Programs

How do nature centers remove barriers to connection with their local communities? How do you build authentic, meaningful relationships that make all people feel welcomed, included, and part of your center or organization? How do we move from providing to partnering?

We'll talk about ways that we can build bridges, remove barriers, and have real, meaningful nature-based opportunities for people that have geographic, language, mobility, transportation, and/or other potential barriers to participation and ways that we as nature organizations can collaborate with and work alongside to lift up, connect, and support our communities. Building community partnerships is a powerful way to build relationships and expand the reach of our work, but it also requires our organizations to be listening, learning, showing up, and following through on our word.

This session is for you if you have specific groups or organizations that you’d like to connect with, you want to brainstorm new and creative ways to develop partnerships, or if you have a great partnership experience to highlight. Let’s share our successes and challenges with creating thriving, purposeful, collaborative work that connects us and our communities. We’ll consider how to understand who comes to your programs and sites, who doesn’t currently participate, how to explore the region around your facility, and brainstorm ways to move your organization into more authentic community outreach and engagement.

Community engagement is messy, rewarding, and meaningful!

Facilitator:

• Erin Parker, Community Outreach Interpretive Services Supervisor, Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Erin Parker is the Community Outreach Interpretive Services Supervisor for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, a 13-park regional park system in five counties in and around Detroit, Michigan. Erin and her team build bridges into communities ranging from rural to urban, bring our nature programming into schools where our staff are embedded in the schools teaching alongside teachers 2 times weekly, into assisted living centers where we conduct programming for multiple senior audiences and their caregivers, early childhood centers where we focus on empowering teachers and staff to conduct nature-based activities on their school grounds, and more! We love to creatively engage our diverse community on site and bring nature experiences to them through partnerships, events, scholarships, and more.

There are so many different models out there for starting and operating a nature-based preschool. It seems rare for programs to operate without any sort of partnership with local, state, and/or federal organizations. This will be a space to hear what has worked, not worked, and potential opportunities for partnerships that might not have been thought of before.

Facilitator:

• Rachel Larimore, Ph.D., Chief Visionary, Samara Early Learning

Dr. Rachel A. Larimore is a researcher, educator, consultant, and former nature-based preschool director. For nearly 30 years her work has focused on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning, Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade, and her newest book Reimagining the Role of Teachers in Nature-based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring. Rachel is the founder and Chief Visionary of Samara Early Learning, an organization focused on helping early childhood educators start nature-based schools or add nature-based approaches into their existing program. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States.

In this facilitated discussion, representatives of the Michigan Early Childhood Outdoors (MiECO) Hub will share a brief history of the group’s emergence, early history, and aspirations for expanding access to outdoor/nature-based early childhood education. Then, facilitators will guide attendees through a series of discussion questions relating to necessary strategies for coalition-building in this field: building interest, awareness, and pathways for learning about and initiating outdoor early childhood education; cultivating resources and commitments to best practices for the field; and organizing support for broader access to nature for children of all ages.

Facilitators:

• Caleb Carlton, President & CEO, Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative & MiECO Advisory Group Leader
• Brooke Larm, Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative & MiECO Advisory Group Leader
• John Vincent, Chief of Early Childhood Education, ODC Network & MiECO Advisory Group Leader
• Lisa Marckini, Program Evaluator & Administrative Specialist, Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative & MiECO Advisory Group Leader

Caleb Carlton earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Applications from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in Environmental Geoscience from Mississippi State University. Before joining the GLSI in 2023, he worked as a residential environmental educator in southern California, then at the Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Throughout his career he has worked to build durable partnerships between schools and nature-based organizations so that young people have ongoing connections to nature as part of their schooling.

Brooke Larm holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum from Michigan State University, with concentrations in K–12 Administration and Nature-Based Early Childhood Education. She also earned a Certificate in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education from Antioch University New England and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Michigan State University, with minors in Environmental Science and English and a Spanish K–12 endorsement. Her degree work and professional preparation inform more than twenty years of experience designing integrated, place-based curriculum and advancing high-quality outdoor and nature-based learning for children, youth, and educators.

John Vincent is the Chief of Early Childhood Education for the ODC Network, where he leads a growing network of nature-based early childhood programs serving infants through PreK. With a background in special education and systems leadership, John’s work bridges classroom practice, policy, and implementation to expand equitable access to outdoor learning. He has helped shape Michigan’s nature-based licensing guidance, supported statewide professional learning efforts, and contributes nationally through a NIEER committee focused on integrating nature-based education into public PreK systems. John believes the most powerful learning environments are those that invite curiosity, inclusion, and shared discovery—supporting children and educators alike in learning alongside the natural world.

Lisa Marckini earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Wayne State University. Through her consultancy, Civic Research Services, Inc., she has worked on numerous evaluations and program-development efforts with the environment as a common theme. Since 2007, she has managed the evaluation of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. She has expertise in an array of evaluation strategies as well as data management, data visualization and analysis, and facilitation skills.

Nature centers and outdoor schools undertake capital projects that often represent the largest investment their organization will ever make. Yet the connection between an organization's educational mission and the built result can easily get lost in the complexity of budgets, timelines, and technical decisions.

This facilitated discussion explores how leaders can keep their mission and values at the center of a capital project from early visioning through design, construction, and ribbon cutting. We'll discuss strategies for stakeholder engagement, how educational philosophy can translate into tangible design choices, and how to assemble a project team that understands and shares your goals.

