What Far Reaching
Benefits do Nature
Centers Offer Their
Communities?
Nature Centers Benefit Their
Communities by Providing a Unique
Setting for Social Experiences
•
Special events and festivals such as
Halloween and Earth Day
•
Weddings
•
Memorial services
•
Birthday parties
•
Canoeing
Intern training sites for college
naturalist programs
•
Social walking
•
High school mentorship programs
•
Gathering place for families
•
Teaching of ethical stewardship
•
Community meeting place
•
Live animal/exhibit education
•
Volunteer interactions
•
Hands-on learning for students
with special needs
Nature Centers Benefit Their
Communities Educationally
•
•
Nature, environmental, natural
resource and outdoor education
curriculum that helps students with
graduation standards in science,
environmental education and more
•
Nearby nature education for
increasingly urbanized families
•
Service learning for teens
Nature Centers Benefit Their
Communities by Offering a Place for
Personal & Spiritual Growth
Nature Centers Benefit Their
Communities Economically
•
Property values increase in areas
surrounding nature center property
•
Employment is provided
•
Nature centers are consumers
of goods and services including
birdseed, naturalist class equipment
(binoculars), fuel, trees, shrubs,
clothing, gift shop items, and eating
at nearby restaurants
•
A valued amenity by business
and residential real estate agents
•
Marketed as wellness opportunities
by local Chambers of Commerce
•
Listed as a destination with tourist
promotions
•
Nature centers are able to generate
revenue
•
Provides low cost entertainment,
education and recreation value,
attracts regional visitors who
patronize local businesses
•
Nature center’s have a positive
influence on community development
planning
Nature Centers Benefit Their
Communities Ecologically
•
Preservation of biodiversity
•
Stormwater storage to prevent
local flooding
•
Manage a natural resource by
controlling invasive and
overpopulated species
•
Opportunity to exercise in a beautiful
outdoor natural setting
•
Stress relief
•
Provide site for biological research,
use a mitigation site
•
A green space for solitude
and contemplation
•
Habitat for local flora and fauna
•
Joyful experiences of encountering
wildlife
•
Watershed protection
•
Species reintroduction site
•
A safe haven for relaxing
in an outdoor space
•
Captive breeding programs
for threatened species.
•
Native American spiritual space
Dale Bohlke 
Dale Bohlke 
The Benefits
of
Nature Centers
Who Uses Nature
Centers?
•
Families
•
Teachers
•
School kids from private and public
schools
•
Scout groups
•
Seniors
•
Community Service workers
•
Homeschool Associations
•
College students
•
Disabled individuals and groups
•
Orienteering groups, Nature clubs and
organizations
•
Volunteers
•
Birdwatchers
•
Wildlife Photographers
72- General Benefits
56- Specific Services
38- User Groups
•
Walkers, Skiers, Bikers
•
Snowshoers
•
Artists
The administrators unanimously
concluded that these lists were not
exhaustive, and that soliciting the
opinion of users and others in the
park system would produce even
more responses. The following
results are a collective response
and varied between nature centers
depending on their size the
highlights of which follow.
•
Tourists
Dale Bohlke 
Nature Centers
Benefit Communities
Naturalist administrators of
nature centers serving the Twin
Cities Metro Area of Minnesota
were surveyed about how their
sites supported their communities.
They listed:
Why Communities Should Preserve
and Support a Nature Center?
What Services do Nature
Centers Provide?
•
Curriculum – based programs, grades
k-12
•
Summer camps
•
Public nature and recreation programs
•
Birthday parties
•
Research site for many studies
including: water quality and invasive
species
•
Job site for special populations
•
Adult education classes
•
Volunteer opportunities
•
Intern programs
•
Pre-school classes
•
Wild animal care advice
•
Flood control
•
Teacher workshops
•
Community gardens
•
Tourist destination
•
Nature centers provide a sense
of place and are a source of pride
for communities
•
Offer a local resource for dealing with
a community’s ecological issues
•
Create a positive attitude towards
the community as regional attractions
for new visitors
•
Have a substantial positive economic
impact
•
Serve an exemplary multiple age
and multi-cultural audience
•
Provides a natural setting for wellness
opportunities
Nature centers are true
sanctuaries where people
and wildlife can seek
refuge
*Nature centers for the purpose of this study, were
defined as places that protect a natural resource,
encourage daily public use, offer an established education curriculum and have only day-use facilities.
Based on research by Dr. Karen I. Shragg, “The Future
Relevancy of Community Based Nature Centers
Serving a Changing Metro Area”, University of St.
Thomas, 2002.