4-04-2022 7:32pm

Free Family Nature Adventures at Nygren Wetland Preserve

Michael McGinnis Editor

Visitors to the Forests Station in 2019's Family Nature Adventures learn how to identify trees by their leaves.

Family Nature Adventures (FNA), which will be held at Nygren Wetland Preserve on Saturday, June 25, 2022, gives adults and children the opportunity to interact in the natural setting of Nygren Wetland Preserve while learning about nature, historical, cultural and arts-related topics. Natural Land Institute presents FNA as a way to reach individuals and families so they can fall in love with nature and learn to appreciate and understand there are actions they can take in their own community to protect nature so it will be healthy for future generations to experience.

The free event is open to anyone and tailored to families with children ages two to 14. It runs from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at Nygren Wetland Preserve, 3714 W. Rockton Rd., Rockton, Illinois.

Registration is requested for this free event and can be made after May 1, 2022 by visiting the NLI website calendar at naturalland.org. For more information call 815-964-6666 or email info@naturalland.org.

The event is bilingual, with promotional and event material printed in English and Spanish. Spanish speaking volunteers will be on hand the day of the event to help with translation. NLI’s website can be translated to Spanish by clicking on the “Español” button in the top right corner.

Event participants can walk around on their own, ride a wagon, and go on a guided tour of the prairie. Children will earn a Junior Naturalist Badge and Certificate after visiting at least six of the learning stations and adults will receive a gift after visiting the stations. Learning station topics will include: prairies, wetlands, turtles, butterflies, bluebirds, migrating birds, woodlands, Native Americans, mammals, native bees and wasps, and more.

Additionally, a library of 28 learning videos from the past two years’ virtual format of Family Nature Adventures will be available to participate in as a way for kids from anywhere to earn a Junior Naturalist Badge. These will be available to watch on the NLI website along with a suggested activity for each video to do outside in a backyard or park from June 1 through July 31, 2022.

“Parents have told us this event is an enjoyable way to spend time together and gives them a focused way to engage in the outdoors,” said Kim Johnsen, event coordinator and NLI’s director of marketing and membership. She added, “I’m excited about being able to present Family Nature Adventures as an in person event this year and grateful to the Community Foundation for their support. This helps us give families a way to experience nature in a fun and organized fashion.”

Natural Land Institute (NLI) received a $6,800 grant for Family Nature Adventures from the Dr. Courtney J. and Margaret Hutchins Hamlin Family Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’ Community Grants Program.

The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is to serve as a catalyst for giving in order to attract, preserve, and grow an endowment for the current and future needs of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted more than $77 million for charitable purposes. Learn more about CFNIL’s grantmaking and commitment to endowment at cfnil.org.

The Natural Land Institute, an accredited conservation land trust, is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization based in Rockford, Illinois, which has protected 18,000 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. The closest ones are Nygren Wetland Preserve and Burr Oak Valley Nature Preserve.

The current service area covers twelve counties in northern Illinois. NLI’s mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. For more information and to donate visit NaturalLand.org