Discover Your Place in Nature

Come and explore Wild Roots Nature Center. We offer a wide range of engaging programs for all ages to connect with nature.

All Categories

    Discover a Sense of Belonging

    Everyone belongs in nature. Join us as a member and discover a sense of community with other nature lovers and the wild world itself! Your membership helps to make nature education more accessible to everyone now and for future generations. Click below to learn more about the benefits of joining as a member of Wild Roots Nature Center.

    BECOME A MEMBER

    Field Notes Blog

    Why is There Wildfire Smoke in the Midwest?

    By Emma Zimmerman • July 23, 2026
    Over the last week, much of the Midwest experienced the worst air quality it has seen all year, and in some states, in recorded history. Smoke from wildfires far north in Canada and Northern Minnesota blanketed the great lake states, leaving the air thick, dangerous, and smelling like a campfire. Air Quality Index’s (AQI’s) soared over 900 in parts of Minnesota . At times, health experts estimated that breathing the smoky air was comparable to smoking half a pack of cigarettes over the course of a day. How can a fire so far away affect the air we breathe here in Rockford?

    July Climate News: Corn Sweat

    By Emma Zimmerman • July 17, 2026
    Corn does what?

    Meet Holly: Wild Roots Community Engagement Manager

    By Holly Hansen • July 9, 2026
    While many of you may already know me, allow me to introduce myself! I’m Holly and I’m the new community engagement manager here at Wild Roots Nature Center . While I am new to this role, I am not new to Wild Roots. I got my start at Wild Roots way back in 2019 as an environmental education AmeriCorps Volunteer. During my time, I was able to help connect people to nature and foster stewardship of our lands at all age levels. Even when COVID-19 hit, that didn’t stop us from planning for the future and coming up with ideas for how to engage people in our natural world. From there, I completed two more terms of service with AmeriCorps, one in Florida and one back here at Wild Roots with 815 Outside. (You’ll start to notice a pattern here.) As I finished my undergraduate degree in environmental studies and my master’s degree in higher education and student affairs, I remained a volunteer with Wild Roots, joining in on the fun of Science Saturdays, signature events like Luminaria, and canoe convoys. I simply never left this community. My most recent role as assistant director of campus sustainability at Northern Illinois University has prepared me for my return to Wild Roots. I’ve learned so much over the years about connecting with people of all different backgrounds, bridging the gap between nature and community. I look forward to continuing these conversations as the community engagement manager at Wild Roots Nature Center! Other fun facts: When I’m not in nature, you can find me among a circle of friends, crafting and laughing, making stained glass art, and immersing myself in a good book or tv show. I’m always happy to be a listening ear and I am fiercely loyal. Plus, I’ll never say no to a new adventure!

    Land Acknowledgement Statement

    Severson Dells Forest Preserve is located on the traditional lands of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Meskwaki, Winnebago (Nebraska) and Potawatomi.  We recognize these people, among others, for their stewardship of this land.


    To learn more about territory acknowledgments and to find out more about the land you are on, visit:     Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land. Please contact us if you have additional information or suggestions.