Igniting the Project:

Our Benefactors – Carl H.  and Myrna R.  Nygren

“To show appreciation of the earth is the most honorable act of humankind.”

         – Carl H. Nygren

 Opportunities to preserve large expanses of land in Illinois are rare.  In 1992 when Carl Nygren selected the Natural Land Institute as recipient of his estate, he could not have envisioned that seven years later more than 700 acres of land would bear his name and that of his late wife, Myrna.

Through their generosity, the Nygrens ignited a campaign to protect and restore a vestige of Illinois’ natural heritage.  Their generosity captivated the vision of organizations, institutions, and individuals who joined with the Natural Land Institute in an inspiring land acquisition. 

Carl did extensive research to find the right organization to carry out his wishes.  He was a frequent visitor and volunteer at NLI’s office.  An avid outdoorsman with a strong conservation ethic, Carl was acutely aware of the continual decline of natural areas and resources.  He specified that his bequest be used to purchase and permanently protect land in Winnebago County.  The NLI Board of Trustees selected this site utilizing the Boone/Winnebago Regional Greenways Plan with input from the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District.

His friends say Carl was a regular guy, certainly not a tycoon.  A very frugal man, he invested well in penny stocks to accumulate a sizable estate.  He worked as a floor assembler, salesman, and U.S.  Postal Service letter carrier for ten years.  Carl was also a generous man and often contributed to charities.  Local homeless shelters frequently received his home-grown vegetables.

A native of Loves Park, Illinois, Carl Nygren worked with the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938-39 and served as a combat infantryman in World War II under General George Patton.  Wounded in France in 1944, he was awarded the Purple Heart.

Myrnabelle Ruby Skenadore Nygren was also a World War II veteran of the Women’s Army Air Corps and worked for the U.S.  Postal Service.  She was of Oneida Indian heritage.

We feel Carl and Myrna would have enthusiastically approved of this project and would be proud to have their names attached to it.  It is a fitting tribute to them.

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