Three Oaks Nature Center

Image: August 2024. A few concept landscape plans for the green space around the building with potential rooms for the Three Oaks Nature Center.

A quick summary of some months in 2024. 

Last year and this year in June 2024, Zoe Elrick proposed to the Pokagon Fund that a few rooms in the former school building could be used for indoor spaces of a Three Oaks Nature Center. Elrick is a Three Oaks resident, a licensed landscape architect, a community systems designer, teaches nature classes throughout Berrien County, and is spearheading the Three Oaks Nature Center. The Pokagon Fund will eventually buy the former school building from the River Valley School District and remodel the building.  Following, the Pokagon Fund will rent out the rooms to various local organizations and nonprofits.    

Meanwhile, there’s a large green space around the former school building with great potential for new plantings of native plants, new natural areas, a nature trail, and new outdoor spaces for the nature center.  The land will eventually be divided between the Pokagon Fund and the Village of Three Oaks. Hence, Elrick had to correspond with the Village of Three Oaks Parks Department too.    

In July 2024, Elrick drew up concept landscape plans of the Nature Center’s natural areas, nature trail, and outdoor classrooms in the northern parts of the green space that surrounds the former school building.  She presented those to the Village of Three Oaks Parks meeting in early August and also forwarded the plans to the Pokagon Fund.  As of August, the boundary lines between the Village and the Pokagon Fund are not finalized.  Plus, the local power company will put new power lines over the land.  Land use will be restricted under the power lines. The Village may have to move the Three Oaks Community Garden away from the new power lines. Later, Elrick will draw up refined landscape plans once all the property lines, power line plans, etc. are finalized.           

In August 2024, Elrick created the Three Oaks Nature Center website, donation site at Donorbox, and various social media pages.  

In September 2024, Elrick started teaching her annual fall classes, including nature classes throughout Berrien County.  Plus, she designed and printed Three Oaks Nature Center brochures, donation forms, survey forms, etc.   

In October, Elrick canvassed throughout Three Oaks and handed out the brochures, etc.  Read the October 2024 blog post.  https://tonature.center/2024/10/31/october-2024/