ANCA CONNECTS: Farmington Hills Nature Center in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Description
Wednesday, Nov 1 — 9:30am-4pm
Join us for an enriching day of professional development and networking at Farmington Hills Nature Center in Farmington Hills, Mich.
This CONNECTS program offers you the opportunity to connect with peers while learning about the operations of nature centers, outdoor schools, and related organizations. You’ll also be able to explore Farmington Hills Nature Center, seeing their operations firsthand.
This program is for any professional at a nature center, outdoor school, or related organization. We welcome both ANCA members and non-members along with professionals from outside Michigan to attend.
Optional activities will be available after the CONNECTS program, including archery and hayrides from 4:30-5:30pm, as well as a social hour 5:30-6:30pm.
Registration
Registration includes the cost of a light breakfast, snack, a boxed lunch, and a social hour after the event. Registration closed on October 25.
Schedule
| 9:30-10am | Check-in and coffee |
| 10-10:30am | Welcome |
| 10-10:30am | Intro to ANCA |
| 10:30-11:30am | Sessions 1 Invasive Species Management on Public Lands Marketing for Nature Centers & Beyond Animal Care Tales |
| 11:30-11:45am | Break |
| 11:45am-12:30pm | Farmington Hills Nature Center Exploration Take a short guided tour with FHNC staff. |
| 12:30-1:30pm | Lunch and Networking |
| 1:30-2:30pm | Sessions 2 Tour the Nature Discovery Trail Accessibility and Inclusion within Programming, Exhibits, and Staff Ready to Launch: Planning for a Capital Campaign |
| 2:30-2:45pm | Break |
| 2:45-3:45pm | Sessions 3 Archery Range Success Stories What’s in your 2080? Pros/Cons/Challenges for Registration and Scheduling Software, Panel Discussion |
| 3:45-4pm | Wrap-up & Closing |
| 4:30-5:30pm | (Optional) Archery and hayrides |
| 5:30-6:30pm |
(Optional) Social hour |
Sessions
In these sessions you can learn about organizational management and operations. Sessions are based on a Facilitated Discussion format, where a facilitator guides the dialogue and all participants contribute to the conversation. These discussions are an excellent opportunity to share with your peers, learn new ideas, discuss trends in the profession, and work together to find solutions.
We'll have three time slots for sessions; you don't need to sign up for sessions in advance.
Sessions 1
{slider Invasive Species Management on Public Lands|icon|closed}
Creating an invasive species management plan, managing volunteers and best practices. Facilitated by April Heier, Farmington Hills Parks Supervisor.
{slider Marketing for Nature Centers & Beyond|icon}
Creating flyers & promotional material, how to reach your audience and get the word out. Facilitated by Chris Blunden, Farmington Hills Marketing Manager.
{slider Animal Care Tales|icon}
Gather recommended best practices for live education animals and programming ideas. Facilitated by Annabelle Raines, Farmington Hills Nature Center Programmer and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Schultz, Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center Coordinator.{/sliders}
Sessions 2
{slider Tour the Nature Discovery Trail|icon|closed}
Explore the Nature Discovery Trail and the process of the project. Led by Ashlie Smith, Farmington Hills Nature Center Supervisor.
{slider Ready to Launch: Planning for a Capital Campaign|icon}
Capital campaigns are intense efforts for any organization as you strive to raise funds to build capacity, facilities, and infrastructure. What does it take for your center to launch a successful capital campaign? Let’s discuss the pre-work that’s needed for success, what it takes to start a campaign, and share what worked well for your project. Facilitated by Dennis Pilaske, Executive Director, Chippewa Nature Center.
{slider Accessibility and Inclusion within Programming, Exhibits, and Staff|icon}
Join us for a conversation about how to make our organizations more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive. Facilitated by Courtney Prout & Nicole Ferguson, For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, Genessee County Parks.{/sliders}
Sessions 3
{slider Archery Range Success Stories|icon|closed}
Learn about the success of the programs & pocket-park size archery range in Heritage Park, and participate in target practice. Led by Bryan Farmer, Farmington Hills Deputy Director of Special Services.
{slider What's in Your 2080?|icon}
There are 2080 hours in an average full-time work year; join us to plan those hours for 2024. We’ll walk through a planning process that balances your inputs (time and budget) with your outputs (organizational goals and impacts). This process can be just for you or scaled-up for your entire operation! Facilitated by Mary Blumka, Oakland County Parks & Recreation.
{slider Pros/Cons/Challenges for Registration and Scheduling Software, Panel Discussion|icon}
Registration and scheduling software can play a major role in our operations. In this panel discussion, we'll explore the successes and challenges behind the software we're using. This panel includes:
- Nicole Ferguson, Chief Park Naturalist, For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum
- Ryan Vance, Nature Center Supervisor, Belle Isle Nature Center
- Lizzie Schultz, Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center Coordinator
- Benjamin Prowse, Parks Naturalist, Oakland County Parks{/sliders}
About Farmington Hills Nature Center
Farmington Hills Nature Center is part of Heritage Park, managed by the City of Farmington Hills. This 2,325 square foot facility is the hub of the park and offers interpretive exhibits reflecting our natural world, including a life-sized oak tree and animal home exhibit. The nature center also features a bird viewing area, native fish aquariums, library and hands-on learning station for kids.
At 211 acres, the surrounding Heritage Park includes 4.5 miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing in winter, as well as a picnic area, splash pad, and sand volleyball courts.
Location
Address: 24915 Farmington Rd. / Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Directions on Google Maps
