List of nature centers in Michigan

Last updated

This is a list of nature centers and environmental education centers in the state of Michigan.

Contents

To use the sortable tables: click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

NameLocationCountyRegionSummary
Bay City Recreation Area Bay City Bay Flint/Tri-Cities 2,100-acre state park, Saginaw Bay Visitor Center features an exhibit hall with interactive natural history displays, a 100-seat auditorium, environmental education programs are offered year round for the public, school groups and other groups
Blandford Nature Center Grand Rapids Kent West Michigan website, 264 acres [1]
Boardman River Nature Center Traverse City Grand Traverse Northern Michigan 505 acres, operated by the Grand Traverse Conservation District
Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center Shelby Township Macomb Southeastern Michigan website, operated by the town in River Bends Park
Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens Grand Rapids Kent West Michigan website, 104 acres, Bunker Interpretive Center, native demonstration gardens, education programs
Chippewa Nature Center Midland Midland Flint/Tri-CitiesOver 1,348 acres with 15 miles of trails, hands-on exhibits of the different types of ecosystems found at the center
Dahlem Environmental Education Center Jackson Jackson Central Michigan website, operated by the Dahlem Conservancy, almost 300 acres
Degraaf Nature Center Holland Allegan West Michigan website, operated by the city, 18 acres
DeVries Nature Conservancy Owosso Shiawassee Central Michigan website, 136 acres, over 4 miles of trails, farm, historic carriage and sleigh museum, nature playscape, nature programs, gardens
Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve Rochester Oakland Southeastern Michigan website, 16 acres including Paint Creek, trails connect to Paint Creek Trail, owned by City of Rochester, operated by non-profit Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve. Open Friday, Saturday, & Sunday afternoons, trails open dawn-dusk 7 days. nature programs for all ages, birthday parties, Children's Garden
Drayton Plains Nature Center Waterford OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, 137 acres, operated by the town
Eddy Discovery Center Chelsea Jackson Central MichiganLocated in Waterloo State Recreation Area, features exhibits on the geology, natural history and cultural history of Waterloo State Recreation Area, 21,000 acres
Farmington Hills Nature Center Farmington Hills OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, located in 211-acre Heritage Park, exhibits, backyard habitat bird viewing area, native fish aquariums, a nature library, hands-on tables, Discovery Cove, operated by the city
Fenner Nature Center Lansing Ingham Central Michigan website, 130 acres with 4 miles of trails
Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve Niles Berrien West Michigan105 acre (42 ha) arboretum, botanical garden and nature preserve with a nature center
Flynn Township Nature Center Flynn Township Sanilac The Thumb Flynn Township Nature Center and Conservation/Game Area is open to the public and allows hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities. [2]
For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum Burton Genesee Flint/Tri-Cities website, operated by the county, 383 acres, 7 miles of hiking trails, gardens, education programs
Grass River Natural Area Bellaire Antrim Northern Michigan website, 1,443 acres, Grass River Center, managed by Grass River Natural Area, Inc.
Harris Nature Center Okemos InghamCentral Michigan website, operated by the town
Hartley Outdoor Education Center St. Charles Saginaw Flint/Tri-Cities300 acres, owned and operated by the Saginaw Intermediate School District
Hawk Woods Nature Center Auburn Hills OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, 80 acres, operated by the City
Hoffmaster State Park Muskegon Muskegon West MichiganGillette Sand Dune Visitor Center features exhibits and programs about the dunes ecosystem
Howard Christensen Nature Center Kent City Kent West Michigan website, 130 acres, Red Pine Interpretive Center
Howell Nature Center Howell Livingston Southeastern Michigan website, about 300 acres, education, recreation and wildlife facility, residential and day programs
Hudson Mills Metropark Ann Arbor Washtenaw Southeastern Michigan1,549 acres, Activity Center features exhibits on butterflies, Hudson Mills history and tree identification, nature trails, programs
Huron County Nature Center Port Austin Huron Flint/Tri-Cities website, 280 acres
Indian Springs Metropark White Lake OaklandSoutheastern Michigan2,215 acres park including the Environmental Discovery Center with an underwater pond viewing room
E. L. Johnson Nature Center Bloomfield Hills OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, 40 acres, over 2 miles of trails, visitor center with exhibits, 1800s homestead, operated by the school system
