52-year old Richfield nature center adjusts to demand for more environmental education
Just beyond Minneapolis, there’s an oasis of nature that’s well-known to its more than 100,000 visitors each year. But the decades-old Wood Lake Nature Center is now at an important turning point — one that managers say has been a long time coming.
Wood Lake Nature Center manager Paul Smithson said when it was built in 1971, the 150-acre center in Richfield was one of the first of its kind nationwide.
“People were coming from around the country to figure out how Wood Lake was able to be put in as an urban nature center. It was just kind of unknown then and is still not remarkably common these days,” he said.
Eight-year-old Chloe Ricketts scurried past five other forest forts during a day camp at Wood Lake in June. Eager to show off the day's progress on her lean-to, she crouched under criss-crossing branches and driftwood to demonstrate how she could hang out inside.
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“I added in a log to sit on so that you're not sitting on dirt and leaves,” she said. “And I made a roof so that it doesn't rain on top of the animal or the person that's in it.”
Creative problem-solving is an important part of outdoor exploration for Chloe and the estimated 23,000 others who participate in the south suburban nature center's educational programming each year.
Smithson said the nature center, which is free to visit and accessible to two bus lines, continues to hold a unique position in a Twin Cities inner ring suburb. The Minnesota Legislature agreed, granting Richfield $12 million during the latest session toward a new educational building and trail improvements.
The current nature center building is outdated and is too small to meet the current demand for environmental education on the marsh, said Amy Markle, Richfield’s recreation services director She added the building is typically booked year round with camps and school groups.
Markle also noted the open indoor space is not ideal for educating different groups of people at the same time. Lessons for school children and campers can be interrupted by members of the public.
“Now that we know environmental education is a lot like a science class that you might take in a formal school setting, we know that students learn better with a space that has walls and access to science equipment, like microscopes,” she said.
The updated facility will be four times larger and have new exhibits on Indigenous culture. The current building is not as energy efficient as it could be and needs updating to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Wood Lake offers all-terrain wheelchairs for trails.
Money remains an issue. Even with state funding and a $3 million federal grant the city is short $9 million of the estimated $24 million needed. They hope to make up some of this deficit through instituting a city-wide sales tax that will be up for vote in 2024. Improvements could begin as soon as 2025, supporters say.
Bloomington resident Josey Stafford frequently brings her four-year-old daughter, Isabel, to Wood Lake Nature Center as part of a toddler play group. During one visit, they dipped nets into the marsh, drawing out snails and other small creatures.
Stafford said as a parent who values hands-on educational opportunities for her child, being able to explore a protected marsh so close to home is "a treasure.”
“We've seen bald eagles. We've seen muskrats, and we always see a heron when we come. It's just a really cool opportunity for her to connect to nature,” Stafford said of her daughter.
Day camper Eli Catir, 8, says he’s an “animal expert” proud to gain knowledge of the surrounding area and pick up wilderness skills.
“The birds, the fish, the turtles — everything about nature I love,” Eli said. “I've been going here for about my entire life. So I think I'm just gonna keep going here for my entire life.”
