FIELD NOTES BLOG

Join us at Fore the Prairie!

Linda Sandquist
January 28, 2026

Resting up from the NFL playoffs and getting ready for the Super Bowl? Looking for a unique event this weekend? Join us at Fore the Prairie, a family-friendly event focusing on the restoration of the former Elliot Golf Course with a golf twist.


In 2024, Severson Dells Education Foundation purchased 168 acres of the shuttered Elliot Golf Course for the purpose of transforming it into a natural preserve that will serve the community with nature education for all ages. Since then, turf grass and non-native trees have been removed and now it’s time to plant a prairie.


We will be bombing 50 acres of tilled soil with golfball size prairie seed balls. The balls can be hit with a golf club or shot from a three person sling shot. The seed balls will lay dormant and, as the soil warms up, they will come to life and be the first seedlings on the new prairie.


This is only one of the events happening at Fore the Prairie. You can play in a golf simulator, participate in tabletop miniature golf, learn about our restoration of the golf course, and enjoy some hot cocoa and roast some s’mores. You’ll also be able to participate in a ticketed silent auction and see the plans for our Buy an Acre project which will allow you to purchase part of or an entire acre to support the rewilding project. 


Free and open to the public, activities will be ticketed at an affordable price with all proceeds going toward the restoration of the former Elliot Golf Course. For more information on how to support Severson Dells go to SeversonDells.org/ForeThePrairie


RECENT ARTICLES

Caroline's Farewell

By Caroline Pacheco • August 20, 2026
It is hard to believe that it has already been a year since I came to Rockford and started at Wild Roots Nature Center. It’s even harder to believe that my time as an AmeriCorps member here is ending.

Olivia's Farewell

By Olivia Price • August 13, 2026
As the goldenrod has begun to bloom over the past week, the prairie has started to look closer to how it did when I first started my AmeriCorps term here last fall. I have loved spending so much time on this land for the past year, a year which has been hallmarked by the breathtaking colors, sounds, and smells that the forest and prairie have taken on as the seasons turned. Being a witness to this nearly everyday has changed me for the better, and I will forever be grateful to have gotten to know this place and its people.

Lowdown With Linda: Field Trips

By Linda Sandquist • August 6, 2026
Remember how excited you were when you got to go on a school field trip? Whether it was to a zoo, a play, or a forest preserve, you were excited! A day out of school; something new to look at; and the chance to sit by your best friend on the bus.