News - 815 Outside

Know Your Preserves: Colored Sands Forest Preserve

[Image description: a view of the Sugar River with trees lining the shoreline. In the center is a slightly transparent brown box with the words...

Know Your Preserves: Kishwaukee Gorge North Forest Preserve

[Image Description: the rocky shoreline of the Kishwaukee River with trees lining the riverbanks. The trees display an array of fall colors.]...

Know Your Preserves: Nature At The Confluence

Nature At The Confluence is a unique urban environmental center situated on 72 acres of greenspace in South Beloit, IL, just across the street from...

Meet Holly: 815 Outside AmeriCorps Member

Hello everyone! I’m Holly Hansen and I am the new AmeriCorps Member for 815 Outside! I am super excited to be in the position. I know there are so...

Know Your Preserves: Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve

Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve is located on 537.8 acres in the north-western part of Winnebago County. This preserve sits right across the...

Know Your Preserves: Rockford Rotary Forest Preserve, Hidden Spring Beauty

Rockford Rotary Forest Preserve was donated to the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County in the fall of 1978. This unique property was previously...

Know Your Preserves: R. Robert Funderburg Forest Preserve; An Early Spring Gem

R. Robert Funderburg Forest Preserve is the newest addition to the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. This preserve is only a few minutes...

How to Celebrate Rockford’s New Designation of “Bird City Illinois”

Rockford was named one of Illinois’s first three “Bird Cities” in late December 2021 by the Audubon Council of Illinois. The city earned this...

How to Incorporate the Outdoors Into Your New Years Goals

Many people try to develop new habits, rediscover old habits, or focus on growing as individuals during the New Year. Whether you call it a...

Fall Colors in the 815

We are almost at the peak of fall colors in the 815! It can be easy to take the beauty of our local outdoor spaces for granted, but we are actually...