Save The Prairie Society (STPS) is a vital environmental group in Westchester, Illinois, soon to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Its mission has focused on the natural restoration of land on the west side of Wolf Road near 22nd St., at the area known as the Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve. Located at the road front is a 150-year-old former schoolhouse that's in the final stage of restoration. The new facility will house a Nature Center and a modern mainstream museum intended to become a base for worldwide dissemination of prairie knowledge, local history and restoration ecology. Goals include the promotion of environmental responsibility and ecological awareness.

In response to the STPS's desire to host a strong Native American presence at the Preserve, Joseph Standing Bear and Midwest SOARRING was asked to design and plant a Native American garden. One of many garden plots that will enhance the landscape, it will have the key position directly in front of the museum. This Native garden will be in the form of a circle surrounded by redwood chips, with paths radiating out from its perimeter in the four cardinal directions. It will be planted with Native grasses and sacred herbs.

In September, several members of SOARRING helped prepare siding for the Prairie House addition. By next fall, the building will be ready to begin operations as a museum and library, and SOARRING's help will again be requested for the creation of a Native American exhibit.

A section of the Nature Preserve will host one of the two greenhouses funded through a joint program between Midwest SOARRING Foundation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. A small building nearby, with renovation planned for the future, will be available for multiple uses by SOARRING.

Efforts to restore our badly-damaged and altered environment takes the cooperation of many organizations, and SOARRING is grateful to be able to further our common goals in partnership with the STPS.

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