New Restoration Ecologist joins NLI staff

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Gazette
New Restoration Ecologist Tyler Pellegrini

Tyler Pellegrini joined the Natural Land Institute staff on Dec. 2 as the Restoration Ecologist. Tyler assists the Director of Stewardship with all aspects of managing NLI’s preserves; including native seed collection, invasive species control, prescribed burning, greenhouse cultivation, and developing management plans. Tyler is originally from Sandwich, Illinois. He trained as a mechanic after high school, served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, and then obtained a degree in Environmental Science from Northern Illinois University. Tyler started out his habitat restoration career at Nachusa Grasslands and currently resides in Creston, Illinois with his wife Jaimie and 7-month old daughter Hadley. In his spare time, Tyler enjoys canoeing, hiking, gardening, and serving as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT with the Creston Fire Department.

About the Natural Land Institute

The Natural Land Institute, an accredited land trust, is a 501(c)3, non-for-profit land conservation organization based in Rockford, Illinois and has protected more than 17,300 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. Their current service area covers twelve counties in northern Illinois. NLI’s mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. For more information and to donate: www.NaturalLand.org.