List of nature centers in Michigan

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

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.

Name	Location	County	Region	Summary
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
	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
	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-Cities	Over 1,348 acres with 15 miles of trails, hands-on exhibits of the different types of ecosystems found at the center
	Jackson	Jackson	Central Michigan	website, operated by the Dahlem Conservancy, almost 300 acres
	Holland	Allegan	West Michigan	website, operated by the city, 18 acres
	Owosso	Shiawassee	Central Michigan	website, 136 acres, over 4 miles of trails, farm, historic carriage and sleigh museum, nature playscape, nature programs, gardens
	Rochester	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, 16 acres
	Waterford	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, 137 acres, operated by the town
Eddy Discovery Center	Chelsea	Jackson	Central Michigan	Located 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	Oakland	Southeastern 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
	Lansing	Ingham	Central Michigan	website, 130 acres with 4 miles of trails
Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve	Niles	Berrien	West Michigan	105 acre (42 ha) arboretum, botanical garden and nature preserve with a 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]
	Burton	Genesee	Flint/Tri-Cities	website, operated by the County, 383 acres, 7 miles of hiking trails, gardens, education programs
	Bellaire	Antrim	Northern Michigan	website, 1,443 acres, Grass River Center, managed by Grass River Natural Area, Inc.
	Okemos	Ingham	Central Michigan	website, operated by the town
Hartley Outdoor Education Center	St. Charles	Saginaw	Flint/Tri-Cities	300 acres, owned and operated by the Saginaw Intermediate School District
	Auburn Hills	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, 80 acres, operated by the City
Hoffmaster State Park	Muskegon	Muskegon	West Michigan	Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center features exhibits and programs about the dunes ecosystem
	Kent City	Kent	West Michigan	website, 130 acres, Red Pine Interpretive 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 Michigan	1,549 acres, Activity Center features exhibits on butterflies, Hudson Mills history and tree identification, nature trails, programs
	Port Austin	Huron	Flint/Tri-Cities	website, 280 acres
Indian Springs Metropark	White Lake	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	2,215 acres park including the Environmental Discovery Center with an underwater pond viewing room
	Bloomfield Hills	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, 40 acres, over 2 miles of trails, visitor center with exhibits, 1800s homestead, operated by the school system
	Kalamazoo	Kalamazoo	West Michigan	website, 1,487 acres, over 14 miles of trails
Kensington Park Nature Center	Milford	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	4,481 acres
Lake St. Clair Metropark	Harrison Township	Macomb	Southeastern Michigan	770 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
	Berrien	Berrien	West Michigan	website, located in Love Creek County Park
Marshlands Museum and Nature Center	Brownstown	Wayne	Southeastern Michigan	Located in Lake Erie Metropark, natural and cultural history of Southeastern Michigan
	Marquette	Marquette	Upper Peninsula of Michigan	website, located in Presque Isle Park
Nankin Mills Nature Center	Westland	Wayne	Southeastern Michigan	Operated by the county in a historic grist mill
	Williamston	Ingham	Central Michigan	website, features Michigan reptiles and amphibians
	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 Michigan	123 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	Wayne	Southeastern Michigan	1,756 acres, nature center features 700 gallon turtle tan, live snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders and fish on display
	Holland	Ottawa	West Michigan	website, 136 acre nature preserve, protects 1200 acres along the Macatawa River
	Hastings	Barry	West Michigan	website, 742 acres, mix between a nature center and biological field station
	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 Michigan	Indoor and outdoor exhibits on science, nature, art and history, 157 acres
	Madison Heights	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, operated by the Fox Valley Parks District, located in the George W. Suarez Friendship Woods, formerly the Madison Heights Nature Center
	Benton Harbor	Berrien	West Michigan	website, eight miles of trails through its 1000 acres
	Dryden	Lapeer	Flint/Tri-Cities	website, 468 acres on two sites
	Troy	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, programs operated by the Troy Nature Society, 100 acres owned by the city
	Sterling Heights	Macomb	Southeastern Michigan	website, operated by the city
Stony Creek Metropark Nature Center	Shelby	Macomb	Southeastern Michigan	4,461-acre park with over 8 miles of trails, nature center features live displays, snakes, turtles and fish
	Adrian	Lenawee	Southeastern Michigan	website, operated by the Lenawee Intermediate School District, located in Heritage Park
	Harbor Springs	Emmet	Northern Michigan	website, 30 acres, includes the Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center, operated by the Little Traverse Conservancy
	Ann Arbor	Washtenaw	Southeastern Michigan	website, 20 acres including 7 acre pond, managed by a volunteer committee of Thurston Elementary School
	Dearborn	Wayne	Southeastern Michigan	website, 300 acres, operated by the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory	Paradise	Chippewa	Upper Peninsula of Michigan	Seasonal public programs
	Albion	Calhoun	West Michigan	website, operated by Albion College, 135 acre outdoor education facility
	Clarkston	Oakland	Southeastern Michigan	website, operated by the County in 1,276-acre Independence Oaks Park
	Lowell	Kent	West Michigan	website, 140 acres, owned by Lowell School District, outdoor learning center, community garden
	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[]

Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education

References[]

^ Smith, Sydney (8 September 2019). "Blandford Nature Center Begins Demolition as Part of $6.6M Highlands Restoration Project". MiBiz. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
^ http://www.sanilaccd.org/flynn.html

External links[]

Map of nature centers and environmental education centers in Michigan

[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] ttp://www.sanilaccd.org/flynn.html

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