CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

The Nature Discovery Center is a critical addition to our facilities and will become Lost River Cave’s gateway to nature. The entire campus will expand opportunities for public and private use of the park. Everything about the Nature Discovery Center will draw visitors into their own transformational discoveries. 

Visitors will wander through exhibits that describe habitats found on the 72-acre park, review the geology and history of the land, and begin their own personal discoveries. In the exhibit area, discovery drawers and graphic panels will complement each display and engage all the senses. Staff will be on hand to present educational programs. Specially designed materials will provide hands-on learning experiences such as bird watching with binoculars and field guidebooks.

Construction of phase one will begin upon reaching the $3 million goal. The campaign’s total goal is $4.2 million.

It is important to lay the foundation for the future by securing funding to support expanded programming, additional staff, and the continued conservation of this amazing living laboratory. Annual support will fund staff training for nature-centered and place-based educational programs; volunteer training; community education events; and a wide variety of activities such as workshops, field research, classroom activities, and guided hikes.

Whenever an organization makes capital additions, it is wise to provide corresponding support for ongoing maintenance of its newly created facilities as well as the assets it already manages. Therefore, the campaign for the Nature Discovery Center will provide an Endowment Fund to support overhead and operating costs for the new facilities and the 72-acre park that is the foundation for this expansion. It will help provide maintenance funding for areas of the park to be utilized in expanded educational programming such as the prairie, meadow, wetland, trails, and cave ecosystem. 

Lost River Cave’s curriculum-based educational programs fuel excitement for learning, bring lessons to life, and provide opportunities for all learning styles. Studies show that children learning in natural environments have better academic performance, enhanced attention, improved behavior, and increased engagement and enthusiasm.

Nature relieves stress, aggression, anxiety, and depression, but to benefit from it, we must get out and experience it. The Nature Discovery Center will be the place to find new knowledge and gain skills that will inspire kids, adults, and families to spend time in nature and reap the health and wellness benefits it provides.

Families and individuals unable to travel to Yellowstone and beyond will find their transformative eco-escape at Lost River Cave. The Nature Discovery Center and its museum-quality exhibits will interpret the park’s seven ecosystems, providing a deeper connection to the great outdoors. This gateway to nature will provide a resource that is unmatched in our region.

Opportunities for WKU students and faculty will increase greatly as they utilize the Nature Discovery Center campus for everything from applied learning to the arts. It will take them beyond WKU’s campus to make additional connections with the Bowling Green community at large encouraging them to stay beyond their college years.

Partnerships with area youth organizations and community groups will find even deeper roots because of new opportunities for engagement. Plans will be less weather-dependent allowing us to serve our mission and our partners’ missions more meaningfully. New partnerships will flourish given the literal space to grow.