Ann Wasser, Executive Director of Severson Dells Nature Center in Rockford, Illinois
I am proud to share the exciting news about Severson Dells Nature Center's decision to purchase and restore a 168-acre shuttered golf course in Rockford, Illinois. This project is more than just an expansion — it is a significant step toward fulfilling our mission and ensuring long-term organizational stability. The restoration of this 165-acre tract of land offers a unique opportunity for conservation, community engagement, and environmental education, all while contributing to a growing national trend of repurposing underused spaces for ecological restoration.
Why a Golf Course?
At first glance, the idea of a nature center purchasing a golf course may seem unconventional, but it’s a decision grounded in purpose. The Rockford Park District made the difficult decision to close Elliot Golf Course in 2021 as part of a larger consolidation plan. For Severson Dells, it presented a rare opportunity to transform a highly manicured landscape into a thriving natural habitat in a more urban environment.
By restoring this land, we are removing the chemical-intensive turf grass and non-native plant species typical of golf courses and replacing them with native habitats. This restoration directly contributes to the health of our local environment, creating vital habitat corridors for wildlife, while also increasing public access to nature.
One of the most significant pieces of the restoration process is daylighting and rewilding the creek that flows through the property. As a result of the property being a golf course, the creek was put into a culvert decades ago to keep the water off of the course. We will be removing the culvert and re-establishing the meander of the creek to slow the water down, re-establish natural riparian processes and improve the water quality of the creek before it flows into the Kishwaukee River. The Kishwaukee River is one of the healthiest rivers in Illinois and is home to a number of threatened and endangered species.
In addition, this purchase allows Severson Dells to expand our capacity for education and public engagement. This land will provide new opportunities to connect with nature through recreation, exploration, and learning.
A view from the main building at the former Elliot Golf Course, which Severson Dells Nature Center has purchased. The property is termporarily being used for agriculture.
Fitting Into Our Mission
The decision to purchase and restore the golf course is a natural extension of our core mission. This project provides a unique platform to engage the public in environmental stewardship, offering a tangible example of how golf courses and other highly manicured lands can be transformed into diverse native ecosystems.
Our existing programs have always emphasized the importance of preserving biodiversity, promoting sustainability, and fostering an appreciation for the natural world. This restoration project allows us to expand these educational efforts in powerful ways. Visitors will not only experience the beauty of natural habitats but also witness the dynamic process of ecological restoration firsthand. From prairie burns to wetland construction and species reintroduction, the site will become a living laboratory where people can learn about the complex relationships between land, water, plants, and animals.
Our vision is to turn this former course into a space that belongs to everyone. We are planning accessible trails and interpretive signage, so all members of the community, regardless of physical ability or background, can enjoy and learn from the landscape.
Operational Changes: Challenges and Opportunities
Acquiring and restoring this golf course presents both challenges and opportunities for our operations. One of the most immediate changes will be the land management responsibilities. Severson Dells Nature Center operates on a county forest preserve, so the county agency has maintained the land and the trails. With this purchase, Severson Dells will be the land holder and responsible for all of the habitat and trails, which will require increased staffing.
We have developed a comprehensive restoration plan that includes the removal of invasive species, replanting of native vegetation, and the establishment of trails for public access. The rewilding of the landscape will take time and careful management. Because we have the opportunity to essentially start from scratch, we want to be sure we take the time to do this restoration correctly the first time by investing the time to use conventional agriculture to rid the property of turf grass and flush the weed seed bank that has accumulated.
As we take on these responsibilities, we also recognize the opportunity to grow our team and deepen community involvement. We’ll be expanding our AmeriCorps program with support from the Climate Corps program, to add more AmeriCorps positions. This will allow more people to get hands-on experience in ecological restoration. Whether it's helping with prairie planting, monitoring wildlife, or building trails, this project offers opportunities for this restoration to provide meaningful training and workforce development in land stewardship.
Educational programming will also expand in response to this new landscape. We’ll develop new curricula focused on restoration ecology, allowing students and visitors to witness the transformation of the land over time. We’re especially excited to partner with local schools and universities, inviting students to participate in research and field studies to monitor change over time. The diversity of habitats we’re restoring—prairies, wetlands, woodlands—provides a rich resource for studying everything from soil health and hydrology to plant and animal interactions.
This expansion will also require us to rethink our infrastructure and visitor services. We’ll be developing trails, installing interpretive signage, and ensuring that visitors can access and enjoy the site. This means a careful balance between providing access and preserving the integrity of the restored areas, something that will be central to our planning process in the coming months.
A Growing National Trend: Converting Golf Courses to Natural Areas
Severson Dells’ decision to restore a golf course is part of a larger national movement. Across the country, we’re seeing more and more golf courses repurposed as natural areas, parks, and conservation lands. The Trust for Public Land has purchased and is restoring three shuttered courses in California. Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan purchased the Highlands Golf Club adjacent to their property and is currently working on its restoration. Summit Metro Parks in Akron, Ohio purchased and restored Valley View golf course to increase connectivity among its park properties. These are just a few of the many examples of golf course rewilding projects occurring across the country.
The environmental benefits of this trend are clear. Golf courses are often ecological deserts, supporting little biodiversity due to their emphasis on uniform, non-native turfgrass. Repurposing these lands offers a chance to restore native habitats, increase biodiversity, and improve the overall ecological health of the region. Wetlands, prairies, and woodlands, in particular, can provide critical habitat for wildlife, act as natural filters for stormwater, and mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon.
What’s driving this trend is also a shift in public values. As communities recognize the importance of green spaces, particularly in urban and suburban areas, there’s a growing desire for spaces that prioritize both people and the environment. Nature centers are uniquely positioned to lead these efforts because of our commitment to both conservation and education. By taking on these restoration projects, we’re not only creating spaces for wildlife to thrive but also educating the public about the importance of ecological restoration and sustainable land use.
Lessons for Other Nature Centers
This process has been both challenging and rewarding, and I believe there are valuable lessons that other nature centers can learn from our experience. A few of the key takeaways:
- The importance of partnerships. Restoring a large tract of land requires collaboration — whether it’s with local governments, conservation organizations, or volunteers. We’ve been fortunate to work with a wide range of partners who bring expertise, resources, and enthusiasm to the project.
- Engage your local elected officials early. I can’t understate this enough. Please reach out to your local elected officials about the project early and often. They can help you gauge community interest in the project, connect you with local, state and federal funds and connect you with businesses that may be seeking development opportunities that need or want to offset the impact of their development by supporting a project like this.
- Engage your key supporters early. Hopefully, you have a core group of folks that you can go to and say, “Hey, we’re considering this project. What do you think?” These conversations with key donors, past board members and other stakeholders were essential as we considered taking on this project. They brought thoughtful questions and considerations, gave us a list of other folks that we should talk to in the community that weren’t already connected to the nature center and have become a significant part of the campaign planning process.
I encourage other nature centers to think big. Restoring a golf course might seem like a daunting task, but it’s a powerful way to make a lasting impact on both the environment and the community. By turning these spaces into natural areas, we can address critical conservation issues while providing new opportunities for education and engagement.
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