by Sadie Jones

“The fulfillment of the promise of the Wisconsin Campus is an honor and a responsibility, which we accept in close collaboration with our partners,” it reads on Carpenter Nature Center’s website.

After several years, CNC has reached the final stage of funding for their second site in Hudson, WI. The Wisconsin Campus Expansion Project is now possible. Detailed plans for this project illustrate an improved outdoor setting as well as a brand new indoor experience. Paul Gerbec is the President of CNC’s Board of Directors and he would agree that the project is necessary for promoting wellness within the community. On November 5, Gerbec claimed in a video uploaded to CNC’s Youtube page, “On the brink of being able to break ground on this project, we know time in nature will continue to be critical for our mental health, our children’s education, and our environmental health.” Carpenter Nature Center is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission of “fostering a lifelong appreciation of the natural world through environmental education, habitat conservation and outdoor experiences.”

Currently, CNC acts on this motivation with their site on the St.Croix River, in close quarters to Hastings. CNC owns land on both sides of the river to incorporate Minnesota and Wisconsin grounds. Throughout the property, one can find a “vast variety” of plants and animals. On top of that, diverse landscapes of pine forests, oak savannas, prairies, wooded ravines, an apple orchard, and river grounds blanket Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.

The space described above has proved to be quite popular among the community. Annually, it welcomes 7,000 to 10,000 students and 17,000 to 20,000 common guests. Perhaps this success derives from the lack of an admission fee. CNC refrains from charging guests to ensure that one’s financial situation never becomes a reason to miss out on nature. This site’s victories could also be a result of their educational efforts. “Carpenter Nature Center shows students the importance of working in harmony with the natural world and gives them the science skills and experiences they need to begin to understand and solve our future global environmental problems,” CNC claims on their website.

It is not surprising that such a thriving business with a wonderful mission would be able to stretch to Hudson. However, it required an immense amount of “patience, perseverance, and lots of hard work…” to reach this point, as described by Gerbec.

Al and Laurie Hein Trust was established in Wisconsin about two decades ago. Their purpose is to invest funds into environmental conservation. It was due to their generosity that CNC gained full confidence to carry on with The Wisconsin Campus Expansion Project. A CNC Board Member named Laurie Bauer informed The Journal, “Following the presentation of a $500,000 check from the Al and Laurie Hein Trust, Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center announced the final stage of a $3.5 million capital campaign to build a visitor center on 300 acres of Carpenter Nature Center land south of Hudson.”

Community members may wonder exactly how that huge amount of money will be utilized in The Wisconsin Campus Expansion Project. In response to their uncertainty, CNC claims that it will be used in a way that reflects input from locals. “Plans for the Interpretive Center have been deliberately developed through discussion with Carpenter’s Board of Directors, our Wisconsin neighbors, the Town of Troy, and many community organizations and educators,” CNC’s website explains.

Gerbec added that the project was also “enhanced through many community surveys.”

The Wisconsin Campus Expansion Project is enhanced, indeed. First of all, the indoor experience will consist of an environmentally friendly building calculating around 5,000- 6,000 square feet large. Within the area, there will be classrooms to facilitate CNC’s education efforts among K-12 students. Also, restrooms, community spaces, seating areas, and interactive nature exhibits will occupy the structure. In fact, a whole room dedicated to turtles can be noticed from the document of the floor plan. Bauer let The Journal in on additional plans for the building, “The eco-friendly building will include interpretive exhibits… a reading nook…and visitor seating area with natural prairie and wildlife viewing opportunities.”

The shiny-new building will inhabit only a portion of the 300-acre property that CNC withholds in Hudson, leaving an entire outdoor expanse to be tended to. With this in mind, CNC has rolled out objectives for the wooded and prairie landscapes immediately northwest of the Troy Burne Golf Course development. Firstly, similar to the existing Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, CNC plans to incorporate oak savannas in their Hudson location. Oak savannas are grasslands that are lightly occupied with oak trees. Along with that development, trails will be improved to accommodate the diverse abilities of visitors. Documents of the project suggest that mulched, mowed, and paved trails can all be expected. Each trail will be named and this is significant because one of these trails is set to be named after Al and Laurie Hein Trust. Beside the trails, multiple pavilions and council rings are to be situated. Finally, both common and bus parking will be arranged.

Diagrams of CNC’s Wisconsin Campus Expansion Project are enough to stimulate enthusiasm among community members. They present a plan for an opportunity to enjoy nature and learn about the local environment in the near future. If readers are eager to involve themselves with CNC, they can visit carpenternaturecenter.org/ get-involved/ to discover more information about donating, volunteering, and career searching.