On this episode of Shining Stars, Daedalian sits down with three team members from Fenner Nature Center. They talk about the many ways Fenner connects people with nature, from its miles of trails and educational programs to its innovative outdoor preschool. The conversation explores how children and adults alike learn through hands-on experiences in the natural world, why spending time outdoors matters, and how Fenner has become a place where people can discover, explore, and feel a sense of belonging. Whether you're a longtime visitor or hearing about Fenner for the first time, this episode offers a closer look at a place that been helping Lansing connect with nature year-round.

Website: Fenner Nature Center

Welcome to Shining Stars: Voices of Service, Hope, and Change. A program dedicated to spotlighting the nonprofits and changemakers who are transforming our communities. Each episode shares inspiring stories of the organizations and individuals turning compassion into action.

Hey, this is d' Dellion back on Shining Stars once again. And we are spying spotlighting a place today that a lot of people may have heard about, but maybe haven't had a chance to fully explore.

It's a place where trails, education, curiosity, and community all intersect. I'm joined in the studio by three members of the team from Fenner Nature Center. So let's go around the room.

Tell us who you are, what you do at Fenner, and then give me one thing about Fenner that you believe would surprise people. We're going to start with Tina.

Yeah, My name is Tina Nguyen. I'm the marketing and membership manager at Fenner Nature center. And my job really is to document all the incredible things that we do year round.

I like to believe I'm basically the resident storyteller on the property. If there's something cool going on, I'm going to be out there documenting it.

And one thing that I think people might not know about Fenner is that when you come into the visitor center, which firstly, you can come into the visitor center, a lot of people don't realize that it's open to the public, it's free. And when you speak to a staff member, which I would highly encourage, you can just knock on our door, speak to us.

We're a lot less intimidating than people think. And I think they will find that they have a lot more in common with us, whether or not they're experienced or knowledgeable about all things nature.

So, yeah, I would say come talk to us. And I don't think people realize they can do that.

You seem so scary, so I don't know why. No, I'm kidding. So what hours are the visitor center usually open?

We are open 12 to 6, Tuesday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday we're open from nine to three, but the park itself is open from dawn to dusk. So a lot of people kind of confuse the hours on Google for the hours of the park, but that is just the visitor center hours.

Very cool. Abigail.

Yeah. I'm Abigail Matthiesen and I am the preschool director at Fenner.

And we now are opening our second preschool program right on site at the nature center that will be the first fully outdoor program in the state of Michigan.

That's awesome.

Yeah. Yeah.

And I think that kind of, like, goes right into.

One thing that I think some people would be surprised about, Fenner, is that we offer fully outdoor preschool programming where the children are surrounded by nature the whole program day, and are only inside for inclement weather or stuff like that.

Do you know if there's always been some sort of children's activity incorporated into what Fenner does? You know?

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Because here's the thing. I can remember being a kid there and working on some sort of leather project or something like that.

Yeah. So Fenner has long served educational stewardship, but primarily it's the.

That K through 12 programming where we have now expanded into the preschool realm of early childhood education, where now our programs start as young as 2 years, 9 months old that children are on site at our properties. Connecting with nature.

Very good. Very cool, Sam.

Those are all really good answers. I don't even know if I can. Follow any of them.

Sorry. So, yeah, my name is Sam Ansaldi. I'm the education director over at Fenner Nature Center.

So my primary role there is to create opportunities for learning for students and community members as they come into the park, as they book programming with us, as they bring their kids to our summer camp programs. Really, our big focus is connecting people to nature through all the different pillars that we do, which is conservation, education, and stewardship.

And with that, we serve kids throughout the entire year, which is. That would be the thing that I'd probably say that would surprise people. When I think. When a lot of people think of, like, a.

A nature center or an outdoor park like that, they're, like, cool. We'll go there during, like, you know, the warm weather, and, you know, it'll be a fun place to. To be and stuff like that.

But Fender's open all year round, and we do academic programs all year round, and we do community outreach and public programming and all that type of stuff throughout the entire year.

So whether you're popping in there for, you know, a good summertime walk or you want a very peaceful, you know, tranquil winter walk, you know, going through the. The snow and just listening to what's going on in the trees out there. The park is open all year long, and the. The programs are all year long.

Yeah, the wintertime's got, like, this different, almost kind of eerie quietness to it, but it's A different vibe.

It is a very peaceful vibe. It's really, really cool. So you get. I mean, you get all the different seasons of Fenner.

Yeah. If somebody had never stepped foot in there one time their entire life, how would you guys describe that to them?

Oh, man.

I mean, I. I would probably say that with Fenner being so close to downtown, I think that if I was going to describe Fenner to someone who is just I saw walking around on the streets, I would say that, you know, we have a 134 acres of green space that's fully accessible to people from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year that you can come and bird in, you can explore and you can hike in, or you can just park, eat your lunch, and take a nice little tranquil nature moment.

