Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom update

A signature project led by our Society was the Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. We started fundraising for the project in 2018 and construction was competed by year-end 2020. After more than a year we have experienced some great moments in the space that we wanted to share with our amazing community of supporters.

Andrew Ichikawa hosted a ‘Music in Nature’ program in the Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom in August 2021 - photo shows him warming up before the program began.

The Programming Team at the Nature Centre have been very enthusiastic about how the new space has impacted their work. The Nature Centre’s Senior Program Leader reports:

I just wanted to share how pleased I am with the new outdoor classroom space. It has been great seeing how often the public gravitates to that spot to sit and enjoy nature or socialize. Even when running my programs I’ve noticed a huge difference. Kids seem to be able to pay attention for longer, likely because the seats are more comfortable and they are less inclined to fall off of them. Having the gaps in the bars is great because I can point out wildlife in the nature reserve and they can see it from where they are sitting instead of crowding around the edge to catch a glimpse. One participant even mentioned how they could hear me better than they could in the old space. I can’t remember if improved acoustics was an intentional design feature but it certainly is a nice side effect, especially when trying to talk with a mask on. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Outdoor Classroom and our programs in it evolve in the coming years.

– Taylor Hecker, Helen Schuler Nature Centre

This type of feedback is consistent among the Nature Centre’s programming team. The Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom has helped to support environmental education programs taking place at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre.

Centric MusicFest hosted a ‘Music in Nature’ event at the Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom - it provided a perfect space for attendees to sit and enjoy the performance!

Thanks to the new and improved space, the Nature Centre was chosen as one of the venue locations for the Centric MusicFest, a classical music and art festival. Their ‘Music in Nature’ event took place at the beginning of July – attendees were provided a headset so they could enjoy the string quartet while seated in the Outdoor Classroom or walking around in the Nature Reserve Park. It was an incredibly immersive experience that would not otherwise have been possible if not for the accessibility and amenities offered by the new and improved space. This is a great example of how this project supports the Nature Centre’s facility rental program.

Nature Centre staff and volunteers have reported that not a day goes by where someone stops at the Classroom to sit and enjoy the view. On many (many!) occasions they have have witnessed parents and grandparents being ordered to sit so they can be the audience for an impromptu presentation by their kids. It has become the meeting spot for several Scouting and Guiding groups – providing them an ideal gathering space before setting off into the Nature Reserve for their evening activities. It has also become a go-to location for coffee/tea or a picnic and to enjoy the space as a group.

Programs taking place at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre have benefited greatly from the universal accessibility, increased capacity, and improved function of the Outdoor Classroom.

When we first started the project, we knew that an improvement was needed and would make a difference. Now that it has been completed and used by the community for well over a year, we are amazed at how much of an impact the project had on the space! It is way better than we could have imagined.

On behalf of the Nature Centre, thank you to all of our supporters for helping to make this possible. We are lucky to have the support and leadership of Co-op Community Spaces on this project!

Please be sure to visit the Co-op Community Outdoor Classroom whenever you are in the Lethbridge river valley!