Kalamazoo Nature Center Kalamazoo Kalamazoo West Michigan website, 1,487 acres, over 14 miles of trails
Kensington Park Nature Center Milford OaklandSoutheastern Michigan4,481 acres
Lake St. Clair Metropark Harrison Township MacombSoutheastern Michigan770 acres, nature center features live reptiles and amphibians, exhibits on Lake St. Clair, the wetlands, wildlife, and use of the area by French Voyageurs
Leslie Science & Nature Center Ann Arbor Washtenaw Southeastern Michigan website, animal house open on weekends, grounds, trails, and raptor enclosures open every day
Love Creek Nature Center BerrienBerrienWest Michigan website, located in Love Creek County Park
Marshlands Museum and Nature Center Brownstown Wayne Southeastern MichiganLocated in Lake Erie Metropark, natural and cultural history of Southeastern Michigan
MooseWood Nature Center Marquette Marquette Upper Peninsula of Michigan website, located in Presque Isle Park
Nankin Mills Nature Center Westland WayneSoutheastern MichiganOperated by the county in a historic grist mill
Nature Discovery Williamston InghamCentral Michigan website, features Michigan reptiles and amphibians
Nature Education Center at Hemlock Crossing Park West Olive Ottawa West Michigan website, 239 acres, exhibits, wildlife viewing area and a gift shop, operated by the County
Nichols Arboretum Ann Arbor Washtenaw Southeastern Michigan123 acres, operated by the University of Michigan, features the James D. Reader Jr. Urban Environmental Education Center in Washington Heights
Oakwoods Park Nature Center Belleville WayneSoutheastern Michigan1,756 acres, nature center features 700 gallon turtle tan, live snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders and fish on display
Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway Holland Ottawa West Michigan website, 136 acre nature preserve, protects 1200 acres along the Macatawa River
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Hastings Barry West Michigan website, 742 acres, mix between a nature center and biological field station
Pine River Nature Center Goodells St. Clair Metro Detroit website, Approximately 80 acres, focus is programs for area schools, owned and operated by the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency. Universally Accessible Treehouse. Free.
Raven Hill Discovery Center East Jordan Charlevoix Northern MichiganIndoor and outdoor exhibits on science, nature, art and history, 157 acres
Red Oaks Nature Center Madison Heights OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, operated by the Fox Valley Parks District, located in the George W. Suarez Friendship Woods, formerly the Madison Heights Nature Center
Sarett Nature Center Benton Harbor BerrienWest Michigan website, eight miles of trails through its 1000 acres
Seven Ponds Nature Center Dryden Lapeer Flint/Tri-Cities website, 468 acres on two sites
Stage Nature Center Troy OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, programs operated by the Troy Nature Society, 100 acres owned by the city
Sterling Heights Nature Center Sterling Heights MacombSoutheastern Michigan website, operated by the city
Stony Creek Metropark Nature Center Shelby MacombSoutheastern Michigan4,461-acre park with over 8 miles of trails, nature center features live displays, snakes, turtles and fish
Stubnitz Environmental Education Center Adrian Lenawee Southeastern Michigan website, operated by the Lenawee Intermediate School District, located in Heritage Park
Thorne Swift Nature Preserve Harbor Springs Emmet Northern Michigan website, 30 acres, includes the Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center, operated by the Little Traverse Conservancy
Thurston Nature Center Ann Arbor Washtenaw Southeastern Michigan website, 20 acres including 7 acre pond, managed by a volunteer committee of Thurston Elementary School
University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center Dearborn WayneSoutheastern Michigan website, 300 acres, operated by the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory Paradise Chippewa Upper Peninsula of MichiganSeasonal public programs
Whitehouse Nature Center Albion Calhoun West Michigan website, operated by Albion College, 135 acre outdoor education facility
Wint Nature Center Clarkston OaklandSoutheastern Michigan website, operated by the County in 1,276-acre Independence Oaks Park
Wittenbach/Wege Environmental Center Lowell Kent West Michigan website, 140 acres, owned by Lowell School District, outdoor learning center, community garden
Woldumar Nature Center Lansing Eaton Central Michigan website, 178 acres, over 5 miles of trails, outreach and on-site Environmental Education programs for children as well as adults

Resources

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Sydney (8 September 2019). "Blandford Nature Center Begins Demolition as Part of $6.6M Highlands Restoration Project". MiBiz. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "Sanilac Conservation District". Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.