Over 40,000 Students Visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center Every Year The following excerpts are from an interview with Chris S. Nelson, Executive Director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC). What is the CNC? When and why was it launched?The CNC was founded in 1976, when approximately six acres of land were purchased around Kingfisher Pond. CNC was initially established through the efforts of John Ripley Forbes who directed the Natural Science for Youth Foundation. Roy Wood, who worked with the U.S. Dept. of Interior, located the facility and encouraged the land purchase. The purpose of CNC has been, and continues to be, increasing community awareness and understanding of the natural environment and the Chattahoochee River. As the interpretive center for the river, CNCs mission is to connect people with nature through education and fun.Why is your environmental education program is so popular?The environmental education programs are so popular because they align with the States K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Science, with authentic science learning experiences taking place with our onsite and outreach programs. Also, CNC programs are connected to STEM national initiatives by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Can you tell us a vision for the future of CNC?Thanks to our exceptional location and mission, CNC is uniquely positioned to offer one-of-a-kind unplugged experiences in the great outdoors something that is increasingly difficult to find in our 21st century lives.We are beginning a capital campaign, which will allow us to expand and improve our facilities. This may include a new river boardwalk, improvements to Kingfisher Hall, and a new entranceway. These improvements will increase our ability to educate students and the public about the nature all around them while increasing CNCs visibility in the community as a leader in eco-education.
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