DISCOVER NATURE AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE ROCK RIVER AND TURTLE CREEK
Nature At The Confluence creates community connections by providing inviting spaces and engaging programs.
Nature At The Confluence is urban environmental learning center located along Turtle Creek where it meets the Rock River in South Beloit, Illinois, adjacent to Beloit, Wisconsin. Located at the half-way point of the Rock River, the property has over a mile of undeveloped waterfront and includes a five acre prairie recreation, two miles of wooded hiking trails, learning gardens, and an uninhabited island that provides safe haven for a nesting pair of eagles. Programs at The Confluence bring life to the former derelict property in the heart of South Beloit.
The Confluence campus was made possible through a combination of public land and private property purchases. The $2.2 million project was spearheaded and funded by Beloit 2020. This private organization raised all funds for land acquisition and construction of the center and then donated it to the City of South Beloit. The environmental learning center opened in June 2017 on a 12-acre parcel and operates as an independent non-profit nature center.
The Confluence campus is situated on historically significant land. Until 1832, the area was the site of a major Ho Chunk village called “Ke-chunk” or “Turtle”. Government surveys at that time show Turtle Village at the confluence and it was reported that it included 35 lodges and over 600 inhabitants, the largest in the Illinois and Wisconsin territory. A sculpture, signage, and educational programs are offered to teach visitors about the Indigenous significance of this site.
When visiting The Confluence, you can see a story of urban ecology unfolding. The confluence land was used as a dumping ground for over 80 years. Hundreds of tires have been dumped on the land and waste foundry sand and other solid waste was regularly deposited on the land for several decades. A natural resources inventory in early 2014 found the site’s ecology severely impacted by previous land uses; an abundance of invasive species; inappropriate bank stabilization techniques; and declining ecological health of the site. However, nature continues to persist and evidence of many biologically important flora and fauna can be found on site. Programs and events at The Confluence focus on water quality, habitat stewardship, and restoration of the human connection with nature. Staff and board members of the organization see the site as not only the confluence of waterways, but the convergence of two towns, the coming together of community members, and the gathering of hope for the future.
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