Overview
Our facility highlights stewardship of natural landscape by providing hands-on activities with native animals and conservation practices. We also take pride in our parkland’s cultural history from Hopewell period to present day. People of all ages will find something to do in the center, such as quiet corners for parent-child interaction, practicing turkey calls or touching animals.
In the center, we have lots of exciting ways to discover and observe wildlife. Lift up display panels or hold down buttons to illuminate display answers. Play bird sounds and open drawers to investigate bones and furs. Or simply relax on a bench. The center is an active place for learning and getting your senses ready to explore outside.
Discovery Hours at the Nature Center
All park visitors are welcome to drop by the Germantown MetroPark Nature Center during our special public hours: Saturday and Sunday from 1PM to 4PM. The Nature Center is also open by appointment for schools and group tours at other times during the week by calling (937) 277-4178. During "Discovery Hours", trained staff will be on hand to answer questions, assist with exploration and provide orientation to the park.
What To Do
- View general displays on MetroPark facilities and a contour display of our hiking trails.
- Review the Land and Life display, artifacts of past peoples who lived here and stories of the animals they once encountered.
- See native fish and turtles in our Aquatic Habitat display.
- Get close to eastern box turtles and toads in our Forest Islands display.
- Hear bird sounds and see the effects of time in the Succession Succeeds with Diversity display.
- Examine owl and hawk feather features and special plant adaptations in the Cedar Glades and Pine Grove display.
- Study the history and current management of our local native grasses in the Tallgrass Prairie display.
- Sit and observe the sounds and sights of visiting animals at our Window on Wildlife.
- Learn how to steward your own backyard in Build your Backyard Habitat display.
- Pick up a Metro Parkways to review our up-coming public Programs.
- Walk the 500-foot-long accessible boardwalks offering dramatic views of the wooded Twin Creek valley and feeder streams.
History
The Nature Center was built in 1980 not only as an interpretive center, but also as an environmentally friendly structure. The building is mostly underground and heated and cooled primarily by a heat pump system.
Programs for School Classes and other Organized Groups
- Ohio Wildlife - This program introduces participants to the displays and animals in the Nature Center and also usually includes a short hike on the nearby trails. It may also include a trip to the Redbud Pond to discover the variety of animals that live there. View More >>
- Blast From the Past - This programs involves learning about the geology of the area around the Nature Center and the fossils found in the rocks. It includes a trip into a nearby stream bed to hunt for fossils. View More >>
- Knee Deep in Twin Creek - This program for older groups (4th grade and up) involves learning about Twin Creek, one of the cleanest and most biodiverse streams in Ohio. Participants learn about the efforts that go into keeping the creek this clean. Then they hike to the creek and search for the unique animals that live there to study them. View More >>
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