CHIPPEWA NATURE CENTER
400 S BADOUR RD, MIDLAND, MI 48640 www.chippewanaturecenter.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE CHIPPEWA NATURE CENTER IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO FACILITATE THE ENJOYMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATURAL, HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AS RELEVANT TO THE SAGINAW VALLEY, TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND TO FOSTER RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP.

DEPARTMENT OF PROGRAMS: THIS YEAR WAS A YEAR OF TRANSITION AND CHANGE FOR THE STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PROGRAMS. IN JANUARY 2019, MICHELLE FOURNIER WAS PROMOTED TO PUBLIC PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND VICTORIA ZABLOCKI WAS PROMOTED TO SCHOOL PROGRAM COORDINATOR. THESE CHANGES POSITION THE DEPARTMENT FOR FUTURE GROWTH, AS WELL AS PROVIDING THE BEST SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR CURRENT STAFF. JEANNE HENDERSON, INTERPRETIVE NATURALIST, RETIRED IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND CATHY FITZPATRICK, HISTORICAL INTERPRETER, MOVED SOUTHWARD, ACCEPTING ANOTHER POSITION IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. WE WELCOMED LINDSEY HARRELL, INTERPRETIVE NATURALIST, IN EARLY OCTOBER AND CORRINE BLOOMFIELD, HISTORICAL INTERPRETER JOINED THE TEAM IN EARLY JANUARY 2020. IN ADDITION, NATURE PRESCHOOL WELCOMED TEACHERS HALEY SMITH AND MAGGIE MCGUIRE IN AUGUST 2019 AFTER THE DEPARTURES OF CARRI MCGUIRE AND ERICA HINSTON. A NUMBER OF MAJOR EVENTS ARE OFFERED EACH YEAR INCLUDING CELEBRATIONS OF THE SOLSTICES, GROUNDHOGS DAY, EARTH DAY AND MORE. OUR LONG-STANDING, MAJOR FESTIVALS HAVE BECOME TRADITIONS FOR MANY OF OUR GUESTS AND 2019 WAS NO DIFFERENT. ONCE AGAIN, DROP-IN ATTENDANCE GREW WITH 28,450 VISITORS STOPPING BY THE VISITOR CENTER OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 8,000 VISITORS PER YEAR OVER FIVE YEARS AGO. THIS DOES NOT CAPTURE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO BYPASS THE VISITOR CENTER AND HIT THE TRAILS, VISIT THE HOMESTEAD FARM, VISIT THE WOODS NATURE PLAY AREA OR HAVE A QUIET LUNCH OUTDOORS. WHILE MANY VISITORS SIMPLY ENJOY THE EXHIBITS AND EXPLORE THE TRAILS, 4,917 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN 214 FREE DROP-IN PROGRAMS SUCH AS STORY HOUR, HOMESTEAD SUNDAY, LOCAL BIRD AND FALL COLOR HIKES, AND TURTLE TIMES. THESE PROGRAMS ENGAGE VISITORS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND AT DIFFERENT PLACES ON THEIR JOURNEY WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NATURAL WORLD. FOR ITS 53RD SEASON, NATURE DAY CAMP HAD YET ANOTHER FANTASTIC SUMMER THIS YEAR, CAMP FILLED 1077 INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS, TWENTY MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS 2018 RECORD. ALSO, 82 CAMPERS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND. FOR THE THIRD TIME, CAMP PROVIDED A BEFORE & AFTERCARE PROGRAM AT THE HOMESTEAD FARM SERVING 112 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, UP 17% FROM LAST YEAR. THE ADVENTURE CAMP PROGRAM WAS AT 100% OF ITS CAPACITY. IN REGARDS TO THE ENTIRE CAMP PROGRAM, 1,116 SPOTS WERE AVAILABLE AT CAMP, MEANING WE WERE 96.5% FULL. AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, 177 CHILDREN REMAINED ON WAITLISTS FOR VARIOUS SESSIONS. (MOST NOTABLE, THE BUDDING NATURALIST SERIES, NATURALIST-IN-TRAINING SERIES, ADVENTURE CAMPS, AND THE ADVENTURE TRIPS.) AS WE LOOK TOWARD 2020, THE DEPARTMENT OF PROGRAMS IS CONTINUING TO EVALUATE OUR OFFERINGS TO ENSURE WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF OUR DIVERSE USERS AS WELL AS SEEKING WAYS TO CONNECT WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET DISCOVERED CNC.