Facilitators:

• Erica Thompson, Principal, Hennebery Eddy Architects
• Mike Beamer, Project Architect, Hennebery Eddy Architects

Erica Thompson, AIA, WELL AP, LEED Erica prioritizes sustainable design, community engagement, and occupant health and wellness through her project work. She is actively engaged in planning projects for multiple nature centers and serves her community as an advocate for land use policy, climate solutions, and social equity. Erica is a principal at Hennebery Eddy Architects in Portland, Oregon, where she leads the firm’s Net-Positive initiatives, with a focus on implementing sustainable, adaptive design solutions at all project scales.

Mike Beamer, AIA, LFA, CPHC, LEED Mike brings 13 years of experience in high performance, energy efficient design to his work on environmental education and public civic projects. As a project architect at Hennebery Eddy Architects in Portland, Oregon, he focuses on designing projects that help support a more just and regenerative future. His current work includes outdoor education facilities targeting Living Building Challenge certification.

This lively presentation will help you take advantage of building and renovation projects to thoughtfully integrate interpretation into building, exhibit, and landscape design to meet your site’s interpretive goals.

Using a case study of the new Gateway Center at the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park in Minnesota, you’ll learn key questions to ask, discover opportunities to explore in your own project, and see the spectacular results of this thoughtful collaboration.

The presenters include the Outdoor Education Supervisor for the Gateway Center, and an architect on the project. They’ll provide an orientation to the site goals laid out in the long-range plan, the Gateway Center building goals, key interpretation themes, and space needs within the building and throughout the larger site. The presenters will then discuss the timeline and process for decision-making and collaboration during the design process.

At the end of the presentation, the presenters will outline questions to ask your exhibit, landscape, and architectural partners; outline opportunities to explore in your own project; and share ways to ensure that interpretation is deeply embedded throughout your site and facilities.

Presenters:

• Amber Sausen AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Principal, Alliiance
• Patty Maher, Outdoor Education Supervisor, Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, Three Rivers Park District

Amber Sausen is an architect who leads projects that connect people to the world around them, with a special emphasis on park facilities, visitor centers, outdoor recreation, and performing arts spaces. Amber is a principal at Alliiance in Minneapolis, MN.

Patty Maher works on a team of 15 staff who provide nature and outdoor recreation programming and amenities in a community-focused park along the Mississippi River.

What does it really take to run and grow a thriving nature-based preschool? This workshop offers a field-informed look at the systems and strategies that support high-quality programs. Participants will explore day-to-day operations such as scheduling, curriculum design, and risk-benefit approaches to outdoor learning, alongside the bigger-picture elements that sustain a program over time.

We’ll dig into staffing structures and recruitment and retention strategies that help maintain consistency and quality. The session will also guide participants through key questions to assess readiness for growth, offering a framework for scaling a program in ways that align with mission and capacity.

Along the way, participants will deepen their understanding of how to operationalize nature-based early childhood education within real-world constraints, strengthening their ability to lead programs that advance environmental education and connection to the natural world.

Presenter:

• John Vincent, Chief of Early Childhood Education, ODC Network

John Vincent serves as Chief of Early Childhood Education for the ODC Network, overseeing five nature-based early childhood sites and leading strategic initiatives to advance outdoor education across Michigan. A lifelong advocate for children, John found his calling in early education. He believes deeply in getting kids outdoors, nurturing their curiosity about the natural world, and helping them build the foundational skills that will set them up for success throughout their educational journey. John's impact on outdoor education in West Michigan has been transformative. He spearheaded the expansion of the ODC Early Childhood Network, including building a nature-based early childhood campus within a former strip mall—transforming over 20 acres of neglected woods into a thriving educational space with trails and conservation areas that embody ODC's mission. He led the development of Gentex Discovery Preschool, a first-of-its-kind on-site partnership providing top-tier, nature-based care and education for Gentex Corporation employees, serving children from birth through kindergarten entry and offering second-shift care to meet the needs of working families. Currently, John is leading statewide efforts to align nature-based education with Michigan's Universal PreK expansion, building sustainable business models for childcare through corporate and community partnerships, and supporting early childhood leaders in advancing their own nature-based programs. In an effort to deepen the impact of nature-based programs across Michigan, John helped lead the development of the Integrating Nature-Based Instruction in GSRP Guidebook and was selected, alongside two others, to help create the state’s Technical Assistance Document on nature-based licensing. With a background in special education, he is deeply committed to advancing inclusive practices in early learning environments—serving on the ISD's Preschool Inclusion Committee and contributing to a doctoral study examining early childhood leaders' values around inclusion. He was selected as one of two Michigan representatives for the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), a committee focused on integrating nature-based education into state-funded PreK programs. John graduated from Grand Valley State University and taught special education at the K-12 level. Before coming to ODC, he worked for a Head Start grantee, where he advanced to Deputy Director of Early Childhood Services in Northeastern Michigan, overseeing 120 preschool classrooms in 21 counties. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and three children in their new community in West Michigan and at their family cottage in Manistee.

Teambuilding is an effective and fun way to engage youth on field trips in nature, and sets the tone for other outdoor/environmental educational activities. Through intentional team challenge activities, nature center professionals can create a space of belonging for every participant and open the door to positive learning experiences in nature. Teambuilding is also an effective tool for managers, and can be used to form a cohesive staff that believes in and promotes a center's mission in their daily work.

