ANCA CONNECTS: Louisville Nature Center in Louisville, Kentucky

Tuesday, March 12 — 9:30am-3pm ET

Join us for an energizing day of professional development and networking at Louisville Nature Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This CONNECTS program offers you the opportunity to connect with professional peers while learning about the operations of nature centers, outdoor schools, and related organizations. 

Louisville Nature Center offers the restorative experience of nature within an urban setting. During this program, you can explore the surrounding urban forest and learn firsthand about the nature center’s amenities and operations, including an accessible sensory garden, nature play area, and nature-based preschool.

This program includes discussion-based sessions about operations at nature centers and outdoor schools. These sessions invite all participants to contribute to the discussion, so that you can hear a variety of perspectives from professionals at other organizations. Such discussions are an excellent opportunity to share with your peers, learn new ideas, and work together to find solutions.

Throughout the program you will have opportunities to connect with peers and build your professional network. As such you will not only have new ideas and resources to implement at your organization following this CONNECTS, but you will also gain professional connections that can support your work throughout the year.

This ANCA CONNECTS program is for any professional at a nature center, outdoor school, or related organization. We welcome both ANCA members and non-members along with professionals from outside Kentucky to attend.

 

Registration

Registration has closed.

  

Sessions

Sessions at this CONNECTS program will use a Facilitated Discussion format where all participants contribute to the discussion on a specific topic, and a facilitator guides the dialogue. The result is a shared discourse that brings out an abundance of perspectives.

The role of the facilitator is to create fair opportunities for sharing, keep the discussions on track, and make sure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Facilitated Discussions are not presentations followed by questions and answers, nor the place where the facilitator is expected to answer all of the questions.

A significant advantage of Facilitated Discussions is that all perspectives are welcome — whether you are new to the nature center field or an experienced veteran, we invite you to fully participate in the conversation.

Session Topics

Session topics will include:

• Site Capacity and Growth
• Membership Programs
• Forest School
• Board Development

We welcome program participants to suggest other discussion topics in advance. If you have an idea for a discussion topic or would like to facilitate a conversation, please contact ANCA Membership & Programs Coordinator Daniel Auer at by February 19th. Topics may include any subject pertaining to the management of nature centers and related organizations, as well as trends in our profession. 

 

About Louisville Nature Center

The Louisville Nature Center strives to teach people about the natural world and provide a place where people can enjoy nature — without even leaving the city. Visitors to the nature center can enjoy an accessible sensory garden, nature play area, and two miles of forested trails within the adjacent Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve, which the nature center manages. LNC also includes the Swallowtail Forest School, a popular nature-based preschool. 

Location

Address: 3745 Illinois Ave, Louisville KY 40213
Directions on Google Maps