Lake Erie Nature and Science Center

“Line 11a explanation - an electronic copy of the form 990 and required schedules are provided to each member of the finance committee for review. Members of the committee review the form 990 and schedules for accuracy. Upon successful completion of the review, the committee votes to approve the form 990 and provides the return to the full board. Upon notification to the preparer that the full board has been provided the return, the form 990 is filed with the irs.”

“It is the policy of the board of directors of lake erie nature & science center that no board member shall profit in any way from the transaction of any business with this organization involving the sale of services or products or the use of capital or lease and/or purchase of real estate, except as provided in compliance with the board's conflict of interest policy. The board of directors' governance committee ensures that incoming board candidates do not have a conflict of interest and that each current board member reads and signs the conflict of interest policy on an annual basis.”

“The finance committee approves the executive director's compensation through the budget process and recommend such compensation to the full board for approval. The full board votes to approve the compensation and such vote is recorded in the minutes of the meeting.”

“Lake erie nature and science center's form 990, governing documents, financial statements and conflict of interest policy are available upon request by calling the center at 440-871-2900.”

“Free admission, the center meets a growing need in our community for connections to the natural world. The center offers scheduled programs for all ages and abilities and free admission to exhibits and live animal displays. A unique combination of resources can be found only at the center: live animal exhibits and displays about natural history and space science are offered free of charge. Nature-based preschool classes are among the first and largest in the region and build on children's inherent curiosity. The planetarium is one of two public access domes in the area offering programs for all ages. Wildlife rehabilitation services encourage interest in animals, and is the only facility of its kind in cuyahoga county.”

“The mission of lake erie nature and science center (the center) is to educate and inspire people to understand, appreciate and take responsibility for our natural world. The center delivers this mission by providing children and families with a living, breathing connection to the natural world through informal science education. A unique combination of resources can be found only at lake erie nature & science center: live animal displays, wildlife rehabilitation services, a public access planetarium, a nature-based preschool, and a park setting along the shores of lake erie. The center is one of the region's most affordable destinations to learn about the natural world, offering free admission and free wildlife rehabilitation services 7 days a week, 356 days a year. Learning experiences at the center are accessible, repeatable, and sequential, and all programs meet science content standards. Return visits by families and students are one of the most important indicators of mission impact, and demonstrate ongoing learning and discovery. The center is serving the fourth generation of families and students with an ever widening community reach. Visitors from throughout northeast ohio come to the center for high-quality learning experiences such as planetarium shows, preschool classes, scout programs, school field trips, high school wildlife program, and seasonal family events. Last year the center served more than 80,000 preschool children, families, school age students, high school students, college interns and adults. Lake erie nature & science center is the only facility of its kind in cuyahoga county that provides the public with wildlife rehabilitation services. Trained employees responded to more than 9,000 public inquiries about wildlife and received from the public nearly 2,000 ill or injured animals in need of treatment. The center's walter r. Schuele planetarium is one of two publicly accessible domes in cleveland and served 17,000 people with engaging physics and space science presentations. Its park setting, with direct access to lake erie, places many center programs in a living outdoor classroom. Since its founding in 1945 by elberta fleming the center's educational model promotes long-term appreciation and interest as evidenced by four generations of family visitors with an ever-widening community reach. In june, 2025, the nature center held a grand reopening of the outdoor exhibits of the wildlife gardens after a successful renovation project, the center's largest capital investment to improve the free admission experience for visitors of all ages. The $1,900,000 project, funded by contributions and grants, creates more engaging learning experiences about native animals for visitors. The newly renovated outdoor area features an aviary, eagle habitat, and wildlife rehabilitation ponds surrounded by beautifully designed native plant landscapes. The project was completed on time and has increased visitation by 15 to 30%. Enjoyed by most of the 100,000 annual visitors, the wildlife gardens are the primary reason for their visit, and an experience treasured by families over four generations. This special 20,000 foot space offers close-up views of native animals, helping visitors connect with and learn about natural world.”

“Split interest trust change in fair market value 222,108.”