HOLLAND, Mich. — The DeGraaf Nature Center has reopened following 18 months of renovations, which included both subtle and significant changes.
The center has been a part of Holland since the mid-1900s, according to Andy Kenyon, Holland Parks and Recreation Director.
"Jacob DeGraaf was a city employee from a long time ago that worked for the Cemetery Department, worked for the Park Department," said Kenyon at the center Tuesday. "City Council named the nature center after him in about the 1970s and it's been here ever since."
Owned by the city and managed by nonprofit Outdoor Discovery Center, the building on the 18-acre site was due for an upgrade to its facilities.
"We had been wanting to do an interior renovation of the space for many years," Kenyon noted.
The project was made possible through a donation from one family.
"The city received a very generous end of life gift from a family in the local area for $1.4 million. The only stipulation they had on that investment was to spend it here at DeGraaf Nature Center," explained Kenyon.
Initially planned as cosmetic improvements like new carpet, paint, and ceilings, the renovations revealed a need for more extensive work.
"It was supposed to be just interior renovations...but when they got into the work, they discovered that a whole lot more needed to be done," said Kelly Goward, Conservation Programs Director for the Outdoor Discovery Center Network.
One significant issue uncovered was inadequate insulation.
"In some cases, [it] had been replaced by walnuts from our resident squirrels that live on the property," Goward said.
This prompted changes to make the facility more critter-proof, including a new roof and siding.
"There's a brand new ceiling. They put sound panels in. The flooring is new. This used to be carpeted," Goward said.
The exhibits have undergone the most substantial transformation.
"We tried to really elevate from being a nature center to being more of a conservation and environmental center," Goward explained. "That's really what we want to promote here, is not just having people learn about these concepts of conservation, but really how they can implement at home."
While the center will continue to offer educational programming, there will be noticeable changes.
"The school programming will change definitely here, and then our team really focuses more on community education, so we'll be holding more community programs that are more adult-oriented to learn about things like rain barrels, native plants, home energy, composting, those sorts of concepts," she added.
The DeGraaf Nature Center is now open and ready to welcome the public. Below, you can find a list of special events happening at the center this week.
Wednesday, August 20th:
- Open: 10 AM - 7 PM
- Special Event: Rain barrel workshop at 5:30 PM
Thursday, August 21st:
- Open: 10 AM - 3 PM
- Special Event: Guided tour at 3 PM
Friday, August 22nd:
- Open: 10 AM - 3 PM
Saturday, August 23rd:
- Open: 10 AM - 3 PM
- Special Event: Guided tour at 3 PM
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