HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978 03-15 Maplewood looks forward to it's "little house in the woods" REVIEW i-,\- ----7a
Maplewoo.d looks
to its � 'little house
by Kathy Holmes classroom,and the other half will contain
restrooms, a mechanical room andal
Construction on the Maplewood Nature small storage room. The classroom will
Center building will begin this spring. be carpeted and filled with cabinets and
"I'd like to see them going by April 15," displays that will be changed on a
said Eric Blank, Maplewood Community seasonal basis.The building is the second
Services director, phase of a project begun in 1975.
The community's little house in the At that time, Les Blacklock,
woods will be made out of rough-sawn photographer for the book "The Hidden
cedar and will cover about 1850 square Forest," made a feasibility study of the
feet. Half of it will be a three-level area enclosed by McKnight, Century,
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ERIC BLANK,director of Maplewood Community Services,shows the blueprint of
the Nature Center building,which will be started in April.
THE REVIEW Wed., March 15, 1978 Page 9A
forward
in the woods'
Minnehaha and Harvester. Blacklock architect. The bids have been awarded
made several visits, recording wildlife and the contract is now being written for
sounds and photographing the area, and $116,000 which will include the land-
found its physical features outstanding. scaping and sidewalks. "We expect the
The site would allow visitors an en- end of July to mid-August as the finishing
vironment to wander in without distur- date," Blank said.
bing the enrironment.The only drawback In April,Megan Gange will be teaching
was that 48 acres might be too small an classes to many of the area elementary
area for a nature center. school children before school gets out for
In 1976,Blank wrote for and received a the year.By next fall,plans will be made
grant of $60,000, 50 percent federal for year-round activities for students in
money, 25 percent state, and 25 percent North St. Paul, Maplewood, and
local.Phase one of the Nature Center was Roseville.
then begun with the hiring of Brauer and
Associates and Les Blacklock as land- The purpose of the Maplewood Nature
scaper. By the summer of 1977, the Center is to teach awareness and un-
parking lot was completed and a wood derstanding of nature, rather than
chip trail was put in. identification of it. The Center will allow
For the Nature Center building,the city for year-round and clock-round
has now hired W.J. Sutherland & awareness,its hours being 9 a.m.to 9 p.m.
Associates, Inc. with Ken Johnson as during every season of the year.