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Tag: Nature

March 28 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Initiatives

Public Arts Programs
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

The Nature of Sleep with Nancy Rothstein, MBA, The Sleep Ambassador®

What if better sleep could transform not only how you feel—but how you live, work, and connect with the world around you?

In this illuminating lecture, internationally recognized sleep expert Nancy Rothstein explores the science, rhythms, and restorative power of sleep, revealing why it is foundational to physical health, emotional resilience, cognitive clarity, and overall well-being. With warmth, clarity, and evidence-based insight, Rothstein unpacks how stress, light exposure, habits, and modern lifestyles impact our natural sleep cycles—and what we can do to restore balance.

Participants will learn:

  • How sleep affects immunity, mood, memory, and long-term health
  • The role of circadian rhythms and how nature influences sleep-wake cycles
  • Practical strategies to improve sleep quality without medication
  • How to create a restorative evening routine rooted in environmental awareness

In alignment with Brushwood Center’s mission to cultivate wellness through nature, this program highlights the profound connection between natural light, daily rhythms, and restorative rest. Attendees will leave empowered with tools to reclaim sleep as a pillar of vitality—nurturing both personal health and a deeper relationship with the natural world.

Ideal for anyone seeking to improve sleep, reduce stress, and enhance daily performance, The Nature of Sleep offers practical wisdom grounded in science and inspired by nature.

Register

Related Events

March 28 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

Public Arts Programs
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Nature Book Club: March

The Brushwood Nature Book Club is a space to talk about and explore nature literature in a friendly environment. Each meeting includes discussion, creative writing, and art activities to engage with the themes of the chosen book, led by Brushwood’s Poet-in-Residence Kathryn Haydon, and writer-artist Megan Donahue.  

Our March book will be Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing, by Lili Taylor

Through a series of beautifully crafted essays, Taylor shares her intimate encounters with the birds that have captured her heart and imagination—from tracking flitting woodpeckers through oak trees to spotting majestic blue jays perched on a Manhattan fire escape; from the exhilaration of witnessing a migratory flock from the top of the Empire State Building to the quiet joy of observing a nest of hatchlings in her own backyard. Through simply paying attention to birds, Lili has been shown a parallel world that is wider and deeper, one of constant change and movement, full of life and the will to survive.

REGISTER

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Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

May 1 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 6)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

April 24 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 5)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

April 10 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 3)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

April 17 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 4)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

April 3 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 2)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie

March 27 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

21850 Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015 United States + Google Map
224.633.2424

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 1)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians. 

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions. 

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Related Events

April 13 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

At Ease Book Club: Chasing the Daylight, by Joanna Rakowski

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the At Ease program is launching our 2026 At Ease book club with a story from a women Veteran. We will examine Joanna Rakowski’s unique story and explore our own personal identities and how the military community has shaped them. 

What is it like to be part of the world’s most powerful armed forces at the dawn of the 21st century? Does a military tale have to be about the men going to war? You’ll find out in Chasing the Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. Joanna is a fragile, romantic, former ballerina. After a painful rift with her beloved friend and mentor, she joins the U.S. Army. Her dream is to become an Intelligence Officer. She faces a formidable task, but she embarks on a four-year journey to accomplish her goal. The story whirls us into the center of the rigorous army training and transports us into the reality that only less than one percent of the U.S. population would ever experience.

Questions? Please contact Veterans Program Specialist, Jessica Klinge at jklinge@brushwoodcenter.org.

Register here

Related Events

April 6 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Initiatives

At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans
Free

At Ease Book Club: Chasing the Daylight, by Joanna Rakowski

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the At Ease program is launching our 2026 At Ease book club with a story from a women Veteran. We will examine Joanna Rakowski’s unique story and explore our own personal identities and how the military community has shaped them. 

What is it like to be part of the world’s most powerful armed forces at the dawn of the 21st century? Does a military tale have to be about the men going to war? You’ll find out in Chasing the Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. Joanna is a fragile, romantic, former ballerina. After a painful rift with her beloved friend and mentor, she joins the U.S. Army. Her dream is to become an Intelligence Officer. She faces a formidable task, but she embarks on a four-year journey to accomplish her goal. The story whirls us into the center of the rigorous army training and transports us into the reality that only less than one percent of the U.S. population would ever experience.

Questions? Please contact Veterans Program Specialist, Jessica Klinge at jklinge@brushwoodcenter.org.

Register here

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