BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — As children and families continue to enjoy exhibits and summer programs, the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is beginning renovations of its outdoor Wildlife Gardens.
Covering 20,000 square feet behind the center, the Wildlife Gardens offer up-close encounters with native animals, including a bald eagle, hawks, crows, owls and falcons, according to the center’s information.
Nearly 100,000 visitors enjoy free general admission to the Wildlife Gardens each year in addition to the center’s indoor animal exhibits and natural history displays.
Renovations began today (June 24). The center will continue to be open for free general admission for nature-based programs and wildlife assistance seven days a week.
The Wildlife Gardens Education and Renovation Project will create more engaging learning experiences about native animals, provide ample space for students to learn alongside wildlife specialists and raise visibility of the center’s wildlife rehabilitation program.
The project will remove and replace exhibits and structures, improve pathways and replace the protective perimeter fence.
The project will cost $1.9 million and will be the center’s largest capital investment in its free offerings for the public.
As an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization, the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center relies on donations and grants to support day-to-day operations in addition to capital improvements.
Renovations will be primarily funded with donations from the community, foundation grants and corporate contributions.
“This project will transform the Wildlife Gardens to give visitors better visibility to our native animals and our wildlife rehabilitation efforts,” Executive Director Catherine Timko said in a news release.
“The project’s impact demonstrates our continued commitment to free admission and to connecting people with the natural world,” she said.
“It follows a long series of capital improvement projects generously supported by the community and local funders.”
The center is working on the renovations with design-build firm Parallel Partners, which has performed other capital improvement projects for the organization, Timko noted.
Three new structures will be installed during the project, including an eagle exhibit, an aviary and a wildlife rehabilitation exhibit.
New habitats in the eagle exhibit and aviary will improve the quality of life for resident animals.
The former rehabilitation patients can no longer live in the wild because of permanent injuries. They serve as ambassadors for their species in the center’s education programs.
The wildlife rehabilitation exhibit will provide visitors with “a unique opportunity to observe animals in their final stages of rehabilitation through one-way glass,” the center’s information notes.
The project will be under way for approximately 12 months. During this time, the center will remain open for free general admission, nature-based programs and free wildlife assistance seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Resident animals will be housed in temporary locations so that visitors can continue to enjoy up-close encounters during the project.
For more information, visit www.lensc.org/wildlife-gardens-project.
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