Most of Wood Lake Nature Center is a freshwater marsh. The water is very shallow and the bottom is mostly organic mud. Cattails, dogwood and willow ring the shoreline, while cottonwood, silver maple and box elder trees populate the higher grounds. There are also 10 acres of renovated prairie. Over 200 different kinds of birds and 30 different mammals can be seen at the Center. There are 3 miles of hiking trails throughout the Center, including a .8 mile inner loop and a 1.8 mile outer loop. The trials are surfaced with crushed limestone, making them wheelchair accessible.
We offer a wide range of programming. Weekdays, naturalists conduct activities with school and community groups. On the weekends, there are family oriented programs ranging from maple syruping and wild foods to animal tracking and snow house building. The interpretive building houses a variety of exhibits, including live animal displays and taxidermy. These exhibits feature the plants and animals found at Wood Lake. A touch and see room provides an opportunity to handle furs, antlers, fossils, and other natural history artifacts. Classes, public programs and meetings are held in the 80-seat auditorium.
Wood Lake Nature Center
Posted: September 11, 2019 by MAEE Administration
Category: Wood Lake Nature Center
Most of Wood Lake Nature Center is a freshwater marsh. The water is very shallow and the bottom is mostly organic mud. Cattails, dogwood and willow ring the shoreline, while cottonwood, silver maple and box elder trees populate the higher grounds. There are also 10 acres of renovated prairie. Over 200 different kinds of birds and 30 different mammals can be seen at the Center. There are 3 miles of hiking trails throughout the Center, including a .8 mile inner loop and a 1.8 mile outer loop. The trials are surfaced with crushed limestone, making them wheelchair accessible.
We offer a wide range of programming. Weekdays, naturalists conduct activities with school and community groups. On the weekends, there are family oriented programs ranging from maple syruping and wild foods to animal tracking and snow house building. The interpretive building houses a variety of exhibits, including live animal displays and taxidermy. These exhibits feature the plants and animals found at Wood Lake. A touch and see room provides an opportunity to handle furs, antlers, fossils, and other natural history artifacts. Classes, public programs and meetings are held in the 80-seat auditorium.