By Katelyn Nettler, Blandford Nature Center
The Association of Nature Center Administrators will distinguish Former Blandford Nature Center Founder and Director Mary Jane Dockeray as the inaugural ANCA President’s Award recipient for foundational leadership in the Nature and Environmental Learning Center Profession.
During a near 70-year career, Dockeray has helped instill youth environmental education as part of the nature and environmental learning center profession. Since boldly asking for the donation of ten acres of private land in 1964 for “getting kids boots on the ground”, Dockeray has displayed what Jason Meyer, current President/CEO of the Blandford Nature Center calls “her characteristic willingness to push boundaries.”
Over 43 years, Dockeray grew those ten acres into a 143-acre refuge that has served over two million visitors, an astounding accomplishment. Among her innovative achievements is the foundation of the Blandford School, a sixth grade program where 60 public school students spend their entire school year using the nature center as their classroom.
Beyond Blandford, Dockeray helped build youth environmental education into the ethos of the profession by freely offering her knowledge. She hosted and supported an early professional association of nature center administrators: the Michigan Coalition of Nature Centers. Corky McReynolds, PhD, CPF, and former Coalition member writes, “Her inspiration to me helped launch my career, and I am just one of literally thousands of lives she has touched.”
Dockeray exemplifies the exceptional contribution to the nature and environmental learning center profession that the President’s Award was created to acknowledge. ANCA Board President, Francis Velazquez, writes, “It is how Mary Jane’s story touches on all the aspects of our profession that captured my attention. It was the humility, simple directness, foresight, and sustained effort that brought her consideration for the President’s Award. It was how she educated one child, through one program, one field trip, one nature center, one pioneering idea after another and how she influenced one community and one profession with such lasting effects that made it clear she should be awarded by ANCA.”
Jen Levy, ANCA Executive Director, writes, “Mary Jane represents an exceptional group of individuals who recognized the need to secure the places that are now a vital network of nature education sites. Our profession is indebted to Mary Jane and her fellow nature education pioneers, and I am thrilled the board is recognizing her.”
To no surprise, at age 90, Dockeray continues to live out her commitment to environmental education. You can find her captivating young learners and mentees weekly at the Blandford Nature Center. On behalf of the nature and environmental learning center profession, we recognize Mary Jane Dockeray for her unwavering commitment to youth, nature, and the profession with the ANCA President’s Award — rock on Mary Jane!
The President’s Award will be given to Mary Jane Dockeray at the Association of Nature Center Administrator’s Annual Summit in August in Nauvoo, Alabama.
With Metro Cruise upon us and WKTV’s DreamWheels! set to film on Saturday, we take a look back on the stories of the people and cars who make the cruise such a large attraction. From the history surrounding the inception of Metro Cruise to the shops and talents it takes to rejuvenate the beauty of a classic car, and everything in between, our full coverage is below:
The tour was full of history, about kings and religious wars and assassinations, and royal cousins marrying royal cousins, and how cold the castles were. Personally, I’d much rather have a small cozy cottage than a big elaborate drafty chateau, but then that’s just my preference. They’re certainly lovely to look at, and attending a lavish ball might be kind of fun.
In 1547, King Henri II gave Chenonceau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, 20 years his senior, much to the dismay of his wife. When he was killed in a jousting tournament, Catherine de’ Medici, his widow, wanted Chenonceau back, and eventually got it, but only by trading a more valuable property. Diane was not invited to the King’s funeral.
About Lynn Strough
“I just love them, and when I got this car and I looked at that fin,” said Dom with his finger pointed towards a fin on a beautiful teal 1961 Cadillac Convertible, “All of a sudden I realized that what I really was doing wasn’t collecting cars, but collecting art. Each one of these is an art form, if you look at the faces of each one of these cars, each one is completely different.”
“When the ’63 Corvette came out, I stayed in the showroom for hours. I couldn’t stop looking at it because of the artwork of it,” he said.
Lately, Dom’s participation in Metro Cruise has shifted towards being an annual member on the red carpet at WKTV’s DreamWheels!. This year he plans on bringing his ’79 Ferrari.
Hotel de Ville is another place I’d never been, and I discovered that it’s not a hotel at all, but the City Hall. It’s a place where tons of tourists and locals alike congregate, and I happened by right at the golden hour when everything glowed.
Dame. I was wandering around, trying to find a restaurant I’d gone to seven years before. I didn’t remember the name, only that it was somewhere near Notre Dame and covered with wisteria. I thought about stopping at the famed cathedral, but I’d been inside once on a previous trip, the entry line was long, and I was starving. My head said go straight, but my heart nudged me to turn left, so I followed my heart, right to the wisteria-covered restaurant.
Frederico, the man in charge, said it was almost closing time, between lunch and dinner, but that I’d just made it. He reminded me that this was the oldest building in Paris. It was pricier than I’d remembered, but I had free accommodations and was eating mostly home-cooked meals, so this was my splurge. And it turned out to be the best splurge ever, as Frederico said, “What are you doing next?” He invited me and a couple of American guys to go on a private tour of nearby Notre Dame he’d organized for some of his friends. The two guys declined, but I gave an immediate yes. A few other couples joined us, and one was from my home state of Michigan. Later on Facebook, I learned a friend of mine in Atlanta knows Frederico as well. It truly is a small world.
About Lynn Strough
About Lynn Strough
#AmINext? On a picture perfect day in downtown Grand Rapids, four 16-year old students caught the attention and respect of our community. Their goal was a peaceful assembly of citizens, city officials, activists, and police to promote understanding and unity in a time of racial tension and mistrust. National cases such as the police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, a shooting in a St. Paul, Minn. suburb involving victim Philando Castile, and the Dallas killings of five police officers inspired the students to take action.
While initially planning their rally using a Black Lives Matter theme, the organizers were contacted by the group asking that they do not connect the assembly with BLM. The #4Unity organizers then changed the name to #AmINext #4Unity in order to have a separate identity. In a statement Thursday the BLM clearly distanced themselves stating, “Before anyone gets their ‘peace’ (which has long become code for silence, passivity, compliance and respectability), we deserve justice. Before talks of unity, we must speak openly about how Black and Brown communities are viciously torn apart by systems and institutions of injustice and violence.”
As professional and peaceful as the assembly was, it was unfortunate that members of Black Lives Matter presented themselves in front of the stage. Where peace and unity were being offered, these silent protesters were a distraction. Many of their signs were inflammatory, such as “Police Do Not Protect, They Harm” and “Unity Before Justice is Insulting.” When they stood with their large signs and black tape across their mouths, they blocked the view of those on the stage. As they stated they wanted no affiliation with #4Unity, it is questionable why they were even there.
With those benefits in mind, Jessica and her daughters keep active in the KDL Summer Reading Program. The program is aimed at keeping kids’ minds fresh throughout the summer months. Studies show that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation. The KDL Summer Reading Program encourages learning while children and teens are away from school.