Jennifer Vieth from Carpenter Nature Center visited with us online and talked about some of the enhancements to the Wisconsin Campus of the center.
Even with the recent restrictions on work and travel outside of the home, Carpenter Nature Center fulfills its community obligation to keep the trails open during the COVID-19 outbreak.
There are many things to do at Carpenter Nature Center, including public education programs, hiking, observing nature and wildlife, or visiting the apple orchard. The center building is closed, but the trails are open!
The main mission of CNC is education, with a focus on the well being and protection of the habitat. Carpenter Nature Center protects 725 acres of natural and restored habitat, which serves as an outdoor classroom for more than 7,000 students each year. Our professional naturalists provide active, outdoor educational experiences that address state science standards. CNC charges only a small program fee to ensure access for everyone and relies on volunteers, along with individual and corporate friends and donors to stay open 361 days each year.
The Wisconsin campus is located at 300 Cove Road, south of Hudson. It covers more than 300 acres, some of it which has never been plowed under, with native grasses and plants that might not be found elsewhere in their complete natural state.
During our current conditions, it is very easy for kids, especially, to be spending way too much time on screens. This is nothing new, and an ongoing challenge for many parents and caregivers. A visit to CNC can literally be a big breath of fresh air.
With several outdoor teaching spaces, the CNC is a great place for kids to be able to get out of the virtual world and into the real world. With several miles of trails at the Wisconsin campus and Minnesota campuses, the Center offers hours of outdoor education with a bonus of quite a bit of fun!
There is no fee to enter the nature center. The trails and buildings are accessible to the public free of charge during business hours. The CNC welcomes donations, both monetary and physical items (see the website wish list for more information). CNC relies on donations to keep its programs available for everyone and to keep the sites open 361 days a year.
Hours:
Minnesota campus has seven trails, and is open from 8-4:30 daily.
Wisconsin campus has seven trails, a new area for outdoor conversation and is open from dawn to dusk.