Tips for your trip:

We welcome you to come out and enjoy the great outdoors at The Nature Institute any day of the year, from sunrise to sunset.

If you plan to hike, be sure to wear supportive shoes, let someone know you are going, and use extreme caution around the bluffs. Hikers should also be aware of poison ivy and the various wildlife that live in and around TNI.

Several tracts of our property are dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves that are permanently protected under state law due to the rare plants and animals that are present here. As such, please observe the following rules when accessing the preserves:

Only picnic at or around Talahi Lodge - tables, shade, and restrooms are available here as well
Pack out what you pack in - there are recycling and trash bins located at the Lodge
No picking or collecting (flowers, mushrooms, rocks, etc.)
No fires, fireworks, or smoking
No motorized vehicles or bicycles on trails

Questions before you come? Call 618-466-9930.

Visit

Olin Nature Preserve

Once owned by John M. Olin, this 294-acre preserve has been dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve and will forever be protected. It is a rare and unique property that has been the site of numerous studies on flora and fauna. For nearly 20 years, volunteers and staff have actively maintained its natural beauty by removing invasive plants and replanting native species of tallgrass prairie, oak and hickory trees and other Illinois vegetation. The Olin Nature Preserve overlooks the Mississippi River and contains steep limestone bluffs and other features of karst topography including sinkholes, ravines and bedrock outcrops. Visitors will also find small streams, a waterfall, upland forest and hill prairies. Researchers have identified more than 300 native plant species, more than 150 species of nesting and migratory birds and nesting and den sites for the Bald Eagle and Eastern Timber Rattlesnake. Olin's presence is still felt on the property at his former skeet range. Here, the original trap houses and shooting stations have been restored and are maintained by The Nature Institute. Sitting 150 feet above the river valley, the site offers visitors a spectacular view of the Mississippi River Valley.

The preserve is open to the public for hiking every day from dawn to dusk. Download a map.

Mississippi Sanctuary

Mississippi Sanctuary Located along the Mississippi River, this 46-acre preserve contains a representative spectrum of the area's landscape features and natural communities including limestone bluffs, sinkholes, bottom land forests and upland hill prairies. The Sanctuary was dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve in 1993 and was donated to The Nature Institute by James and Aune Nelson in 1997.

In addition to the natural features of the land, The Nature Institute manages a large arboretum planted by Jim Nelson, which includes many varieties of trees. Our stewardship efforts on the preserve include exotic species control, expansion of the hill prairie, photo monitoring and prescribed fire in the forest and prairie areas. The Sanctuary has an extensive network of trails and is used regularly for environmental education and outreach.

The preserve is open to the public for hiking every day from dawn to dusk. Download a map.

Kemp and Cora Hutchinson Bird Sanctuary

The Kemp and Cora Hutchinson Bird Sanctuary is also a dedicated nature preserve. The 42-acre preserve is named after the parents of the donor, Tom Hutchinson. More than 150 native plant species were planted at the sanctuary over a two-year period. You can see a variety of birds and other wildlife from the observation deck on Levis Lane or by hiking through the preserve on our mowed trails. Volunteers and staff continue to meticulously rid the prairie of invasive plants and use prescribed fire to help with the restoration progress.

The preserve is open to the public for hiking every day from dawn to dusk.

Freeman, Metzger, Larson Savanna

Freeman, metzger, Larson Savanna

The Freemen, Metzger, Larson Savanna illustrates a special part of Illinois’ natural history. Oak savannas were once common in our state, with a mosaic setting of grasses, shrubs and an open oak tree canopy that let sunlight reach the ground. This 10-acre savanna, located near the end of Levis Lane, is gradually being restored and will serve as a reminder of what once covered vast portions of Illinois. TNI’s stewardship crew uses prescribed burns, exotic species control and other land management techniques to help the savanna thrive.

Heartland Prairie

In partnership with the City of Alton, The Nature Institute has actively managed the 60-acre Heartland Prairie Project, located on the north side of Gordon Moore Park, for more than 30 years. From the first planting by Sierra Club members in 1977 to current stewardship activities, the Heartland Prairie Project continues to be a top priority of TNI and its dedicated volunteers. Boasting more than 150 native prairie plant species and harboring a large variety of grassland-dependent birds, Heartland gives visitors a glimpse into the past. TNI stewardship staff use prescribed fire and other land management strategies to control invasive species and promote a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem.

Cypress Pond

Cypress Pond is TNI's most recently acquired property and serves as a 7-acre buffer to our core preserves. After years of neglect, the 1-acre pond on site was slowly becoming a lifeless mud puddle. With a grant from Illinois American Water and assistance from Great Rivers Land Trust, TNI was able to restore this body of water to its original state. After removal of almost 10 feet of silt and construction of a storm water retention basin, Cypress Pond is again a habitable ecosystem for fish, reptiles, birds and amphibians. Wildlife benefit from its clean, oxygen-balanced water and our educators use the site to teach a variety of aquatic curricula.