Ogden Nature Center

Ed and I drove up to Ogden yesterday to check out the Ogden Nature Center. We've been interested in it since we started working on the Alpine Nature Center. They started in 1975, so had a pretty big head start on us!

Their entry path was lined with lots of fanciful birdhouses.

The visitor's center had a gift shop and a big gathering room with a few exhibits.

I especially liked the bees in the beehive.

They also had an education center with a large classroom and some offices.

And, what nature center would be complete without a yurt?

They had several different habitats on the 155 acres of former farmland, including this lily pad stream at the entrance.

They had a mews filled with about a dozen birds of prey that are under rehabilitation.

We walked the 1.5 mile interpretive trail that took us through the different habitats.

The bird blind had pictures of the types of birds you might see.

Unfortunately, the birds were trying to stay out of the heat, and we didn't see any of them. The pond was interesting, though!

The observation tower gave a view of the meadows as well as the mountains behind. The crooked railing was much sturdier than it looks in the picture!

We enjoyed resting in the shade at the picnic area.

I kept resting while Ed explored the tree-house. It had a handicapped ramp to the first level!

My favorite plant was teasel, which the pioneers dried and used as a comb to card their wool.

We had a great lunch at Jeremiah's, just down the street from the Nature Center.

If you want to visit the Nature Center online, they have a very nice Website, http://www.ogdennaturecenter.org/.

If you want to visit the Alpine Nature Center, they also have a very nice website at  http://alpinenaturecenter.org/.

Maybe some day they'll have some classes and displays, as well..