815 Outside Helps You Navigate Our Parks & Preserves

815 Outside Helps You Navigate Our Parks

By Peggy Werner

Becoming 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 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 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 should get outdoors more and think they will, but we want people to act on their plans and make being outdoors part of their lives year round,” she says.

Wasser is one of the organizers of 815 Outside and said the idea grew out of Severson Dells’ annual fundraiser called “Unplug to Connect,” which emphasized the benefits of disconnecting from screens and spending time in nature. Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney was at the fundraiser and spearheaded the idea for 815 Outside, saying the county’s natural assets are “one of the best kept secrets.”

Johannsen notes that many of the same people regularly take advantage of nature offerings, which she hopes will have wider appeal in the future because of the creation of 815 Outside. For quite some time, she has also worked with healthcare providers to get their clients and employees involved in nature.

With the recent expansion of all three health care systems in the Rockford area, it’s only natural that people will be more conscientious of their health, she says.

Research has shown that getting outdoors will help people to relax, lose weight, be inspired and improve overall health. However, in spite of the many natural resources available, Winnebago County is ranked the third unhealthiest county in the state, according to Illinois Public Health Department statistics.

Improved tourism is another goal of 815 Outside, which works to attract the attention of people living outside of the county who are looking for places to bike, hike, canoe, kayak and enjoy other recreational opportunities.

Jack Armstrong, a nature educator and board member for both Severson Dells Nature Center and Rockford Park District, says “Getting away from screens and being outside helps kids learn better and improves their attention span.”

815 Outside partners include Winnebago County, Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Severson Dells Nature Center, Natural Land Institute, Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, Nature at the Confluence, Rockford Park District and Klehm Arboretum. ❚