Natural Land Institute presents Wine and Brew at Nygren Wetland Preserve

By Jean Seegers

REPORTER

A party on the prairie was held at Nygren Wetland Preserve, 3190 West Rockton Road on Saturday, July 16.  Hundreds of guests gathered under a large open tent for an afternoon of music, a variety of wine and beer samplings, and gourmet honky-tonk picnic cuisine catered by Toni’s of Winnebago.

The fundraising event was presented by Natural Land Institute to support Nygren Wetland Preserve.

Artale & Company provided a unique selection of self-sustainable farmed and Bio Dynamic wine.

For those preferring beer, Prairie Street Brewing Company offered dandelion beer made especially for the event.  Generations Brewing Company from Freeport and Lena Brewing Company offered samples of their hand-crafted beers.

Swingbilly RFD, a home-grown Rockford-based band featuring Tony Berkman (drums); Doc Ketner, (steel guitar, vocals); Jon Rozman (fiddle); George Wulf (guitar, vocals) and Zac Wulf (upright bass) entertained the crowd.

Guests were encouraged to take a private tour or stroll on their own through the prairies and the Anne Meyer Wildflower garden.

Nature Poetry & Prose, Aug. 4, at 6:30 p.m, is coming up next at Nygren Wetlands, Thursday, Aug. 4. Fall Prairie Harvest is Saturday, Sept. 10, at 9 a.m., and OAKtober Hike at Burr Oak Valley Preserve follows on Oct. 22.

For information, call the Natural Land Institute at 815-964-6666 or view their website at www.NaturalLand.org.