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Brushwood Center
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Brushwood Center joins Green Wedding Alliance

1/15/2020

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​Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is excited to announce our membership in the Green Wedding Alliance!
Green Wedding Alliance is a growing list of resources that connects various environmentally and socially conscious businesses with consumers who wish to be conscious of the impact of their event. GWA, which began in 2010, is the brainchild of co-founders Lynn Fosbender, owner of Pollen Floral Design, and Amanda Eich and Tony Vassallo, who own Spilled Ink Press. Both businesses are invested in sustainable and eco-friendly operating methods - as are the 50+ businesses affiliated with the Alliance.
At Brushwood Center, we are dedicated to nurturing personal and community wellbeing through nature. Through programming and events, we aim to teach the importance of creativity and community-centered environmental stewardship. One of the ways that we do this is by providing a gathering space in nature for events and retreats - always keeping sustainability at the forefront.
Catherine Game, Brushwood Center’s executive director, had a few words to say about our involvement with GWA.
“We are so excited to be able to create a space where people can hold celebratory events, like weddings, parties, and retreats in a beautiful setting like Ryerson Woods. It is also extremely important that we are good stewards to the area we are occupying. This partnership will allow us to provide new resources for people who want to be mindful of their footprint on their special day.”
Through our membership in the Green Wedding Alliance, we hope to reach more people who are interested in hosting sustainable, mindful events in a serene, natural environment. We can’t wait to see how much more we’ll be able to accomplish with GWA and the other like-minded businesses involved in the alliance!
For more information on rentals, click here.
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Christmas Bird Count

1/7/2020

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​On Saturday, December 21st, Brushwood Center partnered with Nuestro Center and Audubon Great Lakes' Wild Indigo program to participate in a Christmas Bird count at Ryerson Woods. Forty families from Nuestro Center's program came out to Brushwood Center to conduct the count, and celebrate afterwards with crafts, hot cocoa and pan dulce.
With clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid-forties, it was a perfect day for a hike. Staff from Audubon went through some common species in English and Spanish with participants, and instructed students on how to properly use binoculars. The fifth grade students had done bird identification activities with Wild Indigo the week before, and were eager to put their newfound knowledge to the test.
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​Everyone split up into three different groups for the hike, each led by an Audubon staff armed with identification guides and binoculars for students to share. Almost immediately, it became clear that the students were taking this mission very seriously. Pausing often, students slowly raised their binoculars up as they squinted at the tree tops. Every few seconds, silence broke as they excitedly reported their discoveries:
"American Robin!"
"Blue Jay!"
"Mallard!"
After some double-checking with staff and the ID guides, the species was recorded. Students got more and more excited as they discovered rarer birds, and even other animals they had never seen before. One group caught a rare glimpse of a double-crested cormorant soaring overhead. Another group walking along the Des Plaines River was lucky enough to spot a beaver slipping back into its den.

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The students were excited as they explored these new dimensions of nature, and very determined to count every bird they could. They shushed one another when conversations got too loud, worried that birds might be scared away. They cooperated on identifications, and eagerly showed their parents their findings. After about an hour on the trails, everyone headed back inside Brushwood Center for hot cocoa and conchas, and a craft activity making paper Cardinal ornaments.
In total, we recorded 18 species and 98 birds during our hike (detailed in table below). Students were emphatic as they identified species they had never seen before, and parents enjoyed the quality time outdoors with their kids. Topped off with delicious snacks and a fun craft, it was the perfect way to end 2019 programming!
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21850 N. Riverwoods Rd.
​Riverwoods, IL 60015

224.633.2424 info@brushwoodcenter.org
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is committed to enabling the participation and enjoyment of our programming and events for all visitors. At Brushwood Center, you will have open access to accessible parking and entrance to the house, a gender neutral bathroom, and changing tables.

If you require certain accommodations in order to observe or attend our events, or have questions regarding accessibility of our facilities, please contact our Manager of Public Programs and Communications, Parker Nelson, at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org or at (224) 633-2424 ext. 1.

Programming and events at Brushwood Center is available to everyone, including but not limited to age, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation.​
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​OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Mondays & Wednesdays: 10am - 3pm
Sundays: 1pm - 3pm
and by appointment 
  • ABOUT
    • Our Mission and Vision
    • Our Board
    • Our Partners
    • Our Staff
    • In the News
    • Blog
    • Join Our Mailing List
    • Visit Us
    • Contact Us
  • EVENTS
  • ART
    • Gallery >
      • Current & Upcoming Exhibitions
      • Past Exhibitions
    • BASE - Brushwood Art Supply Exchange
    • Classes >
      • Botanical Art Academy
      • Create and Sip Classes
    • Calls for Art
  • MUSIC
  • WELLNESS
    • 2023 Nature Explorer Backpack Project
    • Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator
    • At Ease: Nature and Art for Veterans & the Military Community
    • It's A W.I.N. - Programming for Community
    • Senior Wellness
  • RENTALS
  • SUPPORT
    • Donate
    • Become a Partner
    • Volunteer & Job Opportunities
    • Our Sponsors
    • Shopping Cart