From the Eastman Nature Center to Fish Lake Regional Park

While a new nature facility is being constructed in the Elm Creek Park Reserve, park officials rerouted summer camp programs to other parks in the Three River Park District.

Most of the summer day camps, preschool programs and school groups previously offered at Eastman Nature Center are now meeting at Fish Lake Regional Park in Maple Grove, according to Three Rivers Park District officials.

“Fish Lake Regional Park has never hosted summer camps because they are not really designed for that,” said Landstrom, indicating the site only has one room compared the four at the former Eastman Nature Center. “This is new for us. But, most of the time we are outdoors anyway, so it’s not really a big deal.”

Many parents who previously enrolled their kids in programs at Eastman Nature Center are now driving a little further to attend the weekly summer camps.

“It’s a little bit more of a drive for us, but I don’t mind,” said Katy Hall, mother of two children attending camp at Fish Lake Regional Park.

Jessica Patullo says her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, wakes early and anxious to go each morning.

“She loves her ‘Fairies’ camp, so even though it takes us longer to get here, I don’t mind. It’s just four days,” said Patullo.

Outdoor Education Supervisor Lee Ann Landstrom said the Eastman Nature Center hosted 10 summer camp programs in 2010 for more than 300 kids. This year, those same ten programs were moved to Fish Lake Regional Park.

“We believe the majority of our camps are full because families are making the transition from Eastman to Fish Lake Park,” said Landstrom. 

Landstrom said most of the camps for kid’s age 2-15 cover topics on everything from bugs to butterflies and exploring nature. Summer camps, which run from June until August, and filled up quickly this year.

“Camp registration is up more than forty percent across the Three Rivers Parks District,” Landstrom said. 

With the temporary closure of the Eastman Nature Center, Landstrom said the only programs cut for the year were weekend family programs in May.

“We are settling in fine, everything is flowing smoothly,” she said. “There isn’t much storage space, so the counselors have to bring in their tubs of activities and supplies each, but otherwise the transition has been smooth.”

Landstrom says the park district's goal is to teach kids about the wonders of the outdoors, no matter which camp the kids attend throughout the district.

“Nature is so neat, we hope to teach them to appreciate nature and all it offers and maybe indirectly they will come to love the outdoors,” said Landstrom.

According to the Park District’s website, the new Eastman Nature Center will have quiet reading and observation rooms, larger classrooms, a larger exhibit area with wildlife watching, new professional exhibits, an open-air deck, a small coffee service, public Wi-Fi signal, and an after-hours restroom.

The new Eastman Nature Center is expected to open in the summer of 2012.