Earth Day Clean Up efforts along the Rock River by McDonald’s employees

To celebrate Earth Day a group of Stateline area McDonald’s employees and their family members pitched in to clean up an area along the Rock River and Turtle Creek at Nature At The Confluence, 306 Dickop Street, South Beloit, Illinois. The cleanup crew was coordinated by manager Dan Beyer and was comprised of crew members from several area McDonald’s restaurants owned by Guy Bucciferro. The cleanup crew also distributed Milkweed seeds in the area to help with the Rock River Trail’s efforts to improve Monarch butterfly habitat along the Rock River corridor.

Thank you so much for volunteering to make a difference on Earth Day!   ‪#‎earthday‬ ‪#‎rockrivertrail‬ ‪#‎mcdonaldsrocks‬!

About Nature At The Confluence

Nature at The Confluence is an initiative to transform the area of land where Turtle Creek meets the Rock River into a community space that celebrates the natural and historical significance of the land. The land was used as dumping ground for nearly 100 years, so the Confluence is an appropriate site to tell a very important story about urban ecology and restoration. During the next few years the land will be transformed into an outdoor recreation and education center that will provide nature-based programs for a local and regional audience.

The focal point of this project is the “Confluence Center” and construction will begin this Spring to transform this derelict property into a beautiful community asset. The public is invited to view the project’s progress and enjoy nature-based activities for all ages at “Meet Me At the Confluence 2016” held on Saturday, June 18, 2016, 10:00 a.m-2:00 p.m.

Located halfway along the newly designated national Rock River Trail, this land has been used and explored by humans for more than 13,000 years. In the late 1820s and early 1830s, the area was the site of one of the major villages of the Ho-Chunk. An 1834 General Land Office sketch shows Turtle Village at the Confluence and it was reported that lodges there housed over 600 inhabitants.

It is hoped that the Nature at The Confluence project will be a catalyst in stimulating adjacent redevelopment. Partners in this private-public initiative include Beloit 2020, City of South Beloit, South Beloit Public Library, Be Active Outdoors, Rocktown Adventures, and other community groups and organizations

Learn more about Nature At The Confluence at www.natureattheconfluence.com. Email info@naturettheconfluence.com or call (815) 200-6910