In this hands-on workshop, learners will discuss:

• The challenges youth (including staff members) face to their mental, emotional, and social health
• The concept of risk
• How to mitigate physical and emotional risk in your programs
• How to effectively utilize risk to build resiliency
• How to develop team challenge curriculum at your facility, from ground games to low ropes courses
• How to modify exercises to promote accessibility

Attendees will discover and participate in engaging ice breaker and team challenge exercises for groups of all sizes and ages, and learn the importance of appropriate sequencing.

Presenter:

• Emily Grant, Camp Explore, Special Events, Marketing at the Michigan DNR Outdoor Adventure Center

Emily Grant has facilitated challenge courses and led outdoor programming for all ages and abilities, at camps and nonprofits across the country. Today, Emily is committed to connecting the youth of the Detroit Metro area to nature and outdoor recreation opportunities. She founded Camp Explore at the Outdoor Adventure Center to fulfill her desire to get every kid outside.

Effective boards are shaped through thoughtful strategy and ongoing investment. This workshop explores practical approaches to recruiting and sustaining a board that can confidently guide your organization into the future.

Participants will learn how to build a recruitment pipeline that extends beyond personal networks, with a focus on inclusive and equitable practices that bring diverse perspectives to the table. We’ll examine what drives long-term board engagement and satisfaction, and how to foster a culture rooted in accountability and shared purpose.

The session will also cover how to design an onboarding process that sets clear expectations and equips new members to contribute with confidence from the start. Finally, participants will explore tools and approaches to strengthen board meetings and support more effective governance overall.

Presenter:

• Paul Acosta, Executive Director, Sibley Nature Center

A fifth‑generation Texan, Paul has led the Sibley Nature Center as Executive Director since August 2018. His previous role as Associate Director at the Nonprofit Management Center allowed him to strengthen nonprofits throughout the Permian Basin through hands‑on consulting, training, and advocacy. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History and a certificate in Nonprofit Management, Paul brings a strong blend of academic grounding and real‑world experience nonprofit leadership. He has contributed his expertise as a board member for a nature preserve, a private school, and a cancer support organization. At the end of the day, Paul’s most meaningful titles are Dad to his 10‑year‑old daughter, Kai, and husband to Valerie.

Participants in this interactive workshop will explore emerging models that strengthen collaboration amongst organizations, stakeholders, public entities, and community members. This transdisciplinary approach gives a curated guide examining how institutions align education, research, practice, and community priorities to create sustained regional impact. The session will begin with breaking down subconscious silos, building trust, and mobilizing these transdisciplinary teams to address complex challenges. This workshop will use a comparative heuristic to guide our collective thinking, rather than a 1:1 prescriptive tool which can best address focused/articulated problems.

Participants, working in assigned inter-sector small groups, will then engage in facilitated mapping and design exercises to reframe their perspective and identify missing potential partners, shared resource availability, and pathways for increased collaboration. This workshop will conclude with a group synthesis and discussion of next steps; leaving participants with practical tools, actionable items, and new peer connections to support their individual elusive goals.

Presenter:

• Peter Bode, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes

Peter Bode is President and CEO of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Outside of this role, he also serves as the Board President of the Lake Erie Institute, Trustee for the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership, Outreach Council for the Society of Ecological Restoration, and several other regional advisory councils. Through the years, Peter has served a multidisciplinary array of roles for efforts throughout the Great Lakes Bioregion that gives him a unique blend of conservation, environmental education, biostatistical analysis, and UN SDG pursual/ research affording him a perspective as facilitator around discussions curating transdisciplinary collaboratives across industries.

Shared Leadership is the idea that decisions are more smarter, more effective, and have greater buy-in when they leverage the collective wisdom of your team. That sounds great ... but how does it actually work in a larger organization? We will be playing a role playing game that models a major decision making process in a larger organization that utilizes the principles of shared leadership. Come ready to be part of the action. Cosplay and d20s are optional. Participants will learn:

1. Why shared leadership is important and how it works
2. Effective tools to facilitate a decision-making progress while maximizing input and buy-in from the team
3. How to avoid getting stuck
4. How to organize a medium-sized to large organization around shared leadership

Presenters:

• Michael Larson, Executive Director, Blue Lotus Center
• Lisa Starke, Associate Director, Blue Lotus Center

Michael Larson is the Executive Director of the Blue Lotus Center, a nonprofit nature center for people with disabilities and other profound life challenges in West Bend, WI. He has two adult children and a lovely wife, who is also an executive director. If you find yourself sitting next to Mike you could strike up a conversation with him about biology, religion, board games, the nonprofit sector, and/or shared leadership and collaborative teams as an organizational strategy. Or, for that matter, you can bring up whatever is interesting to you… he just likes talking to people. He is also the DM for an elaborate Dungeons & Dragons campaign, hence the RPG vibes.

Lisa Starke is the proud mother of two grown sons and lives with her husband in Barton, Wisconsin. She is honored to be the associate director of the Blue Lotus Center, a nonprofit that provides access to a relaxing and empowering day in nature for people of all ages with profound life challenges. Her primary areas of focus are building a thriving core of volunteers, monitoring and writing grants, and assisting with programming. She deeply enjoys utilizing important skills gained from her counseling and marketing degrees as well as years of experience working with children with disabilities to help provide Blue Lotus’ wide range of guests with an experience that will have a positive impact.

