Commemorating 30 years of history in just one day is no easy task, but that's just what the staff at Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Nature Center will do on Sunday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to North Chagrin Nature Center's 30th anniversary celebration featuring hikes, stories, history and photographs from the past and present.
Don't miss these special anniversary activities:
10 - 11:30 a.m. and 2 - 3:30 p.m. A Walk To Where It Began - Enjoy a 1.5 mile hike to A.B. Williams Memorial Woods led by a naturalist and learn when and why outdoor education began at North Chagrin Nature Center. Hear about the history of Arthur B. Williams, the first Cleveland Metroparks naturalist, and the woods named after him.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Build A Marsh, They Will Come - Discover the fascinating history behind why and how Sanctuary Marsh was developed while taking a half mile walk led by a naturalist.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Your Parks, Your Stories with Foster Brown - Share your favorite Cleveland Metroparks stories and photos with Cleveland Metroparks cultural historian, Foster Brown. These memories will help tell and preserve the Park District's 100 year history to be commemorated in 2017.
2 - 4 p.m. Cleveland Metroparks Photography Club - East Photo Show and Reception - Members share their personal photographs of nature, wildlife and landscapes. Meet and talk with photographers one-on-one while enjoying some refreshments.
3:30 - 4 p.m. Celebrate with Cake - Saving the best for last, enjoy a piece of anniversary cake!
On May 5, 1984, North Chagrin Nature Center opened its doors as a hub for the Sunset Wildlife Preserve. Cleveland Metroparks actively managed plant communities to attract waterfowl, song and shorebirds, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The center was built between the existing 100-year-old Sunset Pond and Sanctuary Marsh, the man-made, two acre marsh, which was developed at the same time as the center. The nature center provided, and continues to provide, visitors with educational programs and experiences that encourage an understanding and appreciation for North Chagrin Reservation and its nearly 2,200 acres of greenspace.
Portions of the center's exterior are composed of stone from Cleveland Metroparks Euclid Creek Reservation. Its interior features paneling made from American chestnut timbers recovered from obsolete Park District facilities, originally constructed from trees damaged during the 1930s fungal chestnut blight. The center features: educational natural history displays, live animal exhibits, a bird viewing area, a resource library, an auditorium and a Nature Shop.
North Chagrin Nature Center is located off Buttermilk Falls Parkway, off the Sunset Lane entrance of North Chagrin Reservation, accessible from SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Mayfield Village.
For more information visit clevelandmetroparks.com or call North Chagrin Nature Center at 440-473-3370.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
SUE ALLEN - 216-635-3338, sja@clevelandmetroparks.com
HOLLY KECK - 216-635-3253, hak@clevelandmetroparks.com
