ODC Network's Outdoor Discovery Center

11/01/2026

Where the stories of this land come alive 📖🌲✨

November is National Native American Heritage Month—the perfect time to get to know our Cultural History Center.

Tucked into five acres of groomed trails, it features a replica village and camp, a three sisters garden, and a trading post. At its heart is an exhibit space honoring the Anishinaabe people and their role in Michigan’s past, present, and future.

Our trails are open dawn until dusk, 365 days a year. Come take a walk. Learn something new. Experience the living history of West Michigan.

🔗 Want to learn more about our Cultural History Center and programming? Visit the link in our profile.

11/01/2026

It’s been a fun season of pumpkin exploration 🧡

Pumpkins offer so many ways to play and learn while using tools and building fine motor skills. Over the last few weeks, the students in our preschools have been doing just that.

We love seeing them dig in, get a little messy, and try something new. That’s what our nature-based (and child-led!) experiences are all about.

10/29/2026

Phones are a very useful tool, but we all know the power they have to hold our attention.

Especially attention that could be given to much more important things and people in our lives.

Less screen time is good, but what’s even better is replacing it with regular peaceful time in nature and around those we love.

Our friends at the Outdoor Discovery Center are encouraging children, and people of all ages to get disconnect from technology in order to connect with what really matters.

10/28/2026

Almost unreal… ✨❤️🍂

The Chipmunks, Cottontails, Striped Skunks, and White-Tailed Deer classrooms all ventured out together today for a hike and story time (complete with costumes!) beneath the changing leaves. That’s around 40 children, ages 5 and under, immersed in the forest, engaged in a book, and building one of the earliest forms of community.

We’re so grateful to our preschool teachers, who make the dream of nature-based early childhood a reality. Who show up ready to explore and learn right alongside our kiddos. Who bring the playfulness, joy, and ✨FUN.✨ Thank you.

10/26/2026

Quick reminder to all who are interested: Space in Hide Camp is limited and registration closes soon! Reserve your spot today!

These are the skills and craftsmanship that transcend generations ✨

The Cultural History Center at ODC exists to lift up the resilience, ingenuity, and cultural contributions of Michigan’s Indigenous peoples—past, present, and future. This fall, you’re invited to immerse yourself in the arts through Hide Camp, a 4-day workshop in which participants will learn the traditional techniques behind brain tanning deer hides.

📅 November 4, 6, 7 & 8
🕐 Hours vary by day. See link for full details.
📍 ODC Network’s Cultural History Center, 5675 142nd Ave, Holland, MI
🍽️ Light snacks and beverages daily, some meals provided
🎟️ Registration required: register once for all four days
💵 $200 per participant. All tools and materials provided, including hides.
🔗 Full details and registration: https://bit.ly/hidecamp

10/22/2026

Meet our newest animal ambassador! 😍

We’re excited to introduce a young female Virginia Opossum who recently joined us at the Outdoor Discovery Center! Born this past spring, she came to us from the West Michigan Wildlife Center, where she was deemed unreleasable.

Animal ambassadors give our community a chance to see wildlife up close and learn from our staff, building lifelong interest in and care for the natural world around us. She’ll be helping with that as she settles in.

Want to see her in person? 👀⏰ Our animals are most active during morning feeding time, so plan your visit between 9 and 11am.

We love her already—and there's a lot to love! Here are some of our favorite facts about opossums:

🐾 Opossums are the only marsupial in North America.
🐾 They have 50 teeth, more than any other North American mammal.
🐾 Their prehensile tails are used for gripping and carrying things.
🐾 They can’t carry rabies. Their body temperature is too low.
🐾 “Playing dead” isn’t a choice. It’s an involuntary response, a bit like fainting.
🐾 They eat lots of bugs, including ticks, so they’re good neighbors to have around!

A big thank you to the West Michigan Wildlife Center for their important work. 💚

10/20/2026

Restoring Lake Macatawa, together 💧

For more than a decade, ODC Network has led the effort to protect Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa Watershed through our signature, community-wide initiative, Project Clarity. What started in 2013 as a shared vision among farmers, municipalities, researchers, and residents has become one of West Michigan’s most ambitious conservation initiatives.

The project has real, measurable results. We keep 46,000 tons of sediment and 40,000 lbs of phosphorus out of the lake each year. And the initiative reduced in-lake phosphorus levels by more than 60 percent in the first 10 years.

Restoring the lake is a long-term process