"Every community needs a nature center just like it needs a school, church, and library. Nature centers teach environmental values. This book is a practical and usable guide to establishing and operating a nature center from authors who did it themselves and who studied dozens of other nature centers across the country. It is full of useful information, and a must read for anyone interested in nature centers."--John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society"The authors' love of nature and their labor of love in establishing the Cibolo Nature Center come through loud and clear. . . . They offer a wealth of wisdom based on their own experiences in a clear, readable style. They also present significant information on where help is available."--Michael Riska, Executive Director, Delaware Nature SocietyPreserving wild land as a community nature center can be a powerful antidote to the stresses of modern living. This practical handbook is designed to inspire, inform, and enable readers to create a local nature center, or help an existing nature center grow and prosper. It will be an essential resource for nature center pioneers, as well as volunteers, board members, donors, government officials, or new members who want to educate themselves about the operation and potential of a nature center in their community.Brent Evans and Carolyn Chipman-Evans give step-by-step instructions for creating and maintaining a nature center. They cover topics such as starting from scratch; gathering support; organizing the organization; building community; handling costs, budgets, and funding; managing land without managing to ruin it; and planning. Photographs, line drawings, and boxes with helpful tips amplify the entire book.

"It's fall, and it's time to visit a nature center! Take a close look at nature, learn how to take care of the environment, and have fun doing some nature activities too. Through playful text and beautiful images, kids will experience what it's like to visit a nature center"--

Where can you go to learn about animals and plants in their natural habitats? The nature center offers an exciting experience of what is happening in nature when no one is looking. From bird watching to nature hikes, the nature center has a lot to offer. Discover all there is to see there with carefully leveled text and full-color photos. Critical thinking questions and a photo glossary supply readers with the basic building blocks for reading nonfiction.