Kalamazoo Nature Center

The Kalamazoo Nature Center is proud to announce that we have selected our new CEO, Heather Graves, as its fourth leader in the organization's 63-year history. Heather is a Kalamazoo native and grew up very close to KNC, where she would spend hours exploring the woods, fields, prairies, DeLano homestead, and the Kalamazoo River. Previously, she was executive director of the Catamount Institute in Colorado Springs, which “develops ecological stewardship through education and adventure by connecting kids with the outdoors.” We look forward to working with Heather who will be a great fit for what KNC wants to achieve now and in the future. Please join us in welcoming Heather Graves!

Robin Wall Kimmerer, bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, received a standing ovation at Chenery Auditorium Friday night. Kalamazoo Nature Center hosted the event as part of its Terry Todd International Speaker Series. KNC wishes to thank the community for the capacity turnout and warm welcome we were able to extend to our acclaimed guest.

This sweet birdy is happy to see Collin, our Conservation Stewardship Tech, working to clear up invasive species at KNC. What a great place for a new perch!

We had an All Staff Work Day last week where we worked on cleaning up overgrowth and removing invasive plants. Take a look at the before and after pictures to see the progress we made. We all love working together to keep KNC beautiful for our visitors!

Happy Meet the Staff Monday! Meet Beth, who has been working at KNC for 7 years. As a Visitor Services Host, she recommends trails and sells memberships while working a number of other receptionist tasks. In her free time, she enjoys babysitting her granddaughter, who loves exploring our trails and playing with the animals and toys grandma bought for her at KNC's Trailhead Gifts & Book store.

This year, KNC joined 1% for the Planet, a commitment for businesses to donate at least 1% of their annual sales to an environmental partner (us!). We were contacted by GardenGuru and they donated a very generous selection of gardening tools to the DeLano Farms. Thank you, this is a huge help to our farmers!

Happy Meet the Staff Monday! Meet Laurel (they/them, she/her), our Animal Ambassador Manager. They oversee and participate in the care and management of our beloved animal ambassadors, ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of all the species we house. Laurel is passionate about animal welfare and specializes in working with birds of prey-- owls are their favorite! Animal ambassadors play a critical role in sparking interest and enthusiasm among those who visit our center or attend one of our programs by providing an up-close experience with native wildlife.

KNC is now taking artist applications for the Jingle Mingle and Buy Local Art & Gift Fair on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7. The fair has unique booths from top local artisans. The quality and variety of work, friendly artists, and festive atmosphere have made this an annual tradition you don’t want to miss! Click here to register: https://lnkd.in/gnXzYUZZ

Do you have a 2nd-5th grader who loves hands-on learning and being outdoors? Sign them up for Dig It at DeLano, a weekly program where kids will participate in farm chores, harvesting, cooking, and tasting farm-fresh food. The program will be on Wednesdays starting June 12. Visit the DeLano Farms portion of the KNC website to learn more and to register.

We have triplet bald eaglets! They are on top of a 100-foot sycamore tree on KNC property. A research group traveled to KNC last week to gather data on the approximately five-week-old eaglet trio. Typically found in pairs, triplets are rare. The research team collected data on the birds, banded them, and lifted them back into the nest. Bald eagles are native to the Great Lakes, and, as a tertiary – or apex – predator, are important indicators of a watershed’s health. By studying these magnificent birds, researchers can track the effects of chemicals, including PCBs, DDT, and mercury in the region. . All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.