Get to know the National Weather Service in more depth, including the products issued leading up to and during hazardous weather. As preparedness is paramount, our discussions about hazardous weather will focus on how to get information, as well as safety and preparedness strategies. We will also highlight the various online resources and readiness programs offered by the National Weather Service.

Presenter:

• Jaclyn Anderson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service Detroit

Jaclyn Anderson is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist from NWS Detroit. She has worked as a Meteorologist and Incident Meteorologist in the NWS for over 10 years at various locations across the country before arriving in southeast Michigan.

How can the places we create reflect the values we hold? This workshop explores how mission, vision, and values can serve as guiding tools in shaping the built environment of a nature center or environmental organization. Through guided exercises and collaborative discussion, participants will work directly with their organization’s existing values to explore how those principles can inform decisions about land use, facilities, programming, and visitor experience.

Together, we’ll examine how concepts such as stewardship, sustainability, resiliency, access, education, and community can move from abstract ideals into tangible spatial choices. Participants will gain frameworks and prompts to help guide future building and planning efforts, using mission-driven thinking as a filter for decision-making.

The session will also feature a case study of the Wild Bear Nature Center, highlighting how organizational values shaped the design process and influenced key decisions throughout a major development project. Topics will include navigating financial constraints, sustainability goals, regulatory realities, community partnerships, and long-term operational needs.

Designed as a studio-style conversation, this workshop will give participants the opportunity to reflect on their own organizations and identify mission-aligned next steps for future growth and development.

Presenter:

• Linnaea Stuart, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, Principal Architect, Arch11

Linnaea resides in Colorado where she is a licensed architect and principal at Arch11, a Colorado based firm dedicated to resilient and impactful design. With an interest in searching for unique projects in her field, Linnaea's work has focused on the design and construction of cultural landmarks, including Wild Bear Nature Center a new net-positive education center in Nederland, Colorado. Her passion lies in turning great ideas into tangible, built realities driven by thoughtful collaboration, meticulous attention to detail, and creative problem-solving. During her free time, she enjoys taking early morning walks with her dog, Ladybird, and tasting new culinary treats at all times of the day.

Nature-based early childhood education, particularly nature preschools, is becoming more popular in the nature center world. Yet, how do we know we’re doing it well? The Nature-Based Education Rating Scale (NABERS) is a tool developed to help identify the quality and level of “natureness” for those PreK and K-3 programs using adding nature to their curriculum. This session will first identify the core principles of Nature-based Early Childhood Education (NbECE) and then discuss tangible measures of quality. Participants will leave able to identify nature-based practices in the program structure, staffing, physical environment, community partnerships, and family engagement.

Presenter:

• Rachel Larimore, Ph.D., Chief Visionary, Samara Early Learning

Dr. Rachel A. Larimore is a researcher, educator, consultant, and former nature-based preschool director. For nearly 30 years her work has focused on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning, Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade, and her newest book Reimagining the Role of Teachers in Nature-based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring. Rachel is the founder and Chief Visionary of Samara Early Learning, an organization focused on helping early childhood educators start nature-based schools or add nature-based approaches into their existing program. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States.

Field Tours are a great way to expand your natural history knowledge, share exciting experiences with participants, and add a new financial opportunity to your organization. This workshop will walk through how to plan, market, and prepare for multi-day trips to both in-state and out-of-state locations. These trips are designed to focus on a variety of natural history topics.

In this workshop we will discuss:

• How to plan, market, and prepare for trips that take participants away from their facility for overnight field tours.
• How to make these experiences safe and available to a wide variety of participants (taking into account age, physical abilities, and health conditions).How to properly price these field tours to cover lodging, food, experiences, short-distance transportation, and a nature center (or other facility) contribution.
• Examples of previous field tour itineraries and the presenter will explain the decision-making process for the entire document, including how to ensure many natural history topics are showcased (geology, birding, cultural history, botany, special features of the area, etc.).
• The general time it will take to plan and prepare for each trip and the best times of year to begin choosing a location/general area, creating and marketing an itinerary, start booking accommodations and experiences, getting together interpretive resources, and scouting locations.

Presenter:

• Madison Christol, Naturalist/Land Steward, Seven Ponds Nature Center

Madison Christol is a Naturalist and Land Steward at Seven Ponds Nature Center located in Dryden, MI. She has helped plan and lead several field tours to a variety of locations. She earned her B.S.F.R in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Seven Ponds Nature Center has been running both Birding and Natural History Field Tours for almost 40 years.

As nature-based education expands across schools, nature centers, and community programs, many organizations are investing in professional learning to support educators in shifting their practice outdoors. Yet less is understood about how educators actually become nature-based practitioners over time. This presentation shares findings from a cooperative inquiry dissertation study that examined the developmental progression of educators as they moved from taking traditional lessons outside to developing a sustained nature-based pedagogical identity. Drawing on experience theory, attention restoration research, and practitioner reflection, the session introduces a conceptual model describing key phases of educator growth: initial buy-in, experiential meaning-making, recognition of student outcomes, and eventual ownership and advocacy. Participants will engage with research-informed insights and practical implications for supporting educator development in nature centers and other outdoor learning contexts.

