# Nature center

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{{Short description|Facility designed for natural and environmental education}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}

[[File:Villa Cassel.jpg|200px|thumb|The nature centre of [Pro Natura](/source/Pro_Natura_(Switzerland)) near the [Aletsch Glacier](/source/Aletsch_Glacier) ([Swiss Alps](/source/Swiss_Alps)).]]
200px|thumb|Armand Bayou Nature Center -- Entrance Sculpture

A '''nature center''' (or '''nature centre''') is an organization with a [visitor center](/source/visitor_center) or [interpretive center](/source/interpretive_center) designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually in a protected [open space](/source/Open_space_reserve), nature centers often have trails through their property.   Some are in a state or city [park](/source/park), and some have special [garden](/source/garden)s or an [arboretum](/source/arboretum). Their properties can be characterized as nature preserves and wildlife sanctuaries.  Nature centers generally display small live animals, such as [reptile](/source/reptile)s, [rodent](/source/rodent)s, [insect](/source/insect)s, or [fish](/source/fish).  There are often museum exhibits and displays about [natural history](/source/natural_history), or preserved mounted animals or nature [dioramas](/source/dioramas).   Nature centers are staffed by paid or volunteer [naturalists](/source/naturalists) and most offer educational programs to the general public, as well as summer camp, after-school and school group programs. These educational programs teach people about [nature conservation](/source/nature_conservation) as well as the [scientific method](/source/scientific_method), [biology](/source/biology), and [ecology](/source/ecology).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ashbaugh |first1=Byron |title=The Community Nature Center— A Place for Creativity and Innovation |journal=The Science Teacher |date=November 1966 |volume=33 |issue=8 |pages=24–26 |jstor=24151813 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24151813 |access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref>

Some nature centers allow free admission but collect voluntary donations in order to help offset expenses.  They usually rely on support from [volunteers](/source/volunteering).

[Environmental education](/source/Environmental_education) centers differ from nature centers in that their museum exhibits and education programs are available mostly by appointment, although casual visitors may be allowed to walk on their grounds.

Some city, state and national parks have facilities similar to nature centers, such as museum exhibits, [dioramas](/source/dioramas) and trails, and some offer park nature education programs, usually presented by a [park ranger](/source/park_ranger).

==See also==
* [List of nature centers](/source/List_of_nature_centers)
* [National park](/source/National_park)

==References==
{{Commons category|Nature centers}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Environmental humanities}}
{{Zoos}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nature Center}}
Category:Natural history
Category:Environmental education
Category:Nature centers
Category:Visitor centers

{{Zoo-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nature center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_center) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_center?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.