Yeah.

And I would also say, like, if you're craving, like if you just went to a trip, I don't know, we're not like national park level by any means, but, like, if you crave that feeling again, like, there are really some amazing spaces out in Fenner where it doesn't even feel like you're in Lansing. Once you're, like, walking on some of the trails, it really does make you feel like you're in a different place and time.

And, yeah, it's nice to get out there. And personally, I really like that they're very wide and so it doesn't feel like you're cramped inside the woods or anything like that.

Like, it's actually very accessible for a lot of people.

Yeah, it is. As you said, it kind of sometimes feels like you're stepping away from the city altogether, depending on which part you're in.

You said it last time, Tina, that you were in, about how people connect with nature differently.

So why don't we go ahead and try to go around the table this time and tell me a little bit about how you personally connect with it when you're out there. What is it that you find connects you to nature?

Ooh, we're starting with me?

Yeah.

Oh, heck, yeah. Okay. Well, I. So I did not grow up in nature. Like, I was not. My family did not care to go on hikes.

They never taught me anything about native plants, native wildlife. I never did any recreational activities. I'm the least athletic person you might find, city girl.

But I also, I think because of that, I'm connecting to nature in ways that I wish I could share with other people who grew up similar to me.

So I know everyone has their own way of doing it, but for me personally, I've been connecting by learning about all the tiny things, even from, like, the little organisms that are living in the ground. And, like, just learning from my fellow nature lovers, I think has been so much fun the past few years. Also being outside more.

I've always been an outdoors person, just never really doing it frequently enough where I feel, like, connected in the way where people have really strong childhood memories of being outdoors. So I'm kind of, like, building that right now and creating a special place. And I think anyone can do that.

They don't have to have a history of, like, feeling of belonging in nature. They can try doing that now, like, even if they have never done that in the past. And I like to just sit and listen and, like, take.

Use all the senses that I can and notice things. I think recently we got. I got into birding about a year ago. We had, like, a competition within our team.

I didn't know anything about birds, but we had, like, an event coming up, like, world migratory birthday just happened, and it was going to be our first, you know, annual one. And everyone's like, tina, you got to get on it. You got to learn about birds.

So, you know, I've been challenging myself, and in the past year, because I try to see and hear more birds. I have to be in the moment a lot more.

And when you're in the moment, you start to notice things, and when you notice things, you start to care about them a lot more. So, yeah, I think that's, like, my way of connecting and caring about nature, and I hope other people can understand that.

They can also feel that way, too and be there, too, because nature sometimes, historically hasn't been an inclusive place for everybody.

You know, as a person of color who grew up in this community where, like, oh, nature wasn't my family thing, you know, we didn't go out and camp and do all these things. Like, I think anyone can connect with nature, and I hope I can share that with other people.

Awesome. Now give me one bird fact that you know that you didn't know.

One bird fact that I know now that I didn't know. I think I learned a lot about, like, migratory birds and why they're important.

So, like, you know, maybe I don't know if I ask you, like, why are they a big deal? Like, what would you think?

Birds?

Yeah, I mean, from what I understand, they carry things around, right? Like pollination. Do they help with that kind of stuff? Pollination?

Yeah, Those are one of the things. Yeah. And so, like, I learned, you know, like, they're a great source of, like, pest control and controlling insect populations.

I should have known you were going to turn the question around on.

Yeah, because, yeah, it's like teaching people as well. It's fun because I learned something new and I want to teach other people people.

And, like, I learned that, you know, obviously they're pollinators, they control insect populations.

But I also think it's really cool that when you notice their health, that's also reflecting the health of, like, the ecosystem because there's so many birds and they typically flock towards places that are, you know, have an abundance of resources and. Yeah, like, they're just kind of a reflection of how we're doing as well.

Makes sense.

Yeah, I. I think that's cool. And I didn't know that before.

Abigail, you got a way you connect with nature.

Yeah. Yeah.

I think your perspective's got to be a little bit different because you work with little ones.

Right, right. And I think that it's kind of funny because compared to my teammates here, my nature connection really. Well, I think it does for everybody.

And kind of like Tina already was saying, my nature connection really shows up very strongly in sensory experiences.

Okay.

Which then is how we guide children to also connect with nature is by messy play, primarily with children. You know, we allow children to get messy.

We let them be barefoot in the mud and paint with mud and really just experience nature in the most sensory ways possible. With mud, with mud, with dirt, with, like, snow and, you know, playing in the creek, stuff like that.

That really, like, builds that nature connection, but it also, like, builds a sense of belonging.

I feel like just being present in nature and, you know, building that, like, we are one with nature and we feel like we belong in nature, not that we're the outsider visiting nature. When you go to Veteran Nature Preschool, you'll see children rolling down hills.