Presenter:

• Amanda McMickle, Ph.D., Vice President of Education, San Antonio Zoo

Dr. Amanda McMickle is the Vice President of Education at San Antonio Zoo. She has been a leader of nature schools ranging from public to private, early childhood to 6th grade for over a decade. Amanda is the founder of ⁠Southwest Early Childhood Outdoors (SECO) which is a regional group that meets monthly to discuss nature-based philosophy, best practices, and advocacy. Amanda currently sits on the leadership board of ⁠Natural Start Alliance⁠ and the governing boards of ⁠Families in Nature⁠ and ⁠International Play Association-USA Chapter⁠.

Nature center leaders are driven by a powerful sense of purpose — but how do you know if your work is actually making a difference? And how do you communicate that difference to funders, community members, and your own team?

This interactive workshop explores the why and how of tracking organizational impact. We'll start with the big question: why measure progress at all? Together, we'll examine how strong evaluation practices help you stay true to your mission, make the case to funders, and share your organization's story in a way that resonates.

From there, we'll dig into practical methods for gathering and synthesizing evidence, including a look at what your organization is likely already collecting. You'll leave with a clearer sense of how to connect the data you have to the outcomes that matter most.

Through guided peer conversations and hands-on activities, participants will strengthen their use of key strategy and evaluation tools, including logic models and strategic plans. The goal isn't measurement for its own sake, it's using these tools actively to improve your work and sharpen your organization's focus.

Whether you're just beginning to think about impact measurement or looking to deepen an existing practice, this workshop will give you frameworks, peer insights, and practical next steps you can bring back to your organization.

Participants will leave with:

• A stronger understanding of why and how to track mission-driven impact
• Familiarity with multiple methods for measuring and communicating results
• Hands-on experience with strategy and evaluation tools like logic models
• Connections with peers navigating similar challenges

Presenter:

• Carolyn Waters, Ph.D., Principal Consultant, Ranger Rabbit Consulting

Dr. Carolyn Waters has twenty years of experience in environmental education practice and research across the U.S. Southeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. She has published and presented on topics such as training for environmental educators and curricular design that involves young people in environmental decision making. As Principal Consultant for Ranger Rabbit Consulting, she provides strategic services to organizations that connect people with nature, including support for impact measurement, strategic planning, and evaluation. Her participatory approach engages and empowers stakeholders at all levels. Her passion is to work with groups to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and action for social and ecological justice. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, she lives on an urban homestead with her partner, dog, cat, and a handful of chickens.

It is important that everyone feels welcomed and accepted in all spaces. The DNR Outdoor Adventure Center creates accessible ways for visitors to engage with all types of our programming. Whether visiting our building with family or their school, participating in a public program or recreational experience (such as fishing or archery), or attending a large expo event we strive to provide a diverse selection of inclusive experiences and continuously improve and raise our standards. We will start our workshop by walking through what our facility has implemented to be more inclusive to all; including our Sensory-Friendly Days available to the public and private groups. We will leave 20-30 minutes with time for discussion on what could be done at your facility!

Workshop objectives include:

• Learn how to expand access to your programming, including large scale events.
• Expand knowledge of accessibility tools and resources available to be more inclusive.
• Better understanding of needs that your guests may have and how they could be met while visiting your location.
• Techniques and training for staff learning and awareness.

Presenters:

• Danielle Wilemski, Educational Programmer, DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
• Katie Gillies, Assistant Director, DNR Outdoor Adventure Center

Katie Gillies is the Assistant Director for the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center. Katie has worked at the OAC since the doors opened in 2015, in multiple roles. She oversees the OAC's general facility operations, guest experience and customer service, and group reservation processes. With a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusion, she serves on the OAC’s accessibility and marketing teams alongside the OAC's education staff to support and promote inclusive programs across the facility. She also works alongside the accessibility team to ensure staff are appropriately trained on available offerings and resources, to maintain a welcoming and informed experience for all visitors.

Danielle Wilemski is an educator for the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center. She has worked passionately to connect guests of all abilities to the outdoors and created Sensory-Friendly Days at the OAC. Sensory-Friendly Days have grown into monthly offerings for families and individuals for adventure. In 2025, Danielle launched Sensory-Friendly Days for schools and summer camp which has turned into a monthly availability. These days give groups an opportunity to visit the OAC when they are closed to the public, smaller capacity, and the same building standards as public Sensory-Friendly Days.

Leadership at nature centers often pulls us inside—into budgets, staffing, strategic decisions, and putting out “fires”—while the landscapes that first inspired our work wait quietly outside the window. In this workshop, we will step away from the noise and constant inputs of daily work and turn to the natural world for perspective, renewed energy, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Through a guided walk and shared observation, participants will pay close attention to the living systems around them—the persistence of plants, the movement of pollinators, and the relationships that allow ecosystems to flourish over time. Together, we will explore what these patterns can teach us about responding to challenges, supporting healthy workplace cultures, nurturing long-term partnerships, and staying grounded during uncertain moments. Participants may discover that careful observation not only changes the way we see the landscape, but also the way we approach our work, our decisions, and one another.

The workshop will also invite participants to reflect on their own “pulse point”—the work that motivates and sustains them—and to consider how a clearly shared sense of purpose can inspire and align staff, board members, donors, volunteers, and visitors around a common vision.

Participants will leave with practical ways to use observation as a leadership tool, along with renewed appreciation for how the natural world can restore perspective, spark creativity, and strengthen the way they lead.

