The Power of Partnership

Backpacks and Beyond:

By Megan Donahue

Summer at Brushwood Center has a signature item for the It’s A W.I.N (Arts and Wellness in Nature) team. Beach towels? No. Sunscreen? Nope.

Backpacks.

This year, Brushwood and a network of dedicated community partners teamed up to distribute 1,300 Nature Explorer Backpacks/ Mochilas de Explorador. These backpacks were filled with supplies and resources to encourage families to explore the natural spaces around them through activities focused on nurturing wellness and creativity.

Juan Diaz is the Community Engagement Coordinator, and Sandra Lopez is the Communications and Organizational Development Director at the Round Lake Area Public Library. We sat down with them to talk about our collaboration, which grew from summer backpack distributions to a year-round multi-faceted partnership.

What does the partnership between Brushwood Center and the Round Lake Area Public Library look like?

Juan Diaz: We originally started with Brushwood offering the Nature Explorer Backpack program. We hosted a program here where we talked a little bit about education/nature, and then we would give out the backpacks to the participants. Once we saw how successful that program was, we decided to do other nature programs. We started meeting quarterly and we would do other one-off programs. The last one we did was Scavenger Hunt.

We’re actually lucky that we’re right next door to the park district, and we have a woods area behind the library-a part of it has been made into a trail.

So we went to the trail and we were able to take a small group back there, and Brushwood came in and was able to share their expertise on nature and how to look at the leaves or the birds. From that program, Brushwood also developed their Little Explorer backpacks, and then they were able to give us four backpacks. We’ve just been building off from all the previous programs to either offer more nature programs or even resources that we can let our patrons borrow.

How does this partnership help you with your goals for community engagement at the library?

Sandra Lopez: Brushwood has been a force that has helped us reach more people. Without Brushwood, we were limited by our reach because of funds and also because of manpower. The library and Brushwood have a similar vision in a lot of ways: we both value lifelong learning, the arts, science, things like that. So the partnership just makes sense. We’re very aligned.

JD: Partnering with Brushwood has allowed us to reach a lot more people who might have a specific niche with nature and art that we might have not been able to reach before. Out of the partnership, we were able to establish a lot of new programs, offer more resources.

SL: We value Brushwood’s creativity and generosity and just overall commitment to the community. The team has brought in a lot of tools to make it happen. So it’s definitely the partnership that’s rooted, in a lot of mutual respect and shared goals that inspire that connection to nature, that as a library, I don’t think we’d be able to necessarily do alone. Brushwood provides a lot of access to the nature tools, to the guidance on how to explore the outdoors. And the Nature Explorer and Little Explorer Backpacks have really been what has helped us bridge that gap so that every child can develop through play, and discover nature and wellness.

JD: Thanks to Brushwood we’ve been able to reach different community needs. Like some patrons, were excited to use the backpacks since it was close to the start of school, they could use it for that reason. There were other families who were really excited because the backpack was going to aid the parents to have tools for their children to use when they go outside and explore nature. Round Lake has a lot of nature trails, so that’s another resource that parents can have and use with their children. We were able to reach different interests and provide something for anyone.

BW: What is the impact of the Nature Explorer and Little Explorer Backpacks?

SL: They encourage observation, creativity, reflection, which aligns really beautifully with the library’s literacy and STEM and STEAM goals that we have in our strategic plan. The backpacks help us remove some of the barriers by giving families free access to the tools, or the ideas, or outdoor explanation. I know that sometimes as parents, we want our children to know more about nature, but we’re so disconnected sometimes that we don’t even know how. So I feel like the backpacks help bridge that gap for that “how” and explain or support mental wellness, curiosity, even physical health.

BW: Through this partnership, the library has invested in connecting the community with nature and the outdoors. Why?

SL: Yes, we’re a library and one of our values is literacy, but our second highest value is bridging the gap in the community. And part of that is connecting to nature, connecting to creativity, connecting to STEAM and STEM. Through this collaboration we’re helping the community, helping families build that deeper relationship with lifelong learning, with nature, with each other. Our partnership just shows what’s possible when two organizations come together with a shared purpose. Brushwood has brought their vision and their resources to the library, and together we’re creating this educational experience that I feel is very joyful for families who might not have been able to have it otherwise. And that’s really the heart of the partnership.