You'll see them digging with their hands and, like, at times they're dumping dirt onto their hair. Just the most bizarre things that, like, from an adult perspective, you're like, why? Like, the question is, like, why?

But then when you, like, bring it back to, you know, they're. They're developing these things, they're learning about nature and ways that maybe adults don't think to do.

Like dumping, like dumping dirt.

Bucket of dirt on your head. Yeah.

Yes.

But, you know, it gives them that sensory experience that I think allows for the very foundation of nature connection.

That's awesome. I can't say that I've dumped a bucket of dirt on my head lately, but I will Say that one of the things I do is in my own backyard.

I will very often take off my shoes. Shoes and my socks. And I find that's a way to kind of connect with the earth. And that kind of sounds similar right there, except for the.

You're becoming a part of the earth.

In that case, yeah.

Sam, you got any thoughts on this?

Yeah, I mean, I mean, you did say lately. Doesn't mean you haven't dumped a bucket of dirt over your head.

No. So, I mean, I am thinking of childhood stuff. I can remember doing some stuff similar to that.

I mean, that's cool. That's what we, that's what we all did.

And I think that that's, you know, that connection that Abigail makes with those kids, the connection that we try to make with our kids here. It's the same thing, you know, I mean, anytime that you can learn about the natural sciences or nature in nature, that makes such a huge impact.

And kind of like Abigail said, you know, when she's working with these kids, you get to see them at their best. You get to see them exploring and engaging with nature in a way that is, is pure childlike and it is just absolutely fantastic.

And we see it in the preschool program. I see it with our, I really see it with our camp kids. Let me tell you. That's, that's, that's a great program.

I mean, we see it with our academic kids because whenever we have a school program that comes out, we always make sure that whatever we're teaching with the kids is it's hands on. They're in nature.

They're, you know, if we're teaching them about aquatic invertebrates that are going to be found in a vernal pool, you know, we don't sit them down and put a PowerPoint in front of them. You know, we say, kick off your shoes, roll up your, roll up your pants. Because we're gonna get into it.

You're gonna get into it, we're gonna figure out where they are and we're gonna check them out and it's that weird exploration that they go through. And it's. That's, that's.

That right there is that, that's the memorable education, you know, that's the type of stuff that will really make a difference. I think when you're out there, it's. We can always memorize facts.

We can always, you know, go through and try to do the best we can with trying to learn a subject matter. But if you're out there and you can make a lasting core Memory, a lasting core experience for yourself. That's really where a lot of that comes from.

And you see some amazing creativity come out, which I think is really cool too. We had whenever our, you know, camp parents, whenever they're, they're booking the camps for their kids, they said, what can I expect?

I said, they're your kids are going to come home wet and dirty. That's like, it's not raining today. I'm like, they're going to find a way. They're going to come home wet and dirty.

That's just the way it's going to be. And it's great. And like, if we're not sending those kids home wet and dirty, we're not doing our job.

You know, I want them, I want them, you know, knee deep in the pond catching frogs. I want them that experience of, of, you know, putting, putting their hand in the water and seeing bluegill all swim up around them.

You know, I want them to roll over those logs and see the vast amount of invertebrates that are under there. And then I want to see that creativity where we had some kids that were just like, you know what?

I'm going to take this mud and I want to make a suit of armor for myself.

And then, you know, by the time the parents got there, the kids wearing a suit of armor of mud, and then they asked, why is there a snail on top of that mud? It's like, well, those are my minions and they are the ones that are protecting me right now. So, you know, so I mean, like just the, the awesome.

I think it's, I think it's great. You see that, that real good creativity coming through.

And whenever we're doing our programming, whenever we're doing our, our summer camps, that's what we really try to emphasize.

We try to give a space where a kid can be a kid and they're not over text, they're not over scheduled, they're not waiting to go from one screen to the next and stuff like that, you're providing a space where they can stop and explore.

And even if the way that we teach our counselors, the way we teach our naturalists is that you think of it as there's a highway and the topic you're teaching is going to be the end of that highway.

But there's a lot of exits coming off that highway, you know, and those little side roads you take to get there are going to vary, you know, it might, we might be talking about birds, we might be doing a birding, you know, class. And then all Of a sudden, someone might see a, you know, like a carcass of an animal that has deceased in the woods or something like that.

And you take that left turn off the highway. Because the kids are so intrigued about that. They're like, well, how did it pass away? What's going on with it now? Why are these bugs on here?

And the quality of educators that we have at the center, the quality of educators that Abigail has at the preschool, they have that navigation to be able to take and take that left hand turn off the highway, stick with the interests that the kids have because that's where their focus is. That's where the impactful education is right there.

And then be able to meander back through the back roads and eventually get to your final destination and tie in all those little side paths on the way. So that's where I think some of the really cool.

