Branching Out - SEP 2023

Letter from the Staff

Events

Welcome Back!



We hope you had a sunny, serene, and splendid summer! If your schedule didn't allow for a visit to the nature center, lets catch you up on some of the recent changes you'll notice on your next visit!  


Just north of the entrance to the interpretive center, you'll be able to admire our new pollinator garden. Our dedicated group of volunteers under the guidance of master gardener Jane Giblin and former Nature Center manager Dan Badgley have planted a variety of native flowers and shrubs. Thank you team, it looks so lovely!


If you just can't get enough of plants (we get it), the log cabin garden is sporting an impressive variety of transplanted beauties as well as our reliable herbs and strawberries. Special shout-out to naturalist Sandy Cohen for this!


Our building's children's corner is receiving a highly anticipated update to be completed this month! This update includes sensory and craft tables, new books, toys, puzzles, games, and a play tent! Naturalist and self-proclaimed interior designer, Ali Posner, has been overseeing this project.


After a rousing week of professional development, we are set to welcome both Birmingham and Bloomfield second graders for our first program of the new school year, "Plant-it." 



Yours in green,

The Johnson Nature Center Staff

Forest to Table Fundraiser

Sat., Sep. 9
5:30p - 8:30p

Embark on a unique culinary journey accompanied by live music, open bar, performing artists, and ecological demonstrations.


Adults 21+  |  $200/person 

F2T Tickets

You, Me, and the Trees

Fridays, Sep 15 - Oct 20
10a - 11:30a

Parents and guardians are invited to join their toddlers, ages 2-3, in outdoor exploration to witness the numerous ways in which nature can facilitate learning.


Ages 2-3  |  $12/child & guardian

You, Me, and the Trees

DIA 2023 Inside | Out Installations

Thurs., June 1 - Tues., Oct. 31

8a - dusk

The Detroit Institute of Arts 2023 Inside | Out installations have been set up along the trails of Johnson Nature Center. Take a stroll and check out the ten installations on display for visitors until October.

DIA Docent Led Strolls

Sat., Sep. 16 & Sat., Sep. 23
2p - 3p

Join us for guided tours of the DIA installations to learn about the different masterpieces and artists seen on the trails at JNC.


All ages  |  FREE 

DIA Registration

"

“Early experiences with the natural world have also been positively linked with the sense of wonder. This way of knowing, if recognized and honored, can serve as a life-long source of joy and enrichment, as well as an impetus, or motivation, for further learning.” ~ Ruth Wilson, PhD., The Wonders of Nature: Honoring Children’s Way of Knowing

Summer Camp

The 2023 camp year has wrapped up! View the complete camp BLOG.

JNC Portrait Session Fundraiser

Marla Michele Must from Enchanted Photography has graciously offered to host a fundraiser in support of the Johnson Nature Center, ending in October. With her longstanding dedication to JNC, Marla aims "to benefit a place that is both magical and dear to [her] heart."

Portrait Session Info

TreeSchool

Registration is open for the 2023 Fall and 2024 Winter semesters! Register HERE.

You, Me, and the Trees

On Fridays beginning September 15th - October 20th, parents and guardians are invited to join their toddlers, ages 2-3, in outdoor exploration to witness the numerous ways in which nature can facilitate learning. LEARN MORE and REGISTER.

Thank You to our Forest to Table Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Sponsors

In Kind Sponsors

Collaborating Partners

Friends of Johnson Nature Center

About Us

Our Vision:We envision a place where all people experience connectedness with nature in a healthy native Michigan ecosystem and are inspired to respectfully care for our planet.


Our Mission: Support the mission of the Johnson Nature Center through ecological conservation, community outreach, volunteerism, and fundraising.

Why Become A Member

As a core part of furthering the Nature Center's mission, you'll enjoy an enhanced experience while helping the property stay vibrant for generations to come.

  • member-only invitations, including early access for special events, camps, and programs

  • admission to other nature centers nationwide through the ANCA reciprocal program

  • complimentary use of equipment rental such as snowshoes, hiking poles, and interpretive bags

  • subscription to the Johnson Nature Center monthly electronic newsletter

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

Friends In Action

Ecological Conservation

Community Outreach

Volunteerism

Bowers School Farm

In addition to the wonderful community events hosted at the nature center, we invite you to visit Bowers School Farm for more opportunities to learn, grow, and explore. Register early to ensure availability of the following community classes:


Open Barn (all ages)*

Diverse Learners Day at the Farm (ages 3-17*)

Cooking Classes (adults only)


*with parent/guardian


Please visit BOWERS SCHOOL FARM for more information.

Fall Festival

Join us for a fun-filled weekend of farm activities and games, live music, pumpkins, and much more! NEW THIS YEAR: food trucks, axe throwing, cornhole contest, straw tower, and more! October 14 - 15, 10a - 4p. More information HERE.

Bourbon, Barns & Brews

Sample 75 + craft beers, bourbons, cocktails, and wine along with live entertainment. Game it with axe-throwing and a cornhole tournament. Food trucks and concessions are available for purchase. Adults 21+ only. October 14, 7p - 10p (6p VIP). PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

Terrain of Thought

Naturalist Notes

Biodiversity is the Spice of Life. The title says it all...ok there's a lot more to biodiversity so take a gander at this article and prepare to add a bit of zest to your science brain.

Creature Feature

A Year in the Life of a Chickadee. These grey and cream-colored flying puffballs enchant us in many ways, especially with their signature "chick-a-dee-dee" call and "sweetie" song.

Plant Rant

Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). There is nothing "sweet" about bittersweet. It is a most un-welcomed visitor to our nature center. Please join our fight to annihilate it.



Bowers School Farm and Johnson Nature Center sit on Land that was made by warm shallow seas and slow-moving glacial formations, with the most recent glaciers receding 14,000 years ago. This is the ancestral Land, Anishinaabewaki, of the Indigenous Peoples of the Ojibway/Ojibwa/Ojibwe, Odawa/Ottawa, and Potawatomi/Bodéwadmi, the Anishinabek. This Land remains the contemporary dwelling of the Anishinabek.


Symbol writing for the Anishinabek county, Anishinaabewaki.


The Johnson Nature Center sits on a forty-acre site and offers visitors a myriad of visual pleasures and learning opportunities. The Visitor Center is open 10a - 4p on Saturdays and trails are open every day from 8a until dusk.

Johnson Nature Center | 3325 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Twp, MI 48302

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