Presenter:

• Tavia Cathcart Brown, Executive Director, Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve

Tavia Cathcart Brown is Executive Director of Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve in Goshen, Kentucky, a 170-acre public charity serving 60,000 visitors annually. A trained botanist, she brings an ecological lens to leadership, education, and conservation. Her work includes the development of nationally recognized native gardens, habitat restoration initiatives, and expanded access to nature. Tavia is co-author of Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and Southern Appalachians, a field guide to 16 states, and co-author/lead photographer of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, recipient of a Gold Nautilus Book Award. She hosted a KY Educational TV show, Kentucky’s Secret Gardens, nominated for an Emmy Award. She regularly presents on ecology, stewardship, and interpretive storytelling, and how close observation can inspire curiosity, care, and conservation.

What does digital storytelling look like in a green space? How does it enrich visitor experiences? What best practices exist for making sure digital storytelling aligns with institutional goals and the capacities of a space? This workshop aims to create a space to pause and reflect. We want to cultivate an environment of thoughtful questions around the real-world benefits of tech in green outdoor spaces, and explore how to strike a balance between a digital and in-person experience.

Participants will understand the workings of Bloomberg Connects, a digital storytelling and interpretation platform, and how it can support their work at nature centers. Participants will come away with a fuller understanding of the digital tools and resources that are available to them, which can help them meet the present moment and better serve a diverse audience. Participants will come away with real-world examples and strategies of how digital tools are being used to facilitate meaningful visitor experiences in green spaces. Participants will understand what they can expect from a digital interpretation platform, how to evaluate a tool and determine how it might support the mission of their organization, and how to build stakeholder engagement around new digital platforms.

Presenters:

• Isabel Cuellar, Community & Partner Success Manager, Bloomberg Connects
• Mary Corson, Managing Director, Reflection Riding
• Michaela Wright, Director of Exhibitions Content & Interpretation, The New York Botanical Garden

Isabel Cuellar, from the Bloomberg Connects team, has worked with recruiting, onboarding, marketing, and community engagement teams. She manages a Botanic Gardens + Living Collection Partners Community within Bloomberg Connects. This experience gives her the perspective needed to moderate this digital adoption conversation.

Mary Corson is the Managing Director at Reflection Riding, a 300-acre nature center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She leads organizational strategy and operations, with a focus on visitor experience, interpretation, and cross-functional initiatives. Mary has played a key role in the development and implementation of Reflection Riding’s signage and digital guide strategy, bringing a practical perspective on how nature centers can thoughtfully integrate digital tools to support engagement, accessibility, and connection to place.

Michaela Wright, Director of Exhibitions Content & Interpretation at the New York Botanical Garden, can address signage options and training tactics that have been used onsite to enhance visitor experiences. Her perspective working at a large institution will help create a diverse array of voices in the workshop.

Join Chippewa Nature Center's Tom Lenon, Director of Land and Facilities, and Isaac Wolfgang, Operations Manager, for a field tour that showcases more than three decades of land restoration.

On-site stops will highlight wildlife management, invasive species control, native vegetation plantings, and monitoring protocols used to evaluate restoration success. The tour will also feature a recently restored former industrial site where CNC serves as a contractor for invasive species control and native plantings, and Tom and Isaac will discuss how CNC has become a sought-after contractor for regional partners.

Learning Objectives

• See land restoration projects in varying stages of maturity, highlighting the long-term commitment restoration requires and the success that is possible with sustained effort.
• Examine how CNC transitioned from performing on-site land stewardship to developing a growing role as consultants and contractors for regional partners wishing to manage their natural spaces.

Presenters

• Tom Lenon, Director of Land & Facilities, Chippewa Nature Center
• Isaac Wolfgang, Operations Manager, Chippewa Nature Center

This workshop begins with a behind-the-scenes tour of Chippewa Nature Center’s LEED Gold Certified Nature Preschool Building and the new Nature Education Center early childhood classrooms. Participants will see how the design of these spaces reflects the center’s approach to nature-based learning and supports day-to-day teaching.

Following the tour, a panel of nature-based preschool experts from across Michigan will share how their programs are structured. The conversation will cover the variety of early childhood education models including infrastructure and funding sources. 

If you’re thinking about starting a nature-based preschool or are considering changes to your current model, this workshop is designed to share a variety of perspectives and dig into the details of the spaces and finances of running a quality program.

Learning Objectives

• Explore how philosophy and pedagogy shape the design and use of nature preschool spaces.
• Learn how different preschools utilize a variety of funding structures based on the needs and interests of their community.

Presenter

• Madison Powell, Nature Preschool Director, Chippewa Nature Center

Join Chippewa Nature Center’s Program Team for an in-depth tour of the indoor and outdoor spaces that support their work. Stops include the newly built Nature Educator Center, Visitor Center, Nature Play Area, and more. Along the way, team members will share insight about what they love about each space, how they have solved challenges over the years, and where they still hope to grow. 

From storage to public spaces, school programs, public programs and camp, you’ll dig into how CNC’s staff strives to create spaces where all people feel welcome. Participants will leave with ideas for making the most of their own facilities.

Learning Objectives

• Explore how to manage storage, work space, and programming space while meeting the needs of a variety of visitors. 
• Identify how to encourage longer visits in public spaces.Identify how to develop multi-use spaces and support the logistics behind them. 

Presenters

• Jenn Kirts, Director of Program, Chippewa Nature Center
• Michelle Fournier, School and Public Program Director, Chippewa Nature Center
• Steve Frisbee, Nature Day Camp Director, Chippewa Nature Center

At a confluence, currents meet, and something stronger emerges.

