Discover Your Place in Nature

Come and explore Severson Dells, with our hiking trails, visitor center, The Grove Nature Playscape and gift store. We offer a wide range of engaging programs for all ages to connect with nature.

Featured Programs

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 Severson Dells. 

BECOME A MEMBER

Field Notes Blog

Bird Migration

By Emma Zimmerman • March 20, 2025
North America is home to over 650 species of breeding birds, and more than half of them are migratory! Each spring and fall, around 450 bird species—ranging from tiny warblers to majestic raptors—embark on one of nature’s most extraordinary journeys: migration.

Hiking as an Adult

By Liz Wiener • March 12, 2025
Reflect, Recharge, and Rekindle Your Sense of Adventure

2024 Kishwaukee Christmas Bird Count Recap

By Rowan Mermel • March 8, 2025
Imagine waking up full of anticipation at 3:30 am, rushing to pack your bag with field guides and bundling up to face the bitter December cold. What would be worth the early, cold wake-up? The Christmas Bird Count! The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running community science project in the country. It is administered by the National Audubon Society. Between December 14th and January 5th, hundreds of individual day-long counts take place across the country. Each count takes place in a 15 mile diameter circle. There are three counts that take place in the Rockford area. Severson Dells Nature Center is in the Kishwaukee count area.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

Severson Dells Nature Center and Preserve are 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.

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