Have you ever stood in a field of grasses towering over your head? Have you felt small in a wide open sea of grass? Soon the majestic prairie will once again provide a sense of awe for residents and visitors alike. Less than an hour from Chicago, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie offers visitors a chance to experience Illinois, and much of the Midwest, how it once was: tallgrass prairie. From Army to Prairie Beginning in 1940, the open space of Midewin became the... (Read more…)

I spent my summer in Chicago helping to develop a business plan for Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The basic idea is to accelerate restoration of the Midewin landscape by providing a pair of documents that the National Forest Foundation and Midewin’s other partners will be able to use as fundraising tools. One of the documents will be short and convey a grand vision for Midewin. The other, longer document, which has been my main focus, will detail the exact steps and resources... (Read more…)