Welcome to Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

Immerse Yourself in Nature

What's New at the Institute?
Membership

Of all the many things that matter at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, members matter most! Without their dedication, participation, and generosity, the Institute would not be what it is today. Nor could it be what it aspires to be in the future!

Become A Member

Apply for the 2025 Season!

The Creative Retreats at Batts Cottage are now closed for the 2024 season. The Retreats will be available starting April 2025.

We are taking applications for the 2025 season.

Submit Your Application Here!

 

Trail Closure Notice

October 1-November 15: Archery season.  All trails are open.

November 15-30: All trails will be closed for deer firearm season.

December 1-January 1: Trails north of Cloverdale Rd will be closed. Trails south of Cloverdale Rd are open.

For your safety, please be aware of trail closure signs.

Holiday Gift Show and Lunches

Holiday Gift Show To-Go Lunches are Back!

The Holiday Gift Show is Sunday, November 10, 2024 

11 am–3 pm

Register here:

https://bit.ly/47XBKWN

 

News and Announcements

Skull Identification and Charcoal Sketching Workshop Cancelled. Participants will receive refunds.

Due to low registration, the upcoming Skull ID and Charcoal Workshop on October 23rd has been CANCELLED. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. All participants will receive a refund. Please be patient as refunds are processed. We hope to offer more art classes in the future.

Pierce Pickups

Order your Pierce Pickups by Thursday of each week and pickup the following Friday at the Institute Visitor Center from Noon- 2 pm or at Anne's Health Food Store in Hastings during normal business hours.

Order your October meals here. 

Order your November meals here. 

Order your December meals here. 

The 2025 Field Station applications are now live!

Pre-proposals are due January 6, 2025. Research and Natural Resources Fellowship applications are due January 30, 2025. Creative Art Fellowships are due February 23, 2025.The 2025 Field Station season will begin May 12, 2025.

Apply here! https://www.cedarcreekinstitute.org/research/

Click here to learn more.

Questions? Contact:
Ellen Holste
Research and Community Engagement Manager
Phone: 269-721-4170 or email eholste@cedarcreekinstitute.org.

Join Us on Thursday, November 21 for Michelle's Retirement Party!

The open house will honor Executive Director Michelle Skedgell upon her retirement after 23 years of service to the Institute.

Register here!

Michelle Skedgell, Executive Director of Pierce Cedar Creek Institute since September 2001, has announced her plans to retire from the Institute as of December 31, 2024.   Michelle joined the Institute shortly after its opening. The Institute is a nature center, an environmental education center, and a biological field station, a destination of learning, research, and natural resource management on 850 acres in rural Barry County. The Institute's founder, Bill Pierce, and his wife, Jessie, created the Institute to give back to the community that meant so much to them and provide a welcoming space for everyone to connect with the natural world.

Continue reading here.

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, for Environmental Education

Set on 850 acres in rural Barry County, Michigan, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, a mix between an environmental education center, nature center and biological field station, provides visitors opportunities for education, recreation, research and exposure to a blend of diverse habitats including wetlands, forests, marshes, streams, lakes, and prairies.

01oct8:00 am31(oct 31)8:00 pmThe Fungus Among UsExplore the largely misunderstood, yet wonderful world of fungi and their importance in keeping our world clean, growing, and well-fed. 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (31)(GMT-04:00) Free-Self-guided on the Lupine Trail

01oct8:00 am31(oct 31)8:00 pmOctober Storybook Walk-Mushroom Rain by Laura K. ZimmermannLearn about all the incredible things mushrooms can do! 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (31)(GMT-04:00) Free-Self-guided on the Black Walnut Trail

08oct(oct 8)11:00 am31(oct 31)3:00 pmHoliday Gift Show LunchesThe Holiday Gift Show is Sunday, November 10! Order Your Lunch by Thursday, October 31!11:00 am - 3:00 pm (31)(GMT-04:00) Register for a lunch!

15oct10:30 am12:00 pm2024 Nature Book ClubWith a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and biographies, this book club is for readers who share a concern and interest in the natural world. 10:30 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Register Now!

23oct5:00 pm6:30 pmSpecialty Dinner - OktoberfestRegister by Wednesday, October 9.5:00 pm - 6:30 pm(GMT-04:00) Registration is closed.

23oct6:30 pm8:30 pmSkull Identification and Charcoal Sketching Workshop-Program cancelledGet spooky with Pierce Cedar Creek Institute and Dayna Walton of Solstice Handmade and learn how to sketch skulls with charcoal. 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm(GMT-04:00) Program cancelled. All participants will receive a refund.

26oct6:30 pm9:00 pmCandlelight Trails: Trick or Treat on the TrailsDress up your little "boos" and "ghouls," and join us for nature-inspired, Halloween fun on candlelit trails.6:30 pm - 9:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Register Now!

01nov8:00 am8:00 pmNature's Gratitude WalkLearn different ways to experience gratitude for the natural world through this Gratitude Walk. Free (Self-guided on Lupine Trail)8:00 am - 8:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Free-Self-Guided on the Lupine Trail

01nov8:00 am30(nov 30)8:00 pmNovember Storybook Walk-Sticker Loves the WorldWander with Stickler and his best friend Crow as they discover all the amazing things nature has to offer. 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (30)(GMT-04:00) Free-Self-guided on the Black Walnut Trail

06nov2:00 pm3:30 pmHoliday Dessert ClassThis year we are offering a Pumpkin Roll and Yule Log Cake Class.2:00 pm - 3:30 pm(GMT-05:00) Register Now! Register by October 23.

07nov10:00 am11:00 amNature Playdates in the Play SpaceLearn to enjoy nature in every season. Each playdate will consist of some guided and free play time designed to connect your little ones to the natural world around them. 10:00 am - 11:00 am(GMT-05:00) Register Now!

10nov11:00 am3:00 pmHoliday Gift ShowThe Holiday Gift Show is Sunday, November 10! 11:00 am - 3:00 pm(GMT-05:00) Register for a lunch!

15nov11:00 am1:30 pmConservation in a Changing World Lecture Series-Noise in the Anthropocene (Human Era): Soundscapes, Songs, and Silent Pauses (Ages 15+, Under 18 with Adult)Learn how humans are impacting nature’s soundscapes.11:00 am - 1:30 pm(GMT-05:00) Register Now! Register for lunch by Thursday, November 7.

19nov10:30 am12:00 pm2024 Nature Book ClubWith a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and biographies, this book club is for readers who share a concern and interest in the natural world. 10:30 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-05:00) Register Now!

19nov7:00 pm8:30 pm2024 Nature Book ClubWith a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and biographies, this book club is for readers who share a concern and interest in the natural world. 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm(GMT-05:00) Register Now!

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Environmental Education & Sustainable Land Management Initiatives

The Institute offers environmental education and sustainable land management programs to the community, instructing environmental stewards by communicating the core values of land conservancy, environmental responsibility and the pursuit of knowledge; provides scientific research grants and research partnerships with a consortium of area colleges and universities; and features over nine miles of hiking trails open to the public, free of charge, from dawn to dusk year-round.