Chippewa Nature Center Inc.

“The organization has members of various levels, depending on contribution. All members have rights to vote on board members.”

“Board members are elected at the annual meeting by votes from cnc members. Nominations are named by november of the preceding year by the board nominating committee. The election is held at the annual meeting. If no nominations are made other than the slate announced by the nominating committee, then those nominated are elected with one ballot from the board secretary - also at the annual meeting.”

“The form 990 was reviewed by senior management of cnc prior to its approval for filing.”

“Conflict of interest policy covers members of the chippewa nature center (cnc) board of directors, any of its committees, and staff members. Covered persons shall readily disclose to cnc any personal interest which he or she may have in any matter pending before cnc and shall refrain from participation in any decision on such matter. Any member of the cnc board or staff, who is an officer, board member, or employee of an agency or other entity doing business with cnc, shall identify his or her affiliation with such agency or entity. Covered persons in connection with any policy committee or board action specifically directed to that agency or entity, shall not participate in the decision affecting that agency or entity, and the decision must be made and/or ratified by the full board without the vote of the affected member.”

“The executive committee develops a budget containing the executive director's salary which is approved by the board of directors. Competitive salary levels are compared at local, state, and national levels for compensation for similarly qualified persons in functionally comparable positions at similarly situated organizations. The approval is documented in the executive committee meeting minutes.”

“Any requests for this information are directed to the executive director, who provides the documents as requested if legally mandated or constructively appropriate.”

“The chippewa nature center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate the enjoyment and understanding of our natural, historical and archaeological resources as relevant to the saginaw valley, to promote environmental awareness and to foster responsible stewardship.”

“Exception of four holidays. While quantifying trail users is difficult, we welcomed a record number of 22,102 guests to the visitor center. Free drop-in programs continue to be the foundation of cnc's interpretive program offerings, and are attended by a mix of returning guests and first-time visitors. We welcomed 152 visitors to wee stroll, a program designed for our youngest visitors (6 months-2 years old) and their caregivers to connect with nature. Story hours are geared for the next older age group ranging from 2-5 years old, and had 995 participants in 2017. Beyond the drop-in preschool programs, over 250 adult and family programs were offered in 2017, serving nearly 5,100 people. Those programs covered topics including: bird walks, wildflower hikes, maple syrup programs, life on an 1870s farm, bird banding, native american life, full moon walks, archaeology, animals tracks, salamander searches, golf cart tours, snake programs and much, much more homestead sundays, a unique sunday afternoon drop-in program at the homestead farm, continues to be popular with 1,399 visitors in 2017. This was our first full season with the timber frame barn and livestock pen improvements, both of which enhanced the visitor experience. This year, under the leadership of seasonal staff, 12 dedicated volunteers donated more than 328 hours of their time leading tours and hands-on activities, conducting demonstrations and working in the garden. The homestead garden has continued to thrive and provide fresh produce to the midland county emergency food pantry network. Immersive programs develop a connection to nature for all ages many visitors choose to spend more time learning, growing and experiencing the natural world through registered programs that enhance and support their connection to nature. Field trips are immersive experiences that give visitors the opportunity to paddle local rivers, bird the saginaw bay, try voyageur canoeing, enjoy history tours by golf cart, kayak the moose country of the upper peninsula and snowshoe along the au sable river. Over 200 people participated in 28 field trips. Workshops provide hands-on opportunities to build connections by helping participants learn a new skill and also appreciate the resources of nature. Workshops were offered on a wide range of topics including nature photography, hand-spinning, aquatic biology, basket making, making maple syrup, soap making and decorative gourd making. The 6th annual nature preschool institute in june gave 16 early childhood education professionals a chance to explore cnc's nature-based program. Birthday parties provide a fun way for children to celebrate their special day in the most fun environment around - the natural world in 2017, 175 children attended birthday parties hosted by a cnc educator. School and scout programs provide a valuable opportunity for students to learn in a hands-on, inquiry-based atmosphere. We provide programs both at cnc and in classrooms. In 2017, 13,277 students were guided through more than 20 on-site programs and nine off-site options. Through four at home with nature 3-class series, 236 homeschool students had the opportunity to connect with nature in a variety of fun, educational programs. We welcomed 509 cub scouts and girl scouts for a variety of programs that support their connection to nature through the scouting advancement programs. Nature kindergarten and nature first grade continue to be a success story. The 2017-18 school year marked the 6th year of this partnership with bullock creek schools, with four sections of kindergarten at floyd elementary and one section at pine river elementary, in addition to three sections of nature first grade at floyd elementary. All of these classes are now nature-based with a cnc educator working closely with the teachers to develop curriculum. In addition to weekly visits to first grade, a cnc educator visits every classroom at floyd elementary on a monthly basis. Nature preschool has seen”

“Additional funding to install the tower at cnc was provided by the herbert h. And grace a. Dow foundation, the harry a. And margaret d. Towsley foundation, and midland area community foundation and consumers energy foundation. The 33-foot tall observation tower will have a significant impact on cnc's diverse educational programming, as well as for everyday visitors. The lower level of the tower has universal access to those with limited mobility, with a ramp leading to a 21-foot by 24-foot viewing platform. Visitors can access the upper lever of the tower by stairs. Access to muskrat marsh improved with a new floating classroom dock, made possible through a grant from the michigan baseball foundation. 100-year flood in june the great lakes bay region was affected by historic flooding in june when 5 1/2" of rain fell in one night following a week of steady rains. Major impacts at cnc included the flooding of the nature study building, bent still-arms at the universal access dock, a portion of homestead road washed out, arboretum trees that died and debris that needed to be cleaned off cnc trails. Trails were back in order and the universal dock was repaired with a week and while we lost access to the nature study building for nature day camp, the building was ready for the first day of preschool on september 11. Improving access to nature: two new ramps were built on each side of the east chippewa trail bridge to correct significant frost heaving that has occurred over the last several years. The sugar bush trail at the east end of the six-island pond and a trail paralleling homestead road in the beech/maple forest were re-routed due to high numbers of ash trees affected by emeral ash borer. In order to improve trail access during wet seasons, additional reroutes were added in may. One was created in the oxbow to bypass a low muddy spot that often stays wet well into june. This trail work included the addition of a 20' boardwalk passing between the oxbow and a seasonally flooded maple forested area. A second reroute was completed in the beech/maple forest to bypass a wet area that is often wet until june. Other areas of cnc's trails have also been improved by adding culverts and gravel. The river trail should now be accessible year-round, with the exception of during major flooding. Dale johnson, an eagle scout, enhanced the spur trail between the chippewa trail and the wetlands area parking lot by reconstructing the boardwalk and adding gravel. Orientation signs were updated at major intersections of the river trail and new wayfinding signs were added to the chippewa trail in conjunction with a city of midland project to enhance signage for walking and biking paths throughout the city. Paddlers now have improved accedd to the chippewa river on homestead road thanks to the addition of a dock and landing area, made possible through the support of mike and laurie witt. A 32' gangway helps reduce erosion, and provide safer access to the dock and river. Land management improves the ecosystems control of invasive exotic plants to be a major focus in 2017. In total, 407 acres were treated to control the spread of these invaders. Cnc was able to treat all phragmites and most of the japanese knotweek found on the property through support from the saginaw bay cooperative invasive species management area. Additional brush hogging in the winter helped control shrubby invasive exotic plants in cnc's open areas and allowed the summer crew to focus on the wooded and shrubby areas that are high priority. In addition, a total of 46 deer were harvested on cnc property by five cnc-selected volunteers during the season. Itc transmission earned the grasslands project award for its native plant restoration work on the transmissio corridor crossing chippewa nature center. Four applications of native seed mixes enhanced the existing native plant diversity in the itc electricity transmission corridor at the nature center from 2012-2016. These native s”

“Volunteers for over 50 years, volunteers have played a significant role at cnc, from our founding board of directors to those individuals who spent endless hours removing barbwire and building the homestead buildings to the cits helping with nature day camp and many individuals that help make all of our special events a success. Volunteers of all ages assist cnc staff with a wide range of projects, festivals and activities. Chippewa nature center would like to express our sincere gratitude and a heartfelt "thank you" to the 891 volunteers that shared their time (a total of 13,709.25 hours), talents and expertise at cnc during 2017. The names of the individuals that provided volunteer support throughout the center during 2017 are listed in this report. Again, a sincere thank you to all our volunteers throughout the years for your hard work and dedication to our programs, mission and vision. We couldn't do it without you”

“Gain on sale of fixed assets -4,825 gain on sale of fixed assets 4,825”