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.

 

Each photo is filled with color and intrigue and brings nature into every day. Two of the photos were taken by U.S. Navy veteran Greg DuBois. His photo of a bison on the Henslow Trail is on the cover, and his photo of a field sparrow caught by surprise along the Henslow Trail is the featured photo for the month of January.

 

DuBois provided photography instruction and led a group of participants on a photography tour through Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in October. Brushwood Center program assistant Adrian Mack, a U.S. Navy veteran, experienced Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie for the first time through the tour that DuBois led.

 

He says, “The hike that Greg led at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was my introduction to photography. I’ve never been particularly interested in taking photos, but something about the prairie gave me the impression that it needed to be preserved. What I love most about nature is that even when everything is still, you can still feel that the environment is very much alive. I find nature both calming and exciting, tranquil and bracing, serene and invigorating.

 

Organizers of the At Ease program hope that more veterans and their families will experience the great outdoors and its tremendous benefits through the program.