The long awaited and eagerly anticipated opening of the amazing new Sims Education Center at Fernwood is finally just days away now.
After more than four years of planning, designing, fundraising, and construction, Fernwood Botanical Garden in Buchanan Township near Niles, will celebrate the grand opening of their new 5,500-square-foot Sims Education Center on Sunday, October 14, 2018. The event will take place from 2–5pm and include light refreshments and live music, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30. The community is invited to attend and tour the building and outdoor spaces.
The new facility will become the central location for lectures, classes, workshops, exhibits, and botanically and environmentally focused books for all ages. It also will be a gathering space for camps and field trips and replaces the 35-year-old Nature Center on the Fernwood grounds where youth classes and camps have historically been held.
Carol Line is Executive Director at Fernwood. She says, “As environmental awareness continues to take center stage in our country and worldwide, students, teachers, schools, and our region’s community members can now turn to Fernwood as an even stronger resource for youth and adults.”
The Education Center doubles Fernwood’s teaching and learning space and allows the organization to serve larger groups. Two education wings – Flora and Fauna – will accommodate youth and adult groups of all sizes. The Fauna wing features bird-viewing areas overlooking the ravine. When not in use for educational purposes, classrooms may be rented for meetings, retreats, and other private events.
The Education Center is designed for hands-on learning, as well as displays featuring current and historical naturalists, environmentalists, horticulturists, garden designers, and artists. Fernwood’s library, which is currently in the Visitors Center, will move to the Education Center to join the nucleus of educational activities. A special section, dedicated to the learning needs of children and families, will ignite in young minds curiosity and interest in the natural world.
The facility boasts sustainable design features in line with Fernwood’s environmental principles. A green roof covers 25-percent of the Education Center and will work with a rain garden to mitigate the effects of rainwater runoff. The features will work to protect delicate ecosystems throughout the nature preserve and gardens.
The Education Center has been made possible by Seed the Future, an extensive fundraising effort that to date has raised more than $3 million for Phase One of the 10 to 15-year garden master plan. The opening of the Education Center will position Fernwood for growth.
Joanne Sims, the Chair of the Seed the Future Campaign says, “So many individuals, foundations, and companies have come together to support the Seed the Future campaign. Their generosity not only has made construction of this facility possible but will allow Fernwood to realize growth in other important ways and for generations to come.”
Principals for the Project include the following:
- Architects: Tigerman McCurry Architects, Chicago, Illinois
- General Contractor: EC Moore of Berrien County, Inc., Berrien Springs, Michigan
- Garden Master Plan: Pashek+MTR, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Landscape Architect: Rosborough Partners Inc, Libertyville, Illinois
- Garden Design: 3Fromme Design, Sanford, Florida; Claudia Parish Landscaping, Harbert, Michigan
- Green Roof Design: Christy Webber Landscapes, Chicago, Illinois
The Education Center will be open to the public during Fernwood’s regular hours, as well as during special events, such as the upcoming Halloween Happening and Holiday Market. Fernwood is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors 65 and older, $7 for students, $5 for military, and $5 for children ages 5 through 17. Children under 5 and Fernwood members are admitted free.
Fernwood is located in Buchanan Township at 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, Michigan. For more information about Fernwood visit www.fernwoodbotanical.org or call 269.695.6491.
Established in 1964, Fernwood is located on 105-acres of gardens, woodlands, ravines, marshes, restored prairie, and river frontage on the St. Joseph River in Buchanan Township. The non-profit organization has a mission to enrich people’s lives by awakening and deepening their appreciation of nature and the possibilities of harmony between people, plants, gardens, and wildlife.
