August 2016
$3,600 Nominated by: Christal Lewandowski Website: Link In response to an announcement by the City of Troy in 2010 of plans to close the Stage Nature Center, a small but devoted group of citizens came together to form the Troy Nature Society (TNS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The society assumed management of the nature center in 2011 and began offering educational nature, science and environmental programs.The society’s mission is to provide resources and education to inspire the appreciation and preservation of nature and members immediately began raising funds to support operations. The Troy Nature Society members, volunteers and financial supporters ensure that the community would continue to enjoy this unique preserve set in an urban environment. This center for learning contains classrooms, a public research library, an observation bee hive, a wildlife viewing area and an exhibition lobby with live amphibians and a reptile. The headwaters of the Rouge River flow through this unique 100-acre preserve. More than 145 plant and animal species may be viewed throughout the grounds. An outdoor play area features climbing boulders, and a paved path provides wheelchair access to the streamside forest. Within the nature center boundaries are two miles of trails, which pass through upland forest, meadows, streamside wetlands, and a cattail marsh. |