Habitat 69 - Spring 2023

19 BY AMY GREENE , NATURE CENTERS DIRECTOR BELLE ISLE NATURE CENTER ENCOURAGES GUESTS TO LEAVE THEIR MARK Have you thought lately about how you connect with the nature around you? What tiny living things are only inches from the bottom of your shoe or flying above your head? How do you fit into their ecosystem? If those questions sparked a thought you need to write down, the Belle Isle Nature Center has the perfect new addition for you. A community engagement wall placed near the entrance/exit of the Nature Center encourages our guests to consider their place in nature. Using sustainable, reusable sticky notes, guests can leave a comment on the wall about their time at the Nature Center and how they experience wildlife in their community. When we reopened the newly renovated Center in September 2022, we focused on the animals and wildlife we share urban spaces with. Because of this, we wanted to provide a place where guests could reflect on the natural world around them and share their thoughts with others. The interactive wall has fulfilled this role even better than we imagined. Every day, we see visitors using the wall to write about animals they see in their neighborhoods and their encounters with local wildlife. The collection of notes detail special spaces and places from near and far, sharing a small reflection of connections to nature wherever our guests call home. Even the youngest guests create and display drawings of the nature they notice from their budding perspectives. It’s been wonderful to see our guests connect with nature through the written word. Their feedback is not only incredibly valuable to our staff, but it also is a way for them to leave a mark on the Nature Center. On your next visit, be sure to leave us a comment on the community wall and think about how you connect with the natural world around you. Wher e Do You Fi nd Natur e i n Your Ne i ghborhood?