Stella Barrett is back! Stella (they/them) volunteered with us last fall and has returned as a paid intern for the spring. Below is an edited Q & A with Stella, conducted by volunteer Mary Kaull. What made you want to return this semester? I love the...
For those who share our vision of restoring the natural beauty of the land and inspiring community connections at the confluence of Turtle Creek and Rock River, we invite you to support our efforts by joining Friends of The Confluence- our monthly donation club. Over...
Kelly Creek is comprised of a natural spring that mingles with storm water before flowing into the Rock River. Buried underground 70 years ago to allow for development, the creek has been heavily impacted by discarded foundry sand, slag, concrete, tires and glass....
By Jacob Roushia, Staff Writer | Beloit Daily News | Published July 28, 2022 Five different species of bats were spotted by a group of local citizens during Bat Night at Nature at the Confluence Wednesday. The event offered information about bats as well as the...
We invite you to come dig up some historic adventures during Beloit Heritage Days – September 8-10, 20223. The Beloit Heritage Days Passport will guide you on your history-hunting trek throughout Beloit as you explore over 15 free events & historic sites...
From Beloit Daily News | By Jacob Roushia | June 16, 2022 _____________________________________________________________ Over five days, Ho-Chunk Nation youth will go on an educational and spiritual journey following the path of their ancestors which includes the...
Nature at the Confluence is pleased to announce that we have received a $1,000 Illinois American Water’s 2022 Environmental Grant to purchase an EnviroScape Model to strengthen our watershed-focused educational programming for K-12 students, scouts, adults and...
To celebrate Earth Day 2022, we are bringing back the popular “EarthWalk Trail” on April 22. We invite you to come walk our trail to find 15 EarthWalk stops where you’ll be able to read and ponder our favorite quotes from Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,...
A prescribed burn of the prairie at Nature At The Confluence Nature Center in South Beloit is planned for Thursday, April 21, 10am-1pm contingent on weather and wind conditions. The parking lot and trails will be closed to the public between 9:00 a.m.- 3:00...
Nature At The Confluence celebrates Earth Day with Free Oak Sapling distribution. In celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day, Nature At The Confluence will distribute 250 free bare-root bur, red, and swamp oak saplings as part of the Rock River Trail’s efforts to...
Nature At The Confluence is excited to announce that Julie Uram has been hired to lead the organization as full-time executive director and will begin her role on April 11. Therese Oldenburg, who has been the part-time director since the nature center opened in 2017,...
The newly designated Confluence Conservation Area is one of the Stateline’s most beautiful locations, but it is also one of the most polluted by trash. The property that borders the river was owned by the railroad and over 125 years of industrial, railroad...
A prescribed burn of the prairie at Nature At The Confluence is planned for Saturday, March 26, 2022, between 1pm and 5pm, contingent on weather and wind conditions. If we are unable to burn this spring due to weather or wind conditions we may try again in the...
It’s not too early to start thinking Spring! Join our Green Team! Each Wednesday, 10am-12pm from May 4- Sept 7, we pull on our work gloves and focus on taking care of the land. We invite you to join us whenever you can! We might work on pulling Garlic...
The new year gives us a chance to start with a fresh calendar and toss out the old one. But, what if the information you collected in that calendar was vital to your survival? People have always observed and noted the timing of natural events. Early people knew when...
Join Us For A New, Festive Tradition For Our Community! Ongoing Activities From 4:30 to 6:00pm – Ornament Making & Tree Decorating – Fire & Marshmallow Roasting – Enjoy Hot Cider & Hot Chocolate – Take a fun picture at the Festive...
At the confluence of Turtle Creek and the Rock River, from about 1822-1832, there was a very large Ho-Chunk settlement called Ke-Chunk (Kečąk) or Turtle Village. You can learn more about Ke-Chunk (pronounced kay-chunk) Village and the Ho-Chunk people in the...
Come participate in the new “My View Photo Perspective Hike”, which challenges people of all ages and photographic abilities to take photos of the same five subjects with their own unique perspective, and then share them on Facebook or Instagram using the #myviewhike...
Introducing our amazing Super Summer team for 2021! I could have posed my team in so many ways for this photo, but instead I took a photo of them cooling off in the stream on a 90 degree day after they’d pulled buckets of glass and rusty metal from the exposed...
Kids Can Soar To New Heights This Summer with the Summer Soaring Challenge! Kids that finish at least 10 Summer Soaring Challenges and bring in their sheet will receive a FREE book! Complete all 15 Challenges and you will receive a FREE book AND be entered...
By Therese Oldenburg, executive director at Nature At The Confluence Updated 5/28/2021 I recently found an small article in the 1936 Book of Beloit about the man that Dickop Street (the short street that leads into Nature At The Confluence) is name for. The article...
Time For Tea! Our newest container garden in our Learning Gardens is our “Time For Tea” Garden. It features just some of the herbs that can be used to prepare aromatic, healthy and tasty herbal teas. There are so many plants you can use to make teas! There...
We’re bringing Brian “Fox” Ellis, an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist to Nature At The Confluence to bring John Audubon to life! Brian, portraying John Audubon the artist, will be featured in two programs on...
In 1854 a group of 15 Irish families settled right here on the land at Nature At The Confluence. The recent Irish immigrants had come to build the new railroad, while their young wives strived to build a new home here. They called their small settlement...
This is so cool! We created a Starry Night video (see below) which shows the night sky on grand opening day of the nature center on 6/19/17. Using a process called sonification, the music is generated by the stars themselves, by converting each star’s color and...
Interested in joining our team as an AmeriCorps member? Nature At The Confluence has an 450 hour AmeriCorps position that will receive a cost of living stipend and a federal education award of $1,638.89 upon completion of the term of service. Depending on your...
If you would ask anyone who lives in South Beloit where Kelly Creek is, most people wouldn’t be able to tell you. But, this hidden creek is about to get new life thanks to a $30,000 grant the City of South Beloit received for development of the Kelly Creek...
Confluence Experiences are a new offering at Nature At The Confluence. These unique, interactive activities are specially designed for small, private groups from 4 to 6 people and are customizable for all ages. Your group will be the only people at this private...
By Therese Oldenburg, Executive Director, Nature At The Confluence If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that there is a lot of beautiful places to visit and experience not far from home that can lift your spirit. What I’ve found most rewarding...
Note from Executive Director Therese Oldenburg ~ Nicole Lyford joined Nature At The Confluence staff in June 2020 in the midst of all the unknowns that this year would bring. She came to us through the AmeriCorps program in partnership with Severson Dells Nature...
