By Sarah Halbrook, Director of Development and Marketing
What makes you feel safe and comfortable in nature? Is it wearing sturdy shoes and putting on sunscreen? Is it staying in the prairie and avoiding the woodlands and wetlands? Or are you someone who likes to be on, in or near the water?
These may be what we first think of when we consider what an individual might need to feel safe or comfortable in nature. However, for many, the top need may simply be access to nature. That may mean a small child who hasn’t played in the woods before or an adult who hasn’t had access to equipment that allows them to safely navigate a trail. Whatever it is, we at the Nature Center are here to listen to you and learn more about what would make you feel safer and more comfortable in nature.
Supporting people in our community to feel safe and comfortable in nature has been a long time priority for the Nature Center. Most recently, this has been evidenced by our fundraising to bring three all-terrain wheelchairs to our site for everyone to use. One will be child-sized and two will be for adults.
This type of wheelchair allows the user to navigate uneven terrain, go up hills, and to explore on their own or with family and friends – something they may not be able to do on their own or with their everyday wheelchair if they are facing a permanent or temporary mobility impairment.
Since the 2020 derecho, we have been building our trails with accessibility in mind. What this means is sharing with you – the trail user – what the path is made of, how steep it may be, and giving it a rating of easy, medium or hard. Then you can decide if this is a trail you want to be on and can manage safely on your own. Most of this information can be found on Alltrails (look for Wood Duck Way Loop, Penningroth Barn paths, or the Bena Loop). 
Paving all of our trails is not an option – whether financially, ecologically or otherwise. It is not something we would endeavor to do. However, we are always looking for ways to encourage more people to get out into nature. That’s why in 2023, during our 50-year anniversary, we had three all-terrain wheelchairs on site for visitors to use during our BioBlitz. The response was overwhelmingly positive and it became an organizational goal to bring all-terrain wheelchairs to our community.
This year, we have set out to raise $200,000, which will allow us to purchase three all-terrain wheelchairs, upgrade and update trails so the new wheelchairs can be used on them, purchase a trailer in order to transport and store the wheelchairs, and establish funding to cover ongoing maintenance costs. To date, more than 50 individuals and several corporations (including New Leader Manufacturing, TrueNorth’s Legacy Foundation, and GreatAmerica’s employee-advised fund) have stepped up to support this initiative. With continued support from the community, the All-Terrain Wheelchair Campaign will be fully funded.
As always, we look forward to seeing you out at the Nature Center or on the trails!