Making a Yard Home for Pollinators
[email protected] Recognizes Homeowner for Pollinator Friendly Habitat As I waited for Craig Campbell to give me a tour of his yard, which lies in the heart of Rockford, I couldn’t help but notice the number of hickory nuts littering his front yard. Looking up, I...
OAKtober Awareness and Events
Natural Land Institute Hosts Events to Celebrate OAKtober Natural Land Institute (NLI) will celebrate Oak Awareness Month by holding two events in October: Fall Prairie Harvest Day and OAKtober Hike. October has become known as OAKtober in the conservation community...
Congratulations to Winners and Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Family Nature Adventures this summer. There were 140 registered participants and 23 children who earned a Junior Naturalist badge. Please join us in congratulating the winners of the two drawings that were held after the event...
A Real Natural Treat
Scott and Rebecca Olson Create An Oasis for Native Wildlife In Their Urban Neighborhood By Mark Luthin, NLI Trustee As Rebecca Olson greeted us in the driveway of her Rockford home, I immediately noticed patches of native wildflowers mixed in with their...
Encouraging Future Conservation Leaders
NLI is partnering with Rockford Promise (About Rockford Promise – Rockford Promise) which provides promising scholars from underserved school districts full-tuition college scholarships. Rockford Promise also supports those Scholars with robust community mentorships,...
We Closed on 357 Acres This Week!
Lost Flora Fen Expansion NLI is pleased to announce that we closed on 357 acres on June 15, 2021 and are the proud new owners of this land that will expand Lost Flora Fen, protect one and half miles of Raccoon Creek and provide access from Yale Bridge Rd. in northern...
Family Nature Adventures
NLI's Summer Outdoor Adventure Series Returns! For the second year, Natural Land Institute will present Family Nature Adventures, a virtual and outdoor adventure series that runs seven weeks and can be done at any time and from anywhere. There are no geographic...
New Nature Preserve and Nature Preserve Buffer Designation
Burr Oak Valley Nature Preserve The Natural Land Institute is pleased to announce that the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, at their May 11th 2021 meeting, has dedicated 98.93 acres of The Natural Land Institute’s Burr Oak Valley Preserve as an Illinois State...
We Support 30×30
Last week, the Biden administration released its America The Beautiful Report. In our community, the woodlands, prairies and streams, and all outdoor spaces are more than the backdrop of daily life—they bring us solace and inspire our joy. Like most of you, I have had...
2021 Family Nature Adventures Coming Soon
Family Nature Adventures is open to all and geared to families with kids ages 2 - 14. Watch a video online, do the suggested activity outside in your backyard or a nearby park/preserve. Earn a Junior Naturalist Badge. Right now we're busy planning for this year's...