FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

What is nature?
What is a nature center?
What is a mini nature center?
What is a large nature center?
Why are there nature centers? Of what use or value are they?
Why establish a nature center in Three Oaks?

1. What is nature?

Nature includes native plants, animals, natural habitats, woods, prairies, wetlands, water, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, land, soil, rocks, sky, air, weather, and more, in the natural environment. Nature exists in wildernesses, natural areas, nature preserves, and parks, as well as in cities, towns, streetscapes, yards, gardens, vacant lots, schoolyards, college campuses, and in most land uses.

2. What is a nature center?

A nature center is a place at which people can meet to focus on, enjoy, explore, inquire, discuss, be guided, get informed, gain direct experience, and learn about nature, especially about local nature in the immediate community, neighborhood, parks, and nature areas, as well as likely nature that is in the region and state. A nature center is a place for people to meet in-person with naturalists (experts on nature) and to get hands-on experience with nature. A nature center hosts nature activities and nature events for people of all ages, kids, teens, and adults. It may host day events, afterschool programs, weekend events, nature tours, summer day camps, and more. It helps people to connect in-person with both people and nature in the local community. A nature center is a community center, education center, fun activity center, and tourist attraction. Also, it displays some science about nature and some art about nature. Plus, it exhibits examples of interdisciplinary concepts, such as how science, art, books, stories, education, ecology, economy, history, and culture relate to nature and each other in the local community and / or region. Moreover, a nature center helps people to learn about the environment and sustainability and to become more aware of nature and how to take care of it. A nature center helps a community to be functional and sustainable. Additionally, a nature center can be described as an interpretive center and museum of exhibits, photos, illustrations, murals, and dioramas of present nature, geology, biology, ecology, and natural history. Some nature centers have outdoor wildlife sanctuaries and / or indoor aquariums, terrariums, and cages of live animals such as native wildlife, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and invertebrates.

3. What is a mini nature center?

A “mini nature center” is a small nature center that serves roughly a 1-square-mile community / small town / residential area. Nevertheless, a mini nature center welcomes visitors from near and far.

A mini nature center is at the center of a community or town and is near (within 1/4-mile) or within a downtown. Ideally, a nature center is near (within 1/4-mile of) to both housing and the downtown, so that many people can walk from their residences to the nature center and downtown. A mini nature center serves as both a community-neighborhood center and visitor center to help both local residents and visitors become better acquainted with local native nature (and invasive species too).

A mini nature center includes both indoor spaces and outdoor spaces. It has a building with indoor restrooms and at least two more indoor rooms (one room for indoor classroom space with indoor exhibits of information about nature, and another room for an office area and storage). Each of those two rooms has a minimum of 600 square feet. Plus, adjacent to the nature center’s building, there is an outdoor space: an outdoor classroom (a patio or plaza, benches, and picnic tables) and some sort of natural area / botanical garden with at least a planting of at least 3 different native tree species, 3 different native woody shrub species, and 10 different native wildflower species; many of the plants should be labeled with their common and scientific names. A nature center has at least a short nature trail (at least 200-feet-long) or at least a nature trail that is near (within 1/4-mile of) the nature center. Furthermore, a mini nature center is next to or very close to (within 500 feet of) a community garden.

4. What is a large nature center?

A large nature center is a big nature center that serves a city, a region, a county, a state, or a nation. A large nature center welcomes visitors from near and far.

A large nature center may be located anywhere, such as in a downtown or the outskirts of town or in a rural area or wilderness, faraway from towns, cities, and residential areas. A large nature center serves as both a city or regional center and visitor center to help both regional residents and visitors from near and far become better acquainted with regional native nature (and invasive species too).

A region may have many mini nature centers, but a region has only a few large nature centers. Michigan’s Berrien County has a few of the large nature centers scattered across its region, such as Fernwood, Love Creek, and Sarett. The Fernwood, Love Creek, and Sarett nature centers each have many indoor rooms, indoor offices, indoor classrooms, indoor exhibits on nature, indoor restrooms, an indoor auditorium or event room, an indoor viewing of outdoor bird feeders, outdoor nature trails, and many acres of outdoor spaces of gardens, natural areas, native plants, outdoor classrooms, benches, picnic tables, and more.

Furthermore, many state and national parks have large nature centers, which are usually called “visitor centers” within a state or national park.

5. Why are there nature centers? Of what use or value are they?

People can read books, listen to music, display art, get physical exercise, learn history, and explore nature anywhere. Yet having a designated space such as a center for each of those things helps people to get even more out of books, music, art, exercise, history, and nature than people can individually. A designated space enhances the experience of books, music, art, exercise, history, and nature. A library is a place for people to gather to focus on, enjoy, discuss, borrow, and read books. A theater is a place for people to gather to focus on, enjoy, discuss, and watch and hear music, live performances, and movies. An art gallery is a place for people to gather to focus on, enjoy, discuss, display, and view paintings on canvas, sculptures, and more. A ball field and gym are places for people to gather to focus on, enjoy, and share in playing sports and doing physical exercise. A history museum is a place for people to gather to focus on, enjoy, share, discuss, and learn about history.

