
David Abele, a Realtor from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the founder of The Birchwood Project, a retreat nestled in the Brainerd Lakes area. In his role with The Birchwood Project, David Abele invites guests to enjoy the natural surroundings, engage in activities, relax, rejuvenate and recover…
The project focuses on providing children who are ill and their families a reprieve from the stress associated with dealing with illnesses—the retreat comprises the lake, the forest, and the cabins.
Once leaving lodgings, visitors will encounter Lake Sylvan and the forest. Lake Sylvan is over 890 acres and is 57 feet deep, and is filled with multitudinous types of fish. Visitors can also take in Pillsbury State Forest, where they can bike the forest’s trail system during the summer or ski during the winter.
These beautiful surroundings provide families and their children who are dealing with critical illness with sanctuary, free of charge. Here, both the family and the child who is ill can benefit from the restorative properties of nature, and they can get a break from hospital visits, bills, treatments, tests, and exhaustion associated with battling illness. The great thing is that, while the location of the retreat is surrounded by nature, families are within close driving distance of local hospitals.