LAND AND FACILITIES: DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP OF THE ARBURY PROPERTY, STAFF WERE ABLE TO BEGIN EXPLORING THE NEW PROPERTY, INVENTORYING THE FLORA AND FAUNA AND BEGIN UNDERSTANDING THE KEY FEATURES AND ECOLOGY OF THE LAND. CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CHILDRENS GARDEN, BUILDING A HOPPS POLE IN THE MAIN GARDEN AND PUTTING IN DEMONSTRATION GRAIN PLOTS IN NEAR THE SCHOOLHOUSE ALL HELPED MAKE THE HOMESTEAD AREA AN AREA OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND A PLACE OF LEARNING. FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, WARM WINTER TEMPERATURES AND LITTLE SNOW RESULTED IN LITTLE CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING, BUT WAS OVERALL GREAT FOR HIKING. THREE VERY LARGE FLOODS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR RESULTED IN OCCASIONAL TRAIL CLOSURES AND A REROUTE DUE TO HEAVY EROSION. TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS THAT OCCURRED IN 2019 INCLUDED: REPLACING THE OLD AND SLIPPERY PLANK BOARDWALK IN THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE WETLANDS TRAIL WITH WOODCHIPS BUILDING AN OVERLOOK STRUCTURE IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE WOOD DUCK POND AREA TO HELP INTERPRET THE GRAVEL MINING THAT TOOK PLACE AT CNC HISTORICALLY, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A WEATHER SHELTER CLOSER TO THE OXBOW THE TRAIL TO THE LOWER TIER OF THE WETLANDS TOWER WAS ASPHALTED AND A NEW ADA PARKING SPOT WAS ADDED THE CHIPPEWA TRAIL WAS CRACK-SEALED FROM GREY ROAD TO THE CITY BALLFIELDS ARBORETUM HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDED PLANTING AND CAGING 33 NEW SPECIMEN TREES AND SHRUBS, PLANTING TWO AREAS TO NATIVE GRASS AND WILDFLOWERS (1.5 ACRES) AND GETTING TWO NEW DONOR TREES.

VOLUNTEERS AND OUTREACH: DURING 2019 THE DEPARTMENT OF VOLUNTEERS AND OUTREACH PARTICIPATED IN 29 EVENTS IN FIVE COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES BAY REGION. MANY EVENTS HAVE BECOME ANNUAL EVENTS INCLUDING THE MT. PLEASANT DISCOVERY MUSEUMS DAY OF PLAY, COMMUNITY FIELD DAY AT GREEN POINT ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER, RIVERDAYS, KIDS DAY AT THE MALL AND FUN IN THE PARK IN CLARE; WHILE OTHERS EVENTS SUCH AS A BOOTH AT THE CAN COUNCILS DUCK DERBY AND AT THE MIDLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS HALLOWEEN BASH WERE NEW EVENTS IN 2019. THIS DEPARTMENT ALSO PARTICIPATES HEALTH FAIRS, SCHOOL FAMILY FUN NIGHTS AND A VARIETY OF EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES. ALL OF CNC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE THE NATURE CENTER AND OUR PROGRAMS WHILE INCLUDING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES TO THOSE VISITING OUR BOOTH. CHIPPEWA NATURE CENTER WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE 941 VOLUNTEERS WHO SHARED THEIR TIME (A TOTAL OF 13,604 HOURS), TALENTS AND EXPERTISE AT CNC DURING 2019. THE ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS VOLUNTEERS HELP WITH ARE QUITE DIVERSE FROM FACE PAINTING TO COOKING SAUSAGES TO CRAFTS AND ADMISSION GATE DURING OUR MANY SPECIAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SHARE THEIR TIME DURING SUMMER VACATION AS NATURE DAY CAMP CITS WHILE ADULTS (AND TEENS) CAN BE SEEN HELPING WITH VARIETY OF LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS INCLUDING MAINTAINING THE TRAILS AND PROPERTY FOR USERS TO ENJOY. OTHER VOLUNTEERS SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE BY ASSISTING WITH WIDE RANGE OF PROJECTS FROM RECORD KEEPING, TO COOKING, SPINNING AND PLAYING GAMES AT THE HOMESTEAD, TO SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES.

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