South Beloit, Illinois | May 28, 2015 – Meet Me at the Confluence 2015, held Saturday, June 13, offers the public opportunities to learn about plans to transform the area where the Rock River and Turtle Creek meet into a nature center. Events include a paddle trip, prairie restoration planting, and tours of the recently acquired building that previously housed Dahlman Muffler shop. Nature at the Confluence is a joint initiative of Beloit 2020 and The City of South Beloit. Details about plans for Nature at the Confluence can be found at www.natureattheconfluence.com. All events are held at 306 Dickop Street, South Beloit, IL.
“Fur Traders River Run” Community Paddle Trip, Saturday, June 13, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. This free community paddle trip launches at the confluence and ends at Macktown Forest Preserve, exploring the route of early fur traders who used the Rock River as a “commerce highway” to move their wares. Joseph Thibault, the first white settler in the area, had his cabin near the confluence and Steven Mack had a fur trading post in Macktown (now Rockton). This is a free paddle trip and participants will need to supply their own boats and shuttle. Please RSVP at https://natureattheconfluence.com/paddle15 to reserve your spot on this trip. Other paddle trips are planned this season with Rocktown Adventures supplying kayaks and shuttle for $25 per person. For dates and details visit https://natureattheconfluence.com/calendar/
Prairie Restoration Community Project, Saturday, June 13, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
People of all ages are encouraged to help be part of restoring the land along Turtle Creek. The goal of this project is to remove undesirable invasive and weedy native vegetation from Turtle Creek shoreline and install more than 6000 native plants. Bring work gloves and hand shovel if possible. Come for all or part of the time to help with planting. This project is supported with a grant to the City of South Beloit from American Water.
Nature At the Confluence Open House, Saturday, June 13, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
The public is invited to come see the building (Dahlman Muffler Shop) that has been purchased that will be transformed into a Nature Center. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn more about the plans and vision for “Nature at the Confluence”. You are invited to come enjoy a walk around the area, and visualize how this area will be transformed into a beautiful natural area.
Meet Me At The Confluence 2015 is a registered event of National Get Outdoors Day. National Get Outdoors Day was launched on June 14, 2008 and has grown every year. Building on the success of More Kids in the Woods and other important efforts to connect Americans and especially children with nature and active lifestyles, the USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition led an inclusive, nationwide effort focusing on a single day when people would be inspired and motivated to get outdoors. Last year, over 171 official GO Day sites across the nation welcomed over 48,000 new faces to the joy and benefits of the great outdoors.
