Written by Julie Uram | June 2026
This summer is the first time Nature At The Confluence has hosted two full-time AmeriCorps Members at the same time. Our organization is lucky to benefit from this federal service program, which would not be possible without collaboration with Severson Dells (becomes Wild Roots July 1) Nature Center in Rockford. For years, Severson Dells has managed the AmeriCorps grant from Serve Illinois, which has supported members serving at The Confluence and other local conservation organizations, connecting us with the nation-wide AmeriCorps program.
Last year, Serve Illinois became part of the California Volunteer Fund Climate Corps Expansion program, which is based on the success of the California Climate Corps model. This expansion provided financial support for additional service positions for host sites supporting climate projects and Nature At The Confluence was able to benefit with the addition of a second AmeriCorps member. Ely Grimm is our Stewardship & Facilities AmeriCorps Member and Ceci Kimball is our Environmental Education AmeriCorps Member. Without this program, Nature At The Confluence would not be able to fund three full-time team members this summer and we would not be able to sustain the many community programs that we currently offer. We are deeply grateful to our AmeriCorps members for their service and to the organizations who manage and fund the program: Wild Roots Nature Center, Serve Illinois, and AmeriCorps.
If you would like to help ensure future AmeriCorps opportunities continue, click here to contact your representative.