BW: How does the library contribute to community resilience?

JD: Going back to when we started this partnership with Brushwood, it started during COVID. That’s a good example of the resilience of both organizations, to come together and still meet the needs of the community in an entirely different way. It shows the adaptability of libraries and how no matter what hardships the community might be going through or just the world in general, the library will always be an institution that will be able to, or try our best to be,.a resource. Whether that be through books or partnering with organizations to provide more resources.

SL: I feel like the library’s resilience is within the community by being a consistent, reliable resource for learning, for connection, for support in times of uncertainty. Libraries are often the safe haven that provides access to the information, to the resources, sometimes even emotional support to help people either cope or cope and thrive. That often happens through educational programs, community events, resources like the Nature Explorer and Little Explorer Backpacks that encourage this outdoor learning exploration that we’ve been talking about.

We help individuals and families figure out challenges and build skills for resilience. I think we’re the connector that links people to services, to mental health resources, to tools that they might not otherwise be able to access. We’re not just books, right? Our role isn’t just about providing books. It’s about creating connections in an environment where people feel empowered, people feel informed, and people feel supported.

HElp Support Nature Explorer Backpacks And Donate Today!

Check Out Little Explorer Backpacks at a Library Near You!

Three children consult a sign on the trail, wearing their Little Explorer's Backpacks

The Nature Explorer Backpacks have received a rave response from our partners and participants, so we decided keep the excitement going all year long. Brushwood has partnered with libraries across Lake County to create the Little Explorer’s Backpack, filled with new and thrilling activities for families to enjoy.

Available for checkout at: North Chicago Public Library, Round Lake Area Public Library, and Warren-Newport Public Library.

A Life dedicated to the arts and Environment

Remembering Robert Redford

It is with great sadness that Brushwood Center mourns the death of Robert Redford. “His lifetime dedication to the environment and justice was an inspiration to the Brushwood Center community and our commitment to ensuring health equity and access to nature for all,” said Executive Director Catherine Game. “He was a humble but powerful voice in this work, and passionate about the impact of art and nature.”

Robert Redford, Donna LaPietra, Bill Kurtis, and Sibylle Szaggars Redford at the 35th Annual Smith Nature Symposium Awards Dinner

In 2018, Brushwood honored Robert and his wife, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, with our highest honor, the Distinguished Environmental Leadership Award at the 35th Annual Smith Nature Symposium Awards Dinner. As a part of the event, Brushwood presented the Chicago-area premiere of The Way of The Rain – Voices of Hope, for Brushwood Center, for which Sibylle was artistic director and Robert graced the stage. Robert’s comments ahead of the premiere resonate with great clarity today:

“With everything that is going on in the world right now, I believe art plays a critical role in so many issues we are facing today; art nurtures the soul, provokes thought and inspires critical thinking. And during times like these, art can also foster a deeper understanding and connection to the Earth. We desperately need these messages right now.”

“Honoring Robert’s legacy to inspire, educate, and activate people to care for our Earth is central to all that we do at Brushwood Center,” said A. Gail Sturm, Brushwood Center Board Chair. “He understood that art is a basic need of human survival, one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand with our hearts when we cannot with our minds.”

Robert’s powerful words on stage called on each of us to do more for the natural world, recognizing the deeply interconnected relationships of life on this planet. He shared, “Only together, like rain drops, will we be able to nourish the river of life. I do not believe we go up to the sky, unless it is to come down again with the rain.”

We invite you to revisit Robert’s interview with Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra at the 35th Annual Smith Nature Symposium and join us in honoring his legacy.

art in action

Convergence in the Community

On June 28, 2024, Gorton Center in Lake Forest hummed with conversation and rang with applause as audiences experienced Convergence for the first time. Brushwood Center debuted the world premiere performance of music and art inspired by the findings of our recent report Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County, Illinois, that links access to clean air, water, and nature to healthier lives.

Convergence: Health Equity in a Changing Climate, is a bilingual (English and Spanish) performance, guided by Brushwood Center’s Ensemble-in-Residence, Black Moon Trio. It translates the lived experiences of communities in Lake County, Illinois, affected by environmental racism and health inequities through original music, illustration, and storytelling.

