TRAVERSE CITY -- Debuting for the community this weekend, the Boardman River Nature Center has been a long time coming.
The 7,000-square-foot educational facility of the Grand Traverse Conservation District is situated at the Sabin Pond Trailhead in the Nature Education Reserve just south of Traverse City. Coupled with the adjacent Oleson Pavilion, completed two years ago, the Boardman River Nature Center's meeting room, audio/visual room and exhibit areas provide boundless opportunities for community education and outreach.
"I think our community was ready and needed this, it was kind of surprising that our region so focused on natural resources didn't have one," said Rebecca Teahen, development director for the Grand Traverse Conservation District. "This should allow us to do more programs for more people."
The public is invited to a two-day party celebrating the new center: this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Activities for all ages include nature crafts, hikes and movies, kayaking, canoeing, geocaching, live raptor demonstrations by Wings of Wonder and jewelry making. Adults may enjoy native garden tours and homeowner workshops while special activities are planned for teens as well as toddlers.
The weekend's slice of fun reflects the myriad programs possible with the new nature center.
"It's just going to let us expand the opportunities for people in the community to come for nature-related activities," said Cindy Retherford, education specialist with the Grand Traverse Conservation District.
The indoor Boardman River Nature Center will help expand the organization's year-round nature hike program, which currently serves 2,000 people per a year. Rainy days will no longer thwart a planned expedition for a group or school class. Instead the attendees can head into the classroom for lessons.
"We had a few times of not being able to reschedule a group when it rained and this will give us the option of having something indoors in case of inclement weather," added Retherford. "But it also gives us the opportunity to show nature films and PowerPoint presentations in conjunction with a program."
The fundraising campaign to build the Boardman River Nature Center launched just after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This unfortunate timing sapped the effort and slowed momentum but Conservation District staff, the board and volunteers persevered.
The original concept of a Nature Center dates back to 1976, when Consumers Energy sold the 420 acres that became the Nature Education Reserve to the county for $1. An initiative to build it began in 1999.
"It's been a trek," said Lew Coulter, executive director of the organization. "It was perseverance on the community's part and people have been very generous and very patient with us because I think for the most part folks are expecting a campaign to last two or three years and this one lasted longer than that."
In June, the staff of the Conservation District relocated from their cramped Veterans Drive offices to the Nature Center. From the new location, they have a bird's-eye view of the many users of the Nature Education Reserve.
"What's really gratifying is to be out here and watch people using it and actually being excited it," said Coulter. "Sort of like being at the house by the side of road, it's really fun. We've got windows we can look out all the time and see what we're trying to protect."
Protection came in the form of green building techniques as much as the budget allowed. Some features of this commitment include using insulated concrete forms in construction for an energy-efficient building, a biomass boiler and both native plant and rainwater gardens.
For more information about the Grand Traverse Conservation District, call 941-0960 or see www.gtcd.org or www.natureiscalling.org.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Discuss this story
