About the Dahlem Environmental Education Center

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The Dahlem Environmental Education Center is a place to experience, study and enjoy nature. With over 5 miles of hiking trails containing forests, fields, marshes and ponds, visitors can enjoy a guided hike or experience the natural wonders on their own. The Dahlem Center is pleased to offer a half-mile trail for those with special needs.

The Dahlem Center offers year-round educational programs for students and families including naturalist programs, workshops and special events.

The exhibit area, filled with the marvels of nature, is found inside the visitor building, along with the Nutshell gift shop. The Nutshell is a great place to shop for the outdoor person, and is an excellent source for nature-related books, clothing, bird-feeding supplies, jewelry and many other items including fresh wreaths during the holidays.

A Community Resource

The John and Mary Dahlem Environmental Education Center is an organization that strives to help educate our community toward maintaining a balanced approach to resource and environmental stewardship and to bridge the gap from the human to the natural environment. It is a resource for improving our environment through science, education, leadership, and conservation and a place where members of our community can experience, study, and enjoy nature.

At the Dahlem Center we believe in:

  • Providing community leadership on ecological issues.
  • Teaching stewardship by example.
  • Developing new concepts in environmental education to promote conservation in our natural environment.
  • Studying natural populations and fostering understanding of their complex interactions.
  • Preserving the Earth's diversity.
  • Promoting the concept that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner.
  • Learning natural history through hands-on and field experiences.
  • Advancing our mission through a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.