The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie established in 1996 is the nation's first federally designated tallgrass prairie. "Midewin", pronounced "Mih-DAY-win", is the Potawatomi name for their healing society. Due to cleanup operations, the area is not open to the unescorted public with the exception of two 1.5-mile hiking trail loops for birdwatchers. A variety of tours including hiking, horseback riding, biking, and environmental exploration are offered on this 19,165 acre parcel of land being restored to a tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The tour schedule is available on the Midewin website Calendar of Events.