Our mission is to unite people with nature and nurture appreciation and stewardship of the environment.
The Ogden Nature Center was organized as a non-profit corporation on May 19, 1975, to provide a center for nature education, science, cultural connection, recreation and quiet contemplation of the natural world. For nearly 50 years we have united people with nature by advancing and preserving the natural and cultural history of this 152 acre nature-preserve.
Education
Nature Education is at the core of our mission. We provide programming utilizing our natural landscape as an outdoor classroom and living museum. Our live exhibits feature Utah’s birds of prey and corvids (ravens and crows) as well as a variety of other native Utah animals. The curated nature preserve is home to many wild bird and mammal species, native plants and grasses, and curated outdoor spaces which showcase the cultural history of this land. Each year over 50,000 children, teachers and other adults participate in our educational programs, and other cultural and art events.
Open to All
The Ogden Nature Center is open to the public for discovery and exploration. Visitors enjoy meeting live birds, snakes, tortoises, salamanders and other native animal species. They learn about our natural history with our preserved and curated exhibits and displays. They learn about the cultural history of this place; its use by Shoshone peoples; its transformation by homesteaders in the nineteenth century; farmers who worked this land for over 70 years; and its history as a wartime Army depot from 1941 - 1973. And now, its use as a treasured nature preserve nestled in the heart of Ogden.
Throughout the preserve there are picnic areas, treehouses, bird blinds, a spotting tower and 1.5 miles of walking trails. The Nature Center boasts two of Utah's greenest buildings which feature exhibits of sustainable practices, interactive nature exhibits, and a unique gift store.
More Ways to Experience Nature
The Ogden Nature Center offers a wide variety of community programs for all ages including visual and performing arts, photography, birding, wildlife in Utah, outdoor recreation, conservation, sustainable practices and more. In July and August, our team of expert teacher-naturalists provide our very popular summer camps focused on the natural and cultural history of northern Utah. Our renovated Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Picnic Grove and Treehouse are open and available to the public to rent for events. Some of our most popular annual events are our annual Earth Day Celebration, our annual Birdhouse Competition, the popular Summer Concert series, and the “Creatures of the Night” at Halloween.