is presented by New Leader Manufacturing
Our family has lived in Cedar Rapids for quite awhile and had heard about how great Indian Creek Nature Center was, but had never had personal experiences with it until our oldest attended a summer camp there many years ago. We have made sure to get out there as often as we can ever since.
I have been able to enjoy numerous yoga sessions out on the patio (and sometimes, due to weather, inside). The ambiance that ICNC has when the evening settles in and the animals come out is something everyone should experience for themselves at least once. The picture to the right is from 2017 after a big storm had rolled through narrowly missing us, but leaving us with this picture perfect ending.
We always try to attend the various events that ICNC puts on and absolutely love Maple Syrup Fest, the annual plant sale, and the family-focused events.
We were introduced to the amazing program that is Fresh Air Academy during the height of the Pandemic. When we were not fully comfortable with sending our young children back into the public school setting; we were so impressed with the steps ICNC took to ensure the safety of all who attended. Knowing our elementary-aged kids were going to be cared for while in an immersive nature-based school was more than we could have ever hoped for. With the help of the staff, specifically Education Manager Andria Cossolotto and Senior Naturalist Emily Roediger, our kids were able to explore all that ICNC had to offer.
The kindness and compassion shown day in and day out has definitely had an impact on our entire family and it is seen through the kindness and compassion that our children exhibit daily with both their friends and the environment. We knew how important of a role nature played in our
daily lives, but it wasn’t until it was curated to be an educational experience for our children that we really understood just how much we need it in our daily lives. Hearing the stories of Needle the snake and all the frogs, bugs, and all the adventures in the creeks was one of my husband and I’s favorite part of the day.
ICNC is such a gem and adds so much to our community. I am really looking forward to continuing to introduce others to how wonderful it is. We have really enjoyed the Girl Scouts badge events that have been offered and I have even started taking my own Troop to experience the magic in nature led by the amazing staff there. Most recently we were able to meet some of the resident animals.
Through these programs it helps me hold onto the faith that our environment will be able to withstand and recover. I was once told that “planting a tree shows faith in the future” and it has stayed with me. ICNC has shown over and over again just how much faith it has in the future with what it consistently does for and provides to the environment and whenever I’m feeling a little weary — a trip to the nature center is sure to cheer me up.