This book was published at March, 2012, as a Japanese version of "The Nature Center Book : How to Create and Nurture a Nature Center in Your Community" (1998). The authors of original one are Mr. and Mrs. Evans who are operating the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne, Texas.

 

What is the Nature Center? It's not only a facility which has displays of local eco-system or for recreation. It's also Community Center which people gather together and connect nature or land. So it's a place-based nature center.

Some of them have big facilities, trails, or parks, but nature center can exist without these.

 

Cibolo Nature Center has 150 nature programs a year for classes in the local schools, families, community, and many kinds of participants. Some events such as music concert and farmer's market are held, a lot of people come to Nature Center - from naturalist who are loving nature, to people who want to have a fun freely in nature. Like that, they give people a chance to connect nature and land.

Additionally, this nature center is supported by volunteers, internships, donation from individuals or corporations, and so on. And also their activities are managed by relationships with many persons and organizations - such as government, schools, biologist, landscape designer, etc.

 

This book introduce various examples of nature centers in America. For example, there are big nature center which has exhibition hall and hold festivals, or a small nature center like a cabin in a desert which has only a few greens.

It is also introduced that lots of each programs and relationships with community. It's the way of create and nurture a nature center. 

 

Original book is published at 1998, then 14 years passed. So the new text and examples are added. The concept of the Nature Center as community design still have the potential for town development and earthquake recovery in Japan.

 

It's a not "development" dealing with the problems of economy and employment only. But it's community "design" that regarding participate and relationship as important. Not a top-down or bottom-up approach, it's community-based. We think these practice will protect nature and environment, create culture and landscape, and design our lives. 

 

 

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Authors : Carolyn Chipman Evans is the founder and executive director of the

         　　 Cibolo Nature Center.She has worked to build community by involving

         　　 many organizations and individualsin the creation of the nature center.

 

               Brent Evans is a licensed social worker who has practiced family

               counseling and community organization for 33 years. He has been active                  in coservation work for many years as an educator, entertainer,                       and executive director of a land trust, the Cibolo Conservancy.

 

 

(http://www.cibolo.org)

 

 

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In May of 2013, we invited the authors to Japan, and held some meetings and workshops with guests. After that Beijing Normal University invited us, we moved to China. (Report)

Publication of Chinese version is also decided.

 

We are now practicing a Nature Center Project in our community.

(Report)

We are going to make a connection and give this book to areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.