Fenner Conservancy, the 501(c)(3) that operates the Fenner Nature Center in partnership with the City of Lansing, launched a crowdfunding campaign today to cover the remaining cost of a new 2,560-square-foot, four season space on the nature center grounds.
The 134-acre environmental education center on Lansing’s east side has spent the last two years developing plans for the additional building, which will allow it to accommodate a wider range of visitors, help with its community outreach and expand its programs.
“Our goal has always been to offer opportunities for our community to grow in its understanding and enjoyment of the natural world,” said Liz Roxberry, Fenner Conservancy’s executive director. “But the community’s demand for these types of programs has outpaced the space that we can provide. This new building will change the face of how we deliver education and connect with others in the city and across the state.”
The new building will be roughly five times larger than the existing space, able to hold four programs at a time. Summer camps, school programs, community classes, affiliate group meetings, corporate retreats, art showcases, concerts, weddings, reunions, graduations will be hosted in the space, said Alexa Seeger, Fenner Conservancy’s development and events manager.
“There’s really no end to the uses that this new space could serve, but we need the community’s help if to construct this valuable new resource, right in the heart of the Greater Lansing region,” Seeger said. “As a nonprofit working from a modest budget, a project of this magnitude is just too big for us to take on ourselves. That’s why we’re asking our community to come along and be part of this project.”
The crowdfunding campaign will run through October 31 on Patronicity.com. Through a unique partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Fenner Conservancy will have every dollar they raise in their crowdfunding campaign matched, but only if they meet their $50,000 goal, Roxberry said.
“The impact of every dollar donated will effectively be doubled,” Roxberry said. “Having a partner like Michigan Economic Development Corporation on this project really has allowed us to take a large step forward in cultivating a community that values art, music, environment and place.”
The anticipated cost for the additional building is $410,000, which is envisioned as a partially enclosed structure on the center’s grounds. It will supplement the current Visitor Center, a bilevel building built in the 1960s. Adding to the universal design elements by nationally known designer Steven Valenziano installed in the Visitor Center last year, the new building will include additional universal displays and be situated along a fully ADA-accessible path.
“The new space will allow visitors of all abilities to continue learning, exploring and discovering both indoors and out,” Roxberry said. “Best of all, it will turn Fenner into a destination for nature enthusiasts and give Lansing something new to really be proud of.”
For more information on Fenner Nature Center’s crowdfunding campaign or to make a donation, please visit patroncity.com/fenner.
About Fenner Nature Center
Fenner Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that hosts more than 60,000 visitors annually. The grounds contain over four miles of trails for visitors to explore and view live native reptiles, amphibians, songbirds, deer and wild turkeys. Fenner’s signature event is the annual Apple Butter Festival, which draws thousands of visitors every fall.
Fenner Nature Center is located at 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., Lansing. Visitor Center hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, please visit mynaturecenter.org or call 517-483-4224.
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