So as we've been talking, I'm hearing it sounds like there's a lot more education to Fenner Nature center than I actually even knew.

Very often when you're talking to folks outside of Fenner, do you find that there's a difference between what Fenner Nature center actually is compared to what they thought it was?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Oh, yeah, tell me about it.

Oh, well, firstly, I kind of want to bounce off what Sam said. Like, I live vicariously through, through those kids. Like, I'm like, whoa, like, I wish I had a childhood like that. And I.

And I will go through the whole summer. I'm like, I feel like a kid again. Like, after all this is done.

Watching you birding was like seeing you as a kid. Tina's got the birding eyes. Like, if we couldn't find a bird we call Tina and she was our ringer, man. Like, we just like, that was.

It was like pine siskin again. She's got eyes.

You just like hype me up. Keep doing that. Yeah, like, that's definitely.

It's a very like, encouraging space to be like out in Fenner and like everyone just roots for you and wants you to have fun. Like, everyone connects differently.

And so we like, kind of like the way that an educator would approach it is working with your interests and really playing off of it from there. But kind of to answer your question about like what Fenner, what everyone thinks of Fenner and what we actually are.

Like, you're going to meet all different kinds of people. They're like, oh, Fenner, the maple syrup festival. I go to that.

Like, it's been around for 50 years, you know, and But I think that it is also always evolving, especially right now.

We have such a strong focus on environmental education and ways to do it with all different age groups, whether if you're in college, like you're a student or you're like a small child.

I think especially this year, we're so excited to introduce Adventure Camp, which is sixth, seventh and eighth graders taking them off site to do responsible recreation, which is what Sam would say. And we were taking them to do kayaking and rock climbing. And I have joined them for a few of those training sessions.

And like I said, I don't do those things or I didn't grow up doing those things. And the fact that I can tag along and see that process of like, oh, this is what they're going to teach the kids.

And like, if the, if the counselors are already so connected and so engaged, like, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when the students are here this year. So, yeah, I think, like, a lot of people will think about our festivals.

You know, we've got the Maple Syrup Festival, the Apple Butter Festival, Earth Day, and now World Migratory Birthday. But what's to come in the next few years could be so different.

Sure.

Especially with the all outdoor preschool at Maple Grove, too. And I'm very, very interested to see what people, you know, end up learning about Fenner in the next few years.

Who's been with Fenner the longest out of the three of you?

Yeah.

Yeah. So do you feel like the education side has grown more since you've been there?

Oh, absolutely. I think. I think that the whole place has transformed. I mean, that really, you know, you.

It's always nice when you get to see positive evolution of an organization. And I think that that's, you know, each year that I've been there, that's what I've seen. You know, we've. We have a phenomenal, just.

I cannot, cannot emphasize enough the phenomenal team of people that I get a chance to work with. Like, just. They're just so spectacular. We have all the right people, really, in all the right places doing the things, you know.

I mean, it's really one of those types of situations that we see the different elements. We see the, you know, the preschool, we see the storytelling, we see the conservation and stewardship in our volunteer programs.

We see the tremendous events and, and our, our rental spaces that we can provide for the public. And the, the people that are in those spots, they just crush it.

And you know, our naturalists, our teachers, they're the ones right there, down there on the front lines, you know, like, making sure that they're connecting with the community, they're connecting with the kids. And yeah, they do a great job.

We have so many people come in and like, wow, this place has changed so much. Like, I haven't been here in years and like.

But that's the cool thing because it's been a Fenner staple for so many years. Years, you know, and like, people will say it's like, I was here when it was the arboretum or I was here when you had Sam the eagle here.

And like, these are all these different timelines of Fenner, all these different iterations. And even like with the preschool property, they're like, I was here when it was a driving range, you know, so you see like all these cool iterations.

You know, they've had that connection knowing that this was a public space, that this was a place where people could come and recreate and have a good time. And that model has changed wildly over the years and I'm really proud to see where it is right now.

Very cool. I'm enjoying the conversation, so I'd like to make this a two parter. Are you able to stay a little bit longer?

Sure.

Yeah.

All right. You're listening to Shining Stars and we are talking with Tina, Sam and Abigail from the Fenner Nature Center.

And you can get more information about Fenner of course at mynaturecenter.org we're going to do a part two on this episode.

Thank you so much for listening to Shining Stars: Voices of Service, Hope and Change. If you'd like to recommend an organization or an individual to be featured on this program, I'd love to hear about it. Please let me know, [email protected]. You can listen to this episode of Shining Stars along with other programs featured on the LCC Connect Network at LCCconnect.com thanks so much for listening and sharing your time with me today. I'm Daedalian. And remember, we can all contribute something. Good to this world. A simple smile, a kind gesture. That's all it takes to expand the power of positivity one inch further. I encourage you to find your shining star within and be the change you want to see.