Odc Network

ADVANCING OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION IN WEST MICHIGAN.

IN 2000, A LOCAL NONPROFIT WILDLIFE UNLIMITED OF ALLEGAN AND OTTAWA COUNTIES FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CREATE AN OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER THAT WOULD SERVE THE ALLEGAN AND OTTAWA COUNTIES SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY. THIS ENTITY WAS THE OUTDOOR DISCOVERY CENTER (ODC). NINE YEARS LATER, THE ODC MERGED WITH THE MACATAWA GREENWAY PARTNERSHIP IN AN EFFORT TO LEVERAGE AND EXPAND THEIR MISSIONS. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH PERIOD FOR THE ODC. IN THE COMING YEARS, 9 ADDITIONAL BUSINESS DIVISIONS WERE DEVELOPED THAT DRIVE OUR GOALS TO REDEFINE EDUCATION, RESTORE AND CONSERVE LAND AND WATER, AND TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE WORK, PLAY AND LEARN. OUR BREADTH OF SERVICES LED TO A NAME CHANGE TO THE ODC NETWORK WHICH SERVES AS THE PARENT ORGANIZATION THAT PERFORMS ESSENTIAL, MISSION SPECIFIC WORK TO DRIVE COMMUNITY CHANGE, GROWTH, AND IMPACT IN CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION. THE ODC NETWORK MISSION IS TO ADVANCE OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION. THE ODC NETWORK OPERATES TWO GREENWAY PROJECTS, A WATERSHED CLEAN-UP INITIATIVE, A NATURE BASED PRESCHOOL, A NATURE CENTER, MULTIPLE WILDLIFE PRESERVES, AN ECO-TOUR BUSINESS, A LAND CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION BUSINESS, AND AN EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING BUSINESS. THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO FACILITATE THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS OF THE ODC NETWORK. OUTDOOR DISCOVERY CENTER (ODC): THE ODC PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WEST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY TO ENHANCE THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. THE ODC IS HOME TO A VARIETY OF HABITATS, WALKING TRAILS, LIVE ANIMAL EXHIBITS, AND A WIDE ARRAY OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. THE ODC IS OPEN FREE TO THE PUBLIC 365 DAYS A YEAR. MACATAWA RIVER GREENWAY (MRG): ITS MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE NATURAL LANDS, STREAMS, AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN THE LAKE MACATAWA WATERSHED FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT AND THE PRESERVATION OF PLANT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE MRG WILL CREATE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES FOR RECREATION, CONSERVATION, WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, AND PRESERVATION. ODC EXPLORER NETWORK: IT PROVIDES NATURE-BASED, SMALL GROUP ECO-TOUR EXCURSIONS WITH EXPERIENCED TRAVELERS AND NATURALISTS FROM THE ODC NETWORK. THE ODC EXPLORER NETWORK CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS AND EXPERIENCES AIMED AT BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE NATURAL HISTORY AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD. ON AVERAGE, THE ODC EXPLORER NETWORK FACILITATES TWO ECO-TOUR ADVENTURES EACH YEAR. ODC NATURE-BASED PRESCHOOLS: THESE ARE NATURE-BASED PRESCHOOLS THAT FOCUS ON CONNECTING THE INDOOR CLASSROOM TO THE OUTDOORS. 176 CHILDREN ATTEND THE PRESCHOOL EACH YEAR WHERE THEY ARE PROVIDED A QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE THAT PREPARES THEM TO BE ACTIVE, INDEPENDENT LEARNERS WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF AN AN APPRECIATION FOR THE NATURAL WORLD AND ENSURING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. PROJECT CLARITY (PC): THE PC MISSION IS TO RESTORE THE WATER QUALITY OF LAKE MACATAWA AND THE MACATAWA WATERSHED THROUGH A MULTI-PHASED APPROACH FOCUSED ON LAND RESTORATION, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY. OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS OVER 100 WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE MACATAWA WATERSHED. ODC CONSERVATION SERVICES: ITS PURPOSE IT TO PROVIDE LAND MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION SERVICES, INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT, AND WILDLIFE HABITAT AND CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENT TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND OWNERS IN THE KALAMAZOO AND MACATAWA RIVER WATERSHED REGION. CURRENTLY ODC CONSERVATION SERVICES PROVIDE HABITAT MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO OVER 100 CUSTOMERS IN WEST MICHIGAN. ODC EDUCATION NETWORK: IT PROVIDES A CUSTOMIZED SET OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE BASED EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS CREATE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT. ODC EDUCATION NETWORK HAS A TEAM OF EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS THAT WORK WITH SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE CLASSROOM AND THE OUTDOOR USING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, AND CUSTOMIZED EXPERIENCES THAT BUILD RELEVANT, CONTEXT AND MEANING INTO AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 17 SCHOOLS WORKING WITH THE ODC EDUCATION NETWORK TO CONNECT THEIR CLASSROOMS, SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS TO THE OUTDOORS. KALAMAZOO RIVER GREENWAY (KRG): THE MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE NATURAL LANDS, STREAMS, AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN THE KALAMAZOO RIVER WATERSHED IN ALLEGAN COUNTY FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT AND THE PRESERVATION OF PLANT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. WHERE APPROPRIATE, THE KRG WILL CREATE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES FOR RECREATION, CONSERVATION, WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS AND PRESERVATION. DEGRAAF NATURE CENTER: OWNED BY THE CITY OF HOLLAND, THIS 18 ACRE NATURE CENTER IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE CITY. THE CONTRACTUAL MANAGEMENT OF THE CENTER WAS TRANSITIONED TO THE ODC NETWORK WITH THE GOAL OF GROWING THE IMPACT AND PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED AT DEGRAAF BY THE ODC NETWORK STAFF. IT SERVES AS AN URBAN NATURE EDUCATION SITE, EXPANDING OUR ABILITY TO MORE PEOPLE. NATURE-RICH COMMUNITY: THE NEWEST OF THE ODC BUSINESS DIVISIONS, NATURE- RICH IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WAS DEVELOPED TO PROMOTE A SYSTEMS-BASED SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM TO ADVANCE NOT ONLY ODC NETWORK'S INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, BUT ALSO TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.