time of year. You can see fields covered in hazes of browns and yellows, and if you look closely, you might even see the bottle gentian blooming. Writer Sheryl DeVore takes us on a tour of Illinois Prairies with Veronica Hinke and Cindy Crosby. Read More »

New Midewin for Kids Virtual Education Program

A wide range of natural resources topics for kids via virtual education program. Read More »

Midewin At Home: #AllInIllinois

Take advantage of free informational webinars on topics of natural resources and conservation. Read More »

Midewin At Home: #AllInIllinois

Free informational webinars on topics of natural resources and conservation. Read More »

Plant a Prairie Garden At Home

Growing a prairie garden at a home or business is simpler than people might think. Following a few basic principles in planting can give a whole new look and feel to a yard that will be easier to maintain and enjoy. Read More »