Natural Land Institute is proud 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.

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.”

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.

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.

About the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois:
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 the people of Northern
Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted more than $65 million for charitable purposes in the region.

About Nygren Wetland Preserve:
The Carl & Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve is the largest wildlife sanctuary, at 721 acres, that is owned by the Natural Land Institute. There are upland sand prairies, lowland prairies, wetlands, bottomland forest, oxbow lakes and ponds in the preserve. Raccoon Creek runs through the preserve and the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers flow along its borders. The Dianne Nora Nature Trail is a free 2.5 mile hiking trail around the wetland and is part of the Prairie State Hike app (99¢ in the Apple or Android Store).

About the Natural Land Institute
The Natural Land Institute is celebrating 60 years of preserving natural land in 2018. NLI is a 501(c)3, non-profit land trust and conservation organization based in Rockford, Illinois, which has protected more
than 17,000 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. NLI’s 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. The President of the Board of Trustees is Mark Maffei. For more information and to donate: www.NaturalLand.org.