At the end of June, SCEC President/CEO Brian Zelenak visited the construction site of the Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center’s Visitor Center to not only present them with their Commitment to Community grant check, but also to find out more about the facility, which will be powered by St. Croix Electric Cooperative.

Situated on the St. Croix River bluffs in the town of Troy is the 300-acre preserve – a broad prairie and a wooded hillside, an old farmstead and an oak savanna, linked together by winding trails. The site is protected and managed for native species.

This Visitor Center will provide a place for people of all ages to connect with nature and learn from experienced Carpenter naturalists. It will also serve as a spot for neighbors and community members to gather. The center will house a classroom, meeting spaces, restrooms and a coffee and reading nook where visitors can experience nature from the comfort of a chair, with a warm beverage in hand.

The trail system will be improved by adding ADA-accessible pathways and installing interpretation stations and council rings, as places for coming together and learning. Hundreds of hours of planning and research went into the Master Plan, Integrated Site Plan and Feasibility Study. The result is a design based on community needs, which aligns with CNC's mission.

Enhancing Carpenter Nature Center’s Wisconsin Campus will increase accessibility for nature exploration and quality environmental education programs. It will improve the quality of life in the community for youth, adults and seniors. For nearly 40 years, CNC has provided environmental education programs for school children and adults on its campus on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River. A second public facility near Hudson will make CNC’s services and programs available to a much larger population area, connecting communities all along the river.