Natural Land Institute is thrilled to announce that it has received a $2,500 grant for Family Nature Day from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois with support from the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund.
Family Nature Day is a free family themed event that features several learning stations scattered throughout Nygren Wetland Preserve in Rockton, Illinois. The event will be held on Sat., June 23, 2018, 9 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Children who visit 6 out of 12 learning stations will earn a Nygren Wetland Junior Naturalist badge and certificate and adults will earn a prize for visiting at least 6 stations.
Kids who attend Family Nature Day get a passport with facts and activities to get stamped at each station. Learning station topics are forests, mammals, archeology and human history, wetlands, pollinators, birds, invaders (invasive species), butterflies and seeds, raptors, prairies, water protection, and soil ecology. There will also be guided tours of the Anne Meyer Prairie Garden and wagon rides during the event.Family Nature Day is an opportunity for Natural Land Institute to personally engage all ages in learning more about the natural world with positive experiences that will lead to a better understanding about it and why it’s important to protect nature. “We’re giving people a chance to learn about plants, birds, mammals, insects, water, soil, and so much more with a microscopic view at this event,” said Kim Johnsen, event coordinator and Director of Marketing & Membership for NLI. She also said, “When they have a chance to learn about all of the aspects of nature they fall in love with it. That’s what we want. When people love something they protect it. We want people to fall in love with nature so they will want to protect it in their community.”
Registration is requested for this free event and can be made by calling 815/964-6666 or online after March 1, 2018 at www.naturalland.org. Nygren Wetland Preserve is located at 3190 W. Rockton Rd., Rockton, Ill., 61072.