GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The winds of change are blowing at one park in Grand Rapids as Blandford Nature Center nears completion of its vision for The Highlands Park.
"This space is going to be one of those places that reminds folks of how important and essential nature is to our full city life. You can be in Grand Rapids and be seconds away from 264 acres of natural beauty and wonder," Blandford Nature Center Development Director Kate Kemp said.
The nature center is working on significant improvements to enhance visitor experience and connect people with nature.
"We are working on a new entrance off of Leonard Street with a bifurcated drive. We're going to be doing a brand new parking lot and arrival as well as a children's nature scape," Kemp said.
Blandford Nature Center is introducing three Michigan playscapes, including one focusing on Michigan's geology with boulders for children to climb on.
This represents a stark difference from what this place used to be — an old golf course. A neon green golf ball sits in dirt that was recently moved to make way for the future.
"Including a glacial moraine stream and sand bar area and a woodland area where kids can climb trees and jump on boulders and play in water and just get real dirty," Kemp said.
Blandford Nature Center and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan worked together to purchase the 121-acre Highlands Golf Club in Grand Rapids back in 2017. The two organizations' vision was to transform the property into a community hub.
"I am so proud of this community and the way that They've taken care of this space in this land, in a few weeks, this space is going to be lit up by wild flowers galore," Kemp said.
While the park entrance is currently closed due to construction, visitors can still explore most of the area.
"So you can still wander most of the trails. There's a few that are closed closer to the construction site, but the majority of our trails are still open," Kemp said.
The Blandford Nature Center hopes to have construction completed by Earth Day 2026.
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