This signature concert experience features live music performed by Black Moon Trio (Parker Nelson, Jeremy Vigil, and Khelsey Zarraga), including two commissioned compositions from composers Marc Mellits and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. Visually, it includes original artworks from five artists from across the country: Natashna Anderson, Kelley Clink, Laura Horan, Lakosh, and Naimah Thomas. The live performance is complemented by filmed narration in English and Spanish.

Since 2024, Convergence has quickly become a conversation-starter in communities in the region. Audiences in Waukegan saw a performance in August 2024. In the winter and spring of 2025, Convergence was condensed into a shorter program for educational and community settings. It connects students to the important data of health equity through art, while promoting social and emotional learning, and music and art literacy skills.

“Some of my favorite responses that I’ve gotten from audiences are things like the music program that we visited in North Chicago, where the program had grown from about five students to over 150. The students were just really excited to have real live musicians in their school, something that they had never dealt with before, something that they have never experienced before. Just having a chance to connect with these young musicians and talk a little bit more about how they can use their artistic talent to make change in their community was something that was really, really special,” says Parker Nelson, Director of Public Programs and Music at Brushwood Center.

“Brushwood Center is working with our artistic and community partners to make this data as accessible as possible,” says Catherine Game, Executive Director of Brushwood Center. “As an organization committed to improving health equity through community, nature, and the arts, we also know that art is a powerful tool for social change. By translating the research of the report into a multi-disciplinary performance, we hope to mobilize even more people and communities in this movement for a healthy and just future.”

Brushwood Initiatives

Building Resilience with the Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator

By Dani Abboud and Jess Rodriguez

What will our region look like in the next 5, 10, 20, and 100 years? How will our communities adapt to future crises, rising food and housing costs, extreme weather events, shifting populations, and supporting climate refugees?

Already this year, we have experienced record heat, storms, and major flooding events. The time for solutions is now. Brushwood Center’s Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator supports building resilience through collaboration with communities and the healthcare sector.

Mobilizing Community Leaders

Last summer, more than 100 Lake County community leaders gathered in Waukegan for Brushwood Center’s fourth annual Community Leadership Roundtable. This gathering built on the momentum of our recently-released report, Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County, IL, with focused conversations about local impacts of climate change on health. Inspired by Lake County’s resilience and strong community networks, leaders responded to four different climate scenarios based on real and predicted impacts, and collaborated on a community response. The responses showed the depth of assets in our region, as attendees discussed innovative approaches to urban gardening, ideas for community response systems, and ways to build community connection to improve resource access and data sharing.

Jess Rodriguez leads a forest bathing activity at the 2024 Community Leadership Roundtable

Based on feedback from the community leaders at the 2024 Roundtable, in 2025 Brushwood Center took our community into the field with two Environmental Justice and Healing Tours. Participants learned about the current state of environmental justice in Waukegan, visiting some of the most relevant sites of environmental damage and rehabilitation in the area.

Two people sitting at the front of a small tour bus, smiling. — Eddie Flores and Jess Rodriguez led two Environmental Justice and Healing Bus Tours

Driven by Data

Community assets are one of the major highlights of Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County, IL. This report, first released at the 2023 Leadership Roundtable, compiled public data sets, interviews with community members, original artwork, and GIS maps to tell the story of nature and health inequities in Lake County. While there were many interesting and frustrating findings within the report, the key message was clear: while our region has a wealth of green space and community assets, Northeast Lake County is overburdened by environmental racism and health injustices, including exposure to toxic industrial pollution, lower income, lower life expectancy, and increased respiratory and pulmonary disease risk.

Stacks of Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County, IL — More than 3,000 people have engaged with the report data since it was published.

This report has had a profound impact on our work since its publication. We have shared the data with more than 3,000 people, distributing thousands of copies of the report in English and Spanish, providing over fifteen presentations to various organizations and stakeholders, and multiple artistic interpretations of the data, including our signature art exhibition and concert performance, Convergence. The community response has been humbling and overwhelming. We have heard from community members who felt seen and validated by the report, partners who have used the data in grant requests to leverage support for their work, and even faculty from Rosalind Franklin University incorporating the report into curriculum for first and third year medical students. But the work of the Health, Equity and Nature Accelerator does not end with the report– it is only the beginning.

Month: September 2025