Midewin Alliance
OUR MISSION
To serve as an advocate and Friend of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie by supporting prairie restoration and promoting the many volunteer, research, educational, and recreational opportunities at Midewin. We are 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
The Welcome Center and Midewin Interpretive Association (MidIA) bookstore are open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 to 4:30 except on national holidays. Face masks may be required depending on CDC guidelines.
Midewin trails are open year-round from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to recreate responsibly.
Midewin trails are open for non-motorized recreation, including hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. As the largest public open space in northeastern Illinois, Midewin offers experiences of vastness and opportunities to experience prairie ecosystems and view grassland wildlife.
Midewin is a refuge for grassland birds, whose numbers are declining in the Midwest due to loss of grassland habitat as pastures are converted to suburban housing, commercial and industrial development, or corn and soybean crop fields.
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivora), by Rich Hickson.
Volunteers and organizations, clubs, companies, and groups are helping achieve the vision of Midewin as a restored native landscape where people can enjoy and learn in the outdoors.
Volunteers harvesting native plant seed at Midewin’s River Road Seedbeds.