NATURE CENTER

Belle Isle Nature Center

Program: Educational

Designed: Ehresman Associates (2005)

Style: Modern

Attendance: 90,000 year

Managed: Detroit Zoological Society

Also known as the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, this structure is one of the most recently built pieces on the island. The center sits on the north east edge of the island’s unique wetmesic flatwoods forest, connected to the network of habitats and nature trails. It hold a variety of indoor and outdoor educational and conservation programs.

Celebrating Environments

Inside the center, the exhibits hold a number of live species of reptiles, amphibians, insect, and even wild deer. Curators try to focus narratives towards the idea of local wildlife education and preservation. This way, children who come to visit, either with a school group or individually, have the chance to learn about the nature all around them in Michigan.

While ideal for school and family visits, the building restricted hours make it fairly inaccessible on a regular basis as it is only open from 10am-5pm Wednesday to Saturday. Open greenery and nature paths that surround it are luckily always open to visitors. Adjacent to the center on the north is the Lake Muskoday, and visitors can learn about its recent marshland restoration project.