Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway

“A draft copy of the form 990 was available for review by the executive committee. After said review, the board approved the form for submission.”

“All board members and staff sign a conflict of interest policy statement annually.”

“The salary of the executive director is determined annually by the board of directors. Elements of discussion include the use of comparable compensation for similar organizations as well as performance evaluation of said individual.”

“There are no employees who fit within the definition of "key employee."”

“Readily available upon request.”

“Our mission is to create opportunities to discover the wonder of the natural world through outdoor education and recreation experiences, and by protecting and connecting natural habitats for the benefit of wildlife, people and the environment.”

“Volunteers are utilized in various actvities, including, but not limited to: repair and site maintenance services: painting, trail maintenance, building decks and boardwalks, removing invasive species, trash removal, and cleaning of site buildings. Several volunteers assist in the folding and mailing of program newsletters.”

“The odc nature preserve is open to the public and offers many diverse programs that help foster the concepts of wildlife management, conservation, outdoor education and preservation. The preserve has six naturally occurring, distinct ecosystems on its 150 acre site which include: ponds, remnant dunes, wetlands, meadows, remnant prairies, and lowland hardwood forests. This unique and ecologically diverse area offers the community and schools a place to experience nature close up. Nearly four miles of walking trails and boardwalks wind through the grounds and provide access (including handicap access) to the various ecosystems. A fully accessible half-mile sensory trail features interpretive areas along it that allow all visitors, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, to enjoy and learn about nature. Located along the trails are interpretive signs, wildlife viewing points and outdoor classroom areas/educational stations. Two nature play areas at the preserve are very popular with young visitors who play in sand boxes, play houses and other structures, or explore grasses, trees, and logs or natural wonders. Founders hall, the education building at the entrance of the property, houses wildlife displays and includes a visitor's information center, restrooms and a classroom. The field station houses a research lab that is used by several local colleges, serves as a temporary display site for an extensive north american wildlife taxidermy collection and provides indoor and outdoor classroom space for the little hawks discovery preschool, a program of the hamilton community school district. The macatawa river greenway project is an effort to protect the banks, floodplain forest, marsh, meadows, and wetlands along the macatawa river, the community's main river. By protecting this continuous corridor for wildlife and plant habitat, the greenway also significantly improves the quality of the waters flowing into lake macatawa and lake michigan. Throughout the greenway, visitors will find wildlife viewing platforms and overlooks allowing visitors to view and explore the diverse macatawa river environment. Programs: in partnership with school districts throughout west michigan, the center provides field trips and on-site curriculum-correlated programs for students, as well as pre and post visit activities in the classroom. Programs include: snowshoeing, fishing, handicap sensory nature walks, bird watching, ecosystem studies, pond studies, summer camps, natural history and wildlife studies. Through these programs, students get an up- close view of nature and opportunities to learn about and better appreciate the environment in which they live. In all of its educational programs, the center's inquiry-based style of programming allows students to learn about and experience nature and culture in a hands-on manner. Keystone programs include: nature school, live birds of prey, native american lifeways, connecting children and nature, river encounters, and nature-based education for a healthy future. Nature schools is a preschool program in which children are introduced to the natural world through songs, games, activities, and extensive outdoor exploration. Live birds of prey is an award-winning program which features live raptors on display in a specially built education facility. The historically accurate neshnabe summer village is a reconstructed michigan native american village that is the setting for cultural history programs. Connecting children and nature programs address the issues of decreased outdoor activity, sedentary indoor lifestyles, and increased time in front of various electronic media by children and adults. The goal of this special track of programs is to encourage people to go outdoors, appreciate the natural world, enjoy nature and develop a lifestyle that includes frequent outdoor activity. River encounters are paddling trips along the macatawa river in the holland and zeeland area. The trips are designed to educa”

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