Chippewa Nature Center facts for kids
Chippewa Nature Center logo
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| Founder(s) | Eugene Kenaga, Mark Wolf, Virginia Kolb, Howard Garrett, Lawrence Southwick & Charles Lanigan | ||||||||||||||
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| Type | Educational | ||||||||||||||
| Founded | April 11, 1966 | ||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | 400 South Badour Road | ||||||||||||||
| Origins | Midland Nature Club | ||||||||||||||
| Key people | Dennis Pilaske, Executive Director | ||||||||||||||
| Area served | Tri-Cities (Michigan) | ||||||||||||||
| Mission | "To connect all people with nature through educational, recreational and cultural experiences." | ||||||||||||||
| Revenue | $2.1 million | ||||||||||||||
| Volunteers | 300 | ||||||||||||||
| Employees | 40 | ||||||||||||||
| Members | 1,581 | ||||||||||||||
| Motto | Venture out! | ||||||||||||||
| Formerly called | Nature Day Camp | ||||||||||||||
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The Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) is a special place in Michigan where you can explore nature! It's a non-profit group that teaches people about the outdoors. The center protects over 1,500 acres (about 6 square kilometers) of forests, rivers, and wetlands. It's one of the biggest nature centers in the United States.
Contents
Discover the Chippewa Nature Center
How the Nature Center Started
The idea for a local nature center began in 1963 with the Midland Nature Club. They wanted a place where everyone could learn about nature. In 1964, they asked the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation for help.
The foundation owned a perfect spot: 198 acres where the Pine River meets the Chippewa River. The new nature center was given a ten-year lease for this land. Later, more land was added as the center grew.
Early Programs and Buildings
The first program, a Nature Day Camp, started in the summer of 1966. It's still one of the center's longest-running activities today! In 1967, a special Nature Study Building was opened. It was designed by a famous architect named Alden B. Dow. This building became the home for the day camp.
In 1968, the CNC teamed up with Midland Public Schools to create an environmental education program. As more programs for adults and families were added, they needed more space. The Dow Chemical Company Foundation generously gave $1 million to build a larger facility.
Growing and Expanding
Construction began in 1973, and just 18 months later, the "Interpretive Building" was ready. This building had a wildlife viewing area, classrooms, an auditorium, and space for exhibits and offices. Years later, it was renamed the "Visitor Center."
In 1975, the Herbert and Grace Dow Foundation officially gave the land to the CNC. Thanks to support from the community and other foundations, the center has continued to grow. It now offers many nature and environmental programs for all ages.
Explore the Nature Center's Facilities
The Chippewa Nature Center has 19 miles (about 30 kilometers) of trails that are open every day from dawn until dark. There is no charge to visit the Visitor Center or walk the trails. Many programs are free or cost very little. In winter, you can even go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing!
The center offers educational programs for everyone, from young children to senior adults. Its property includes over three miles of shoreline along the Pine and Chippewa Rivers. The Oxbow pond was once part of the Chippewa River until a flood in 1912 changed its path. Other ponds on the property were made by people.
Main Buildings and Attractions
- The Visitor Center: This building has lots to see!
- The Nature Center Store sells books, gifts, and items related to nature.
- At the Naturalist Station, you can ask experts almost any question about the outdoors.
- The River Overlook offers amazing views of the Pine River through huge windows.
- The Bur Oak Theater shows different short videos about nature.
- The Ecosystem Gallery has "hands-on" exhibits about the different types of natural areas at the center. It also has a live Reptile and Amphibian Exhibit, showing animals in their natural homes.
- Nature Preschool Center: The Margaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker Nature Preschool Center and the Alden B. Dow-designed Nature Study building are home to the Nature Preschool. This is one of only 40 such preschools in the United States, offering special learning for 3 and 4-year-olds.
- Nature Day Camp: This camp has been offered every summer since 1966. It's available for children aged 3 to 16. Kids also come here for school camps to learn about nature.
- Wigwam: A wigwam was built in 1998. It's used for showing traditional Native American skills, like tanning animal hides or making cords.
- Bird Banding: Since 2004, the center has been banding birds in the summer. This helps scientists study birds.
- Maple Syrup Production: The CNC has a "sugar bush" where maple trees produce sap. An old farmhouse from 1868 was moved and rebuilt into a "sugar shack." Here, they boil the sap over a wood fire to make delicious maple syrup!
Outdoor Trails to Explore
- Chippewa Trail: This paved trail is 3.5 miles long. It runs from downtown Midland to the CNC. You can ride bicycles and other non-motorized wheels on this trail, but not inside the nature center itself. Signs along the path explain interesting natural and historical facts.
- Arboretum Trail: This trail has two parts. One part shows different types of trees grouped by their family. The other part shows how trees grow together in different forest types, like a "Northern Hardwood" forest.
- Homestead Trail: This trail takes you past an 1870s farm area. You'll see a log cabin, barn, root cellar, and even a one-room schoolhouse. The staff grows old-fashioned vegetables and herbs and raises farm animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. They even donate over 600 pounds of organic produce to a local food bank each year!
- Wetlands Trail: This 1.7-mile trail goes through marshes and bogs. It uses boardwalks and docks to help you explore different ecosystems.
- River Trail: This trail follows the Chippewa River and shows an old riverbed.
- Ridge Trail: This trail follows a sandy ridge from an ancient lake. You can see fields that are slowly turning into woodlands.
- Wildflower Walkway: From late spring to early fall, this walkway is full of beautiful native Michigan wildflowers.
Amazing Wildlife at CNC
The Chippewa Nature Center is home to many different animals. Along the rivers, you might spot kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, wood ducks, warblers, and even bald eagles. Look for great horned and barred owls too!
Animals that live in and around the water include North American river otters, American mink, beavers, muskrats, and raccoons. These animals are often most active at dawn and dusk. You'll also commonly see deer, woodchucks, chipmunks, and squirrels throughout the center.
Research and Conservation
The Chippewa Nature Center works with scientists on research projects that help protect nature. These projects include studying local plants and animals, tracking frogs and toads, counting butterflies, and managing deer populations. They also work to control invasive plants that can harm the environment.
Scientists from universities and other organizations also conduct studies here. For example, they've looked at wildlife health, tested river sediments, and studied tree diseases. The center helps monitor monarch butterfly larvae and works with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on lamprey control.
Modern Updates and Green Building
The Chippewa Nature Center has made many improvements to its buildings to be more environmentally friendly. In 2010, the Visitor Center got a big renovation.
The new Margaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker Nature Preschool Center was built as a "green building." This means it was designed to be very good for the environment. It received a special award called LEED Gold Certification, which shows it meets high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability. It was the first building in Midland to get this award!
This building can hold 88 students and has many features to save energy:
- Solar panels create electricity.
- Solar collectors heat water for the building.
- Dual-flush toilets save water.
- Windows and overhangs are placed to let in natural light and allow for natural airflow.
- Special structural insulated panels help keep heating and cooling costs down.
- Rainwater from the roof is collected and used for watering plants.
- Geothermal systems use the earth's temperature to help with heating and cooling.
