How to Create and Nurture a Nature Center in Your Community

Chronicles the husband-and-wife team's efforts to develop and learn to operate a nature center though they had no formal training in it. It eventually grew into the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne, Texas. Their focus is not so much on their success as on what they learned that others could use in their own communities. Their vision of a nature center is a place for people to enjoy the environment, preserve a region's natural heritage, learn, and maybe attract tourists. They include an annotated bibliography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Early reviews by experts
Here are some reviews our book has received:

John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society:

"Every community needs a nature center just like it needs a school, church and library. Nature centers teach environmental values. This book is a practical and usable guide to establishing and operating a nature center from authors who did it themselves, and who studied dozens of other nature centers across the country. It is full of useful information, and a must read for anyone interested in nature centers."

John C. Sawhill, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy:

"In an era of increasing conservation challenges, education remains one of the most effective tools for preserving our common natural heritage. By sharing their extensive experience and knowledge with us, Brent Evans and Carolyn Chipman-Evans have put together a wonderful "how-to" guide on building and maintaining nature centers. To my mind, their work testifies to how nature centers should always play a part in educating the generations to come about our natural world."

Robert A. Thomas, Chair of Environmental Communications at Loyola University, former Founding Director of the Louisiana Nature Center:

"...the first comprehensive approach to the hows and whys of developing a nature center in your community. Through insights that can be gained only by grassroots experience, they have compiled the steps, presented in a logical sequence, that should be taken to methodically plan, build, and operate a nature center. Among the many strengths of this text is a clear sensitivity to early and continual community involvement.

"The importance of this book is that it is inspirational, will serve as a springboard, and it provides a sound basis of information accompanied by credible advice on other sources of information available from persons, agencies, organizations, and institutions. Its value is bolstered by the wealth of contributed information made available through surveys and the authors’ extensive communications with their colleagues.

"...this book will be the only such reference that is in-print. This will obviously be a necessity for any and all developing nature centers, and it will be a must for all existing nature centers. It will be a treasured addition to my library, and undoubtedly one of my most referred titles."

Michael Riska, Executive Director, Delaware Nature Society:

"The authors’ love of nature and their labor of love in establishing the Cibolo Nature Center come through loud and clear . . .They offer a wealth of wisdom based on their own experiences in a clear, readable style. They also present significant information on where help is available."

Stonecrop: a Natural History Book Catalogue:

"Just published, this is one of the most well done and hopeful books found in all the pages of Stonecrop. It covers in great detail all the practicalities of operating a nature center - but also offers plenty of inspiration and encouragement, reminding you of how much a nature center can enrich a local community.