This executive-level working session brings top leaders together to combine insight, experience, and perspective to move big challenges forward. Bring a complex issue, a stalled initiative, or a strategic priority that needs focused attention. In a confidential, peer-driven space, you’ll engage in structured problem-solving designed to move you from uncertainty to clarity.

This is not a discussion session; it’s a working session. You will leave with a defined solution, a clear action plan, or a realistic timeline for completion.

Who should attend? 

This session is for top-level leaders only: the BOSS. Executive Directors, CEOs, and the highest-ranking manager at your organization are invited to participate.

This session is ideal for leaders who:

• Need focused time to move a major project forward
• Are navigating a complex personnel or governance issue
• Are planning a capital expansion or major fundraising initiative
• Are restructuring staff or board or clarifying organizational roles
• Are developing a strategic pivot or long-term sustainability plan
• Have an initiative that has stalled and needs momentum
• Are struggling with prioritizing their time and resources

If you are carrying responsibility for final decisions, this space is for you.

Experienced Executive Directors and CEOs who may not have a pressing project are also strongly encouraged to attend to offer peer support, perspective, and hard-earned wisdom. Your experience is invaluable at this confluence.

Come ready to work and contribute, and leave with clarity.

Learning Objective

The goal of this workshop is for participants to walk away with a defined solution, a clear action plan, or a realistic timeline for completion.

Presenters

• Jen Levy, ANCA Executive Director
• Kay Carlson, Nonprofit Executive Coach & Consultant, Kay Carlson Consulting LLC & Kessel Strategies

At Dow Gardens, agriculture isn’t just something we grow, it’s something we share.

In this session and tour, discover how we bring agricultural education to visitors of all ages and abilities. From our littlest learners in the Growin’ Gardeners program to hands-on experiences in the Herb Garden, guests engage through smell, taste, and exploration. Our one-of-a-kind orchard tells the story of apples, from the earliest varieties grown in Khastistan, to those cultivated by Herbert H. Dow, to the fruits found on grocery store shelves today.

Join us to see how public gardens can serve as living classrooms, connecting communities to the story, science, and joy of growing food.

Learning Objectives 

• Engage All Ages and Abilities: Demonstrate strategies for designing educational programs that are inclusive, hands-on, and accessible to visitors ranging from young children to adults.
• Multi-Sensory Learning: Show how incorporating smell, taste, touch, and visual exploration can deepen understanding and enjoyment of plants, herbs, and agricultural systems.
• Storytelling Through Plant Collections: Illustrate how gardens and orchards can convey historical, scientific, and cultural narratives, linking plant varieties to broader agricultural and food system knowledge.
• Living Classroom Design: Provide methods for integrating edible landscapes, demonstration gardens, and orchards as interactive learning spaces that connect visitors directly to agriculture and sustainability concepts.

Presenters

• Elizabeth Beans, Dow Gardens Director of Grounds
• Debbie Anderson, Education and Volunteer Manager
• Jessie Brown, Horticulturist
• Chad Gluch, Orchard Specialist

Join Chippewa Nature Center's Program Team for an in-depth tour of the indoor and outdoor spaces that support their work. Stops include the newly built Nature Educator Center, Visitor Center, Nature Play Area, and more. Along the way, team members will share insight about what they love about each space, how they have solved challenges over the years, and where they still hope to grow. 

From storage to public spaces, school programs, public programs and camp, you’ll dig into how CNC’s staff strives to create spaces where all people feel welcome. Participants will leave with ideas for making the most of their own facilities.

Learning Objectives

• Explore how to manage storage, work space, and programming space while meeting the needs of a variety of visitors.
• Identify how to encourage longer visits in public spaces.
• Identify how to develop multi-use spaces and support the logistics behind them. 

Presenters

• Jenn Kirts, Director of Program, Chippewa Nature Center
• Michelle Fournier, School and Public Program Director, Chippewa Nature Center
• Steve Frisbee, Nature Day Camp Director, Chippewa Nature Center

This workshop will focus on the pedagogy and staffing structures employed by a variety of nature-based early childhood programs. Hear how philosophies have evolved over time and how nature-based programs are shaping and being shaped by their communities. The pros and cons of staffing structures will be discussed with a focus on delivering a high-quality program through skilled team members. 

Learning Objectives

• Explore the advantages and disadvantages of different staffing structures.
• Examine how a variety of preschools engage with their community through funding, coalitions, licensing, and more. 
• Identify different pedagogy and teaching philosophies that support high quality early childhood education. 

Presenter

• Madison Powell, Nature Preschool Director, Chippewa Nature Center

Join the Facilities Team for an in-depth tour of Chippewa Nature Center’s buildings from an operations and facility maintenance perspective. We will spend time in the Visitor Center, Resource Building, and new Nature Education Center as well as CNC’s wood shop, vehicle maintenance area, welding shop, and other maintenance areas. Learn how CNC performs most maintenance in-house, including hazard tree management, and organizes efforts to ensure we are good stewards of our facilities, while serving the mission of the organization.

Learning Objectives

• Examine various aspects of facility maintenance, highlighting how to do most maintenance in-house.
• Learn how building maintenance can inform new facility construction.

Presenters

• Isaac Wolfgang, Operations Manager, Chippewa Nature Center
• Tom Lenon, Director of Land and Facilities, Chippewa Nature Center

Discover how Dow Gardens is intentionally designing to welcome guests of all abilities. In this presentation and tour, we’ll highlight the thoughtful choices that make accessibility a priority—from our ADA-accessible Canopy Walk, the longest in the nation, to smooth, navigable path surfaces, a Changing Space Restroom with a hoist, and more. Learn how our gardens are crafted to ensure everyone can experience the beauty, wonder, and adventure Dow Gardens has to offer.

Learning Objectives

• Identify effective accessibility features in gardens, such as ADA-compliant pathways, ramps, and restrooms.
• Understand design strategies that balance aesthetics, safety, and accessibility in outdoor spaces.
• Evaluate how accessible elements enhance visitor experience for guests of all abilities.
• Recognize best practices in inclusive garden planning that can be adapted to different landscapes.
• Apply principles of accessibility to assess or improve other public gardens, parks, or nature spaces.

Presenters

• Elizabeth Lumbert, Dow Gardens Executive Director
• Elizabeth Beans, Dow Gardens Director of Grounds
• Carolynn Paten, Dow Gardens Director of Programming & Guest Services

This field workshop offers a guided experience at the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio in Midland. Participants will tour the home and grounds in small groups, with time for close observation and conversation. The tour introduces Dow’s approach to organic architecture and how his philosophy shapes the space.

Following the tour, participants will take part in a facilitated exercise using written exchanges between Alden B. Dow and Frank Lloyd Wright. This activity invites reflection on how ideas about design and ethics carry forward into present-day work.

The group will then gather for a discussion on how the organization stays grounded in its mission. Staff will share how they use Dow’s “A Way of Life Cycle” and archival materials to connect past and present, along with how education guides their programming. The conversation will also touch on funding and their unique approach to interpretation.

Participants will leave with insight into how Dow’s ideas about design and environment can inform their own work, and how spaces can shape the way people think and learn.

Learning Objectives

• Explore how design philosophy can be expressed through the built environment and visitor experience.
• Reflect on how historical materials can inform present-day practice and decision-making.
• Gain insight into how interpretation, funding, and operations align to support long-term sustainability.

9am-12pm  |  $25/person

Join Chippewa Nature Center naturalists for a 6-mile kayak trip down the Chippewa River. Along the way, we will check out CNC’s properties from the river's perspective while keeping our eyes out for green and great blue herons, bald eagles, swallows, and kingfishers. Map turtles and a variety of fish may also be spotted during this trip. We will start the trip at CNC’s Universal Kayak Launch and end at CNC’s Canoe Landing.

Space is limited to 10 participants.

Depart from the CNC Visitor Center at 9am. Participants will return to the Visitor Center at 12pm. We will offer a shuttle from Summit hotels to CNC.

10-11:30am  |  $25/person

Spend the morning paddling Chippewa Nature Center’s 29-foot fiberglass reproduction of a birch bark canoe. These canoes were used by voyageurs to haul loads of trade goods and animal pelts on these rivers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Paddle past the location of an American Fur Trade Post and under downtown Midland’s five modern bridges.

Space is limited to 10 participants.

Depart the dock by Midland’s Tridge at 10am. Transportation to/from the dock is not provided, but is walkable from downtown Midland — it’s a tenth-mile from The H Hotel, and a half-mile from the Fairfield Inn.

8am-1:30pm  |  $25/person

Hit the trails by exploring Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge! This ranger-led guided hike will meander through restored wetlands and bottomland hardwood forests that provide critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and a myriad of other wildlife species. 

The hike is 4 miles round-trip, with periodic stops along the way to learn about the restoration work occurring in the refuge. Close-toed shoes are recommended.

Space is limited to 20 participants.

Transportation is not provided — participants may carpool to the refuge. CNC will drive one minivan with five seats. Depart the Fairfield Inn at 8am, and return at 1:30pm. Driving time to the refuge is approximately an hour and ten minutes.

10am-2pm  |  $35/person

Expand your Summit experience by touring two unique ANCA member organizations in the metro Detroit area.

We’ll start at Belle Isle Nature Center, a renowned attraction that invites the community to explore and celebrate the nature we can find right in our own backyards. Managed by the Detroit Zoological Society, the nature center is situated on Belle Isle Park, a 982-acre island on the Detroit River just by downtown Detroit.

Having recently undergone a $2.5-million renovation, the nature center features interactive exhibits designed to highlight the way that humans and nature intersect in urban spaces. See Detroit-native reptiles and amphibians up close, explore interactive and perspective-enhancing features that showcase often overlooked city/nature spaces, and check out the trails rich with natural beauty under the Detroit city skyline.

We’ll then visit the Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC), an expansive center that gives you a taste of Michigan’s great outdoors in the heart of the city. Managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the OAC allows you to experience exciting outdoor adventures with hands-on activities, exhibits, and simulators. Within the center you’ll walk behind and touch a waterfall, step into a fishing boat and reel in a big fish, hit the trail on a mountain bike or snowmobile, and much more.

At both centers you’ll engage with staff, see behind the scenes, and gain a firsthand understanding of the operations that make these organizations acclaimed regional attractions.

Transportation is not provided to Detroit or between Belle Isle Nature Center and the Outdoor Adventure Center — participants will need their own transportation. Driving time from Chippewa Nature Center to Detroit is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Driving time between Belle Isle Nature Center and the Outdoor Adventure Center is approximately 15 minutes. Lunch will be provided.