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815 Outside Helps You Navigate Our Parks B
By Peggy Werner ecoming healthier in body, mind, and spirit is as simple as going outdoors to enjoy one of the many public parks and forest preserves on 20,000 beautiful acres in our region. Those who question where to go and what to do need look no further than 815 Outside, a project launched this spring that involves the county and nature organizations working together to promote adventure and help people to have fun outdoors. The website at 815outside.com helps people find what’s available by location, activity preferences and people types. The 815 Outside Facebook page has a list of free or low-cost events, plus tips and ideas for outdoor recreation. Ann Wasser, director of Severson Dells Nature Center, says both sites will be regularly updated and she expects the
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Smart Living Weekly
number of listings to grow as more people take advantage of the information provided. She hopes more and more people will explore areas of the county they haven’t visited or don’t know about. “If you’re not used to being out in nature, you may not know where to go or what to do, and that’s where 815 Outside is helpful, because people can find all the information they need in one place,” she says. For example, Cedar Cliff became a forest preserve last year and is a former farm that has a wooded area. The area where crops once were planted will become prairie. The 167-acre property is located along the Rock River in the southern part of the county near the Ogle County line and has 2 miles of trails with more in the works. Jamie Johannsen, director of
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marketing and community relations for the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, says the high dome-like cliffs provide a great place to view picturesque vistas of the Rock River. “This area was a famous picnic spot in the 1930s and ’40s, when the woods were not so dense. So, people have enjoyed this area for a long time, but now it is officially a public property,” she says. Johannsen says her hopes for 815 Outside are to promote healthier lifestyles and well-being by incorporating outdoors in everyone’s life plan. “Our natural resources are one of the great assets of living in Winnebago County and a lot of people don’t take advantage of what we have here. These public areas belong to people and are supported by taxpayers, but it’s not a part of everyone’s lifestyle. A lot of people know they
