Inspiring Change: SeaLegacy's Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen Honored at Brushwood Center's Smith Nature Symposium Awards Dinner

On September 30, the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods hosted its 39th annual Smith Nature Symposium, “Inspiring Change,” at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. Nearly 200 people attended the event to honor the extraordinary leadership of Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen and their impact on ocean justice and conservation as photographers, marine biologists, and founders of SeaLegacy. Every year, […]

by Jessica Braun Gervais

Brushwood Center Honors Journalists Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern

The Brushwood Center’s Smith Nature Symposium memorialized the significant civic legacy of Hermon Dunlap and Ellen Thorne Smith, who donated their land and cabin to help form Ryerson Woods. This year’s event honored journalists and activists Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern, who have influenced millions of young people through their writing and activism on behalf […]

by Cindy Mei

Better Makers: Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars Redford Honored at Smith Nature Symposium & Benefit

On Friday, June 1, Academy Award-winning actor, director, and environmentalist Robert Redford and his wife, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, a multimedia environmental artist, were honored at Ryerson Woods’ 35th Annual Smith Nature Symposium & Benefit at the Brushwood Center. With record-breaking attendance, the event brought in more than $250,000 for the Brushwood Center. For years the Redfords have […]

by Haley Yamada

Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars Redford Talk Climate Change and Art Ahead of Brushwood Center Symposium

The monsoon rains that sweep across the high deserts of the Southwest every year have long held deep significance for Sibylle Szaggars Redford, the multimedia environmental artist and wife of Robert Redford. Drawing from this inspiration, Sibylle collaborated with musicians, dancers, and other artists in works staged across the globe to conceive an interactive, interdisciplinary […]

by Kari Lydersen