We're Rebranding!


Beginning July 1, Severson Dells Nature Center will begin operating as Wild Roots Nature Center. In the meantime, we will be periodically updating our website. Thank you for patience as we're making these changes.


To learn more about Wild Roots Nature Center, click the button below.

Learn more about Wild Roots

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.

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    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

    June Climate News: 2026 Fire Season Is Becoming a Fire Year

    By Emma Zimmerman • June 4, 2026
    Experts are warning that 2026 may bring a record wildfire season to the United States, so severe that many researchers and fire agencies are no longer calling it a “fire season” at all. We are off to such a start that experts are now referring to it as a fire year. Traditionally, the wildfire season in the United States peaks between May and October, but we have seen many fires throughout the southern and western United States already this spring. Most major fires occur in western states. However, impacts from wildfires can be felt across the entire country, including here in northern Illinois. Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, affecting our air quality here in Rockford. Maybe you recall the hazy skies and dangerous air quality alerts from the last few summers caused by fires burning far away in Canada. Unfortunately, these days are not going away, and if anything, we should expect more of them in the future. So why is this year a “fire year”, and why are experts concerned? Let’s dig into it.

    From Prairies to Skyscrapers: Nature and Architecture in Northeastern Illinois

    By Olivia Price • May 28, 2026
    Nature and Architecture in Northeastern Illinois

    Science Literacy In the Rockford Region

    By Emma Zimmerman • May 19, 2026
    Science literacy may not be a term you hear every day, but it is something that shapes your life and the community around you in more ways than you might realize. Science literacy is the ability to understand, evaluate, and apply scientific concepts to make informed decisions regarding the world around us. Science is intertwined in nearly every part of our lives, but it can still feel intimidating and inaccessible at times, and that is largely because our society has a science literacy gap . Science can be complicated and challenging to understand, and this feeling is more common than we often admit. By making science more accessible through environmental education, we work to break down these barriers and build a more scientifically literate society. A scientifically literate society is a resilient society that is better prepared to solve climate problems, advocate for change, and build a more sustainable future.

    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.