La Joie! Everyday Joy....: A Community "Gem"

I try to run 5 miles a day or at least every other day. I've had to vary my route because of dogs, strange people, too much traffic, road construction, no shade, rouge turkeys and chickens and too long stoplights. I think I have finally found a route I can live with and one that works great no matter what time of the day I run. Part of my route takes me through a "gem" in our community and I'm don't think nearly enough people take advantage of it.

That "gem" is Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley, MN. When we first built our house, which is just over the railroad tracks from Nature Center, there was debate in the Fridley City Council in whether or not to turn the Nature Center into a golf course. With a rousing support from the residents of Fridley, the Council voted to keep as a Nature Center. Since then, there have been many changes and upgrades - all positive.

Besides being a place to take leisurely walks on the carefully groomed paths (year round), it's a place to host birthday parties and picnics. They have a very nice covered picnic area as well as a birthday party program where your guests spend 45 minutes with a Naturalist. The Naturalist tailors the topics to the guests' ages. There are also a number of other community programs such as bird banding, garden club, scout programs, school programs, photography club and a host of other activities/groups.

I brought my boys to the Feed the Animals program when they were really little. Both boys were obsessed with snakes, thinking they were "really cool". I thought it would be great for them to see the snakes being fed. Well, I'm glad they aren't scarred for life! Little did I know that they feed the snakes LIVE baby mice and rats. There, with my boys' faces pressed against the glass, we watched the feeding process of snakes. I know, circle of life!

I have also visited the Nature Center with many school groups as a school employee and as a parent. I have been incredibly impressed by all of the Naturalists. My daughter's elementary school even had a partnership with the Nature Center. The Naturalists would come into the classroom with a plethora of information about life cycles, native plants and animals, conservation, water and what lives in it and how to identify different animals - who knew there were so many types of squirrels. These are only a few topics of discussion. I was so impressed at how they incorporated the curriculum into games, slide shows, art projects, nature walks, etc. The kids were all engaged and never bored.

Here's a link to the Springbrook Nature Center website: www.springbrooknaturecenter.org

It's also a place to meander or take a run, sit and meditate and bird watch. Here are some pictures of my children (the first one also includes one of their friends) enjoying the "off season" at the Nature Center a number of years ago. I'm so glad that we have such a "gem" in our backyard.