Whether it was a first visit or a reunion among those who’d been there before, last weekend was a bit of a watershed event for the Guelph Lake Nature Centre.
Dan [the Nature Man]Schneider said the centre is celebrating 30 years of service to school classes, community groups and, on the weekends, to the general public.
“In a way, it is a celebration and a reunion. We were inviting everyone to come back to enjoy the place,” said Schneider.
“We have people who were involved early on in the history of the centre and are bringing their kids back. It is kind of neat to see two generations, maybe soon three, who have enjoyed this place.
Planned events included tours of the Guelph Lake dam, geo-caching, crafts and various animal shows.
Schneider considered the day as a look to the future, showcasing plans for a new nature centre to be constructed at the same location.
“It is an ideal location right here by the lake,” he said.
While the existing centre, a renovated residence, has served well over the years, “we are bursting at the seams and there are times when we have had to turn classes and groups away because of space.”
The new centre may be bigger, but it will feature conservation aspects the current building does not have.
Schneider said most visitors come with school classes from Monday to Friday. Many are from the Wellington Catholic District School Board.
“We have an agreement with them and every child from grades one to eight comes once a year,” he said. “It is great to have that continuity with them. Plus we have high school classes as well.”
Schneider added visitors were not limited to just the one school board. “Many public school classes also come here as well.”
He added one of the more popular recent venues is the environmental birthday party program – generally on the weekends, but sometimes during the evening.
“Plus, we also have our special public programs – such as dam tours, bird hikes, snake shows plus the nature surrounding us. So there is a wide range of people and groups who come out to enjoy this place,” he said.
“We try to make this a seven-day-a-week facility, and throughout the year with a few exceptions, such as the major holidays.” He estimated close to 20,000 people use the facility each year. Schneider added the new centre will offer more space overall, including a bigger display hall, which will allow for larger group meetings.
He added the new centre “will offer us an even better bird’s eye view over the lake which will be fantastic.”
There is a lot of glass in the new proposal, and Schneider said one of the reasons the new centre will be built on the same site was the potential for passive solar power.
“It will be a major focus for us,” he said.
Additional energy will be provided by Guelph Lake itself. Schneider estimated the dam produces enough energy for around 100 homes.
“It’s not a huge amount, but it is enough for the nature centre, the Guelph Lake Conservation Area and still leaving some left over to go back into the grid into the City of Guelph,” Schneider said.
Also on hand last weekend was Grand River Conservation Foundation executive director Sara Wilbur, who is responsible for volunteer and fund development for priority projects of the GRCA.
Wilbur explained there is a local group of campaign volunteers with a long-time involvement at the nature centre, knocking on doors, meeting with leading business people and members of the community in order to raise the funds required.
She said part of the reason behind the open house/reunion is to keep people involved, especially those who have taken part over the years.
The fundraising campaign has been underway for about a year, Wilbur said.
“We’re very excited about the progress here. Our plan is to begin once we have 75 per cent of the funds – either raised or committed.” Wilbur anticipated that should happen by the end of 2013.
Those interested can visit the Grand River Conservation Foundation website at www.grcf.ca, where there is a section for the Guelph Lake Nature Centre. Anyone wanting to book the nature centre for an event can contact www.GrandRiver.ca.
Wilbur pointed out various renderings of the new centre.
“It will be quite a bit larger than the current nature centre, and it will be a purpose-built centre,” she said.
She estimated the new building is roughly three times the size of the existing building, but the beautiful scenic vista of the lake will be maintained.
One of the key components to remaining on the current site is the proximity to the dam and the Guelph Rotary Forest, which was developed over the past several years with the Guelph Lake Conservation Area.
“There will be lots and lots of opportunities where people can enjoy the centre,” said Wilbur.