Likewise, a nature center is a place at which people can meet to focus on, enjoy, explore, inquire, discuss, be guided, get informed, gain direct experience, and learn about nature, especially about local nature in the immediate community, neighborhood, parks, and natural areas, as well as likely nature that is in the region and state. A nature center is a place for people to meet in-person with experts on nature and to get hands-on experience with nature. A nature center hosts nature activities and nature events for people of all ages, kids, teens, and adults. It may host day events, afterschool programs, weekend events, nature tours, summer day camps, and more. It helps people to in-person connect with both people and nature in the community. A nature center is a community center, education center, fun activity center, and tourist attraction. Also, it displays some science about nature and some art about nature. Plus, it exhibits examples of interdisciplinary concepts, such as how science, art, books, stories, education, ecology, economy, history, and culture relate to nature and each other in the local community and / or region. Moreover, a nature center helps people to learn about the environment and sustainability and to become more aware of nature and how to take care of it. A nature center helps a community to be functional and sustainable.

Nature (the air, water, soil, outdoor plants, outdoor animals, etc.) is part of every geographic community of humans. People should know about their neighbors, both human life and nonhuman life (plants, animals, healthy soil microbes, etc.). Knowing and being aware of neighbors, human and nonhuman, helps people to take care of both people and nature. People should take care of local nature not only for nature’s own sake, but also because when people take care of local nature (the quality of air, water, soil, etc.) that is part of taking care of local people too. After all, people breathe air, drink water, eat foods that grow in soil, etc. As food grows, it takes up nature (the natural nutrients) that is in the soil. People breathe, drink, and eat nature every day. What goes around, comes around: as people take care of nature, nature takes care of people. Therefore, as people know more about nature, it greatly helps people to make wise decisions that boost their health, safety, enjoyment, and quality of life.

A nature center helps people to learn about local nature. Learning about local nature is a major action towards sustainability, which sustains the community and people’s life, as well as nature’s life, and the economy too. The economy can’t run if workers, shoppers, and consumers don’t have adequate air, water, and more. Again: nature and nature centers greatly help to sustain and enrich the community, people, nature, health, and the economy — and education too (nature education, indoors and outdoors).

Every 1-square-mile where there’s a residential area / town / local community, a nature center, at least a mini nature center, would be helpful and useful. Ideally, a mini nature center is near to both housing and the downtown. Meanwhile, there can be fewer of the larger nature centers across a region and county, such as Fernwood, Love Creek, and Sarett of Berrien County. Fernwood, Love Creek, and Sarett each have many indoor rooms, indoor restrooms, and many acres of outdoor spaces of gardens, natural areas, and native plants.

6. Why establish a nature center in Three Oaks?

Three Oaks has parks (outdoor spaces with native plants and natural habitats); yet Three Oaks lacks a nature center (indoor classroom and indoor nature exhibits, etc.) that corresponds with its outdoor spaces of nature and parks. Three Oaks lacks a nature center; therefore, Three Oaks needs a nature center.

Three Oaks already has a library, two theaters, a music school, art galleries, gyms, ball fields, and a history museum. Three Oaks needs a nature center too (at least a mini nature center).

A nature center is not only a nice thing to have, but also, it is an essential thing for every community to have. Daily, hourly, we breathe nature, drink nature, and more. Nature immediately surrounds us and is throughout and integrated into our community. People affect nature and nature affects people. Nature influences our daily lives. Therefore, it would be helpful for community residents to continually learn more things about nature. Having a Three Oaks Nature Center demonstrates people’s care for the community, people, nature, sustainability, the environment, people’s and nature’s health, education, ecology, economy, a high quality of life, enjoyment, and fun.

Three Oaks needs a Three Oaks Nature Center as a venue at which people can meet to focus on, enjoy, explore, inquire, discuss, be guided, get informed, gain direct experience, and learn about nature, especially about local nature in the immediate community, neighborhood, parks, and nature areas, as well as nature that is in the region and state. A nature center is a place for people to meet in-person with experts on nature and to get hands-on experience with nature. A nature center hosts nature activities and nature events for people of all ages, kids, teens, and adults. It may host day events, afterschool programs, weekend events, nature tours, summer day camps, and more. It helps people to in-person connect with both people and nature in the community. A nature center is a community center, education center, fun activity center, and tourist attraction. Also, it displays some science about nature and some art about nature. Plus, it exhibits examples of interdisciplinary concepts, such as how science, art, books, stories, education, ecology, economy, history, and culture relate to nature and each other in the local community and region. Moreover, a nature center helps people to learn about the environment and sustainability and to become more aware of nature and how to take care of it. A nature center helps a community to be functional and sustainable.