Located between Municipal Park and the popular Boise River Greenbelt, the Morrison Knudsen (MK) Nature Center in Boise, Idaho, contains nearly five acres of wildlife habitat. The experiences it has enabled highlight what it can mean to utilize popular spaces to engage audiences of all types.
Experiencing the StreamWalk
The MK Nature Center features numerous walking paths along the StreamWalk, which runs all through the wildlife habitat. One of the most popular spots is the “Shelter Window”, which provides a fish-eye view that lets visitors see the fish in the water from a whole new perspective. This is in addition to the Alpine Lake fish viewing window, which allows visitors to see the trout, salmon and suckerfish that reside in the lake.
Sturgeon Pond and the Beaver Dam are a hub of activity for the variety of wildlife that the MK Nature Center contains. Numerous fish species reside in the lake, while the pond attracts various bird species, mink, beavers, snakes and more.
Elsewhere on the StreamWalk, the Butterfly Garden allows visitors to see a wide variety of plant and animal species while the lava rock/petroglyph area contains lava rocks and petroglyphs that are replicas of ones made by Native Americans thousands of years ago. Additionally, a bald eagle nest is a replica of the largest one ever found.
The Trail Map highlights all of these activities and the many others that are along the StreamWalk. All of these experiences are have defined the connection the MK Nature Center has enabled for the surrounding community.
Community and Opportunity
The Visitor Center and Gift Shop contain a variety of products for purchase. These funds help support the MK Nature Center’s educational program. The facility contains hands-on activities like making animal tracks in the sand, touching animal pelts, antlers, horns and skulls.
The MK Nature Center also hosts events on a frequent basis, which includes ones like the 13th annual birdseed sale. Other events range from lecture series to nature activities, all of which have enabled a powerful sense of connection for the community.
In creating an attraction that has enabled experiences connected to the history and natural settings of the area, the MK Nature Center has come to highlight what it can mean for a space to extend and expand activities for visitors and entire communities.
Additional and Expanded Experiences
The Boise River Greenbelt is one of the top attractions in Boise, pulling in people from across the city and all of Idaho. By providing those audiences with an additional attraction and experience, the MK Nature Center highlights what it can mean to give audiences that much more reason to visit and engage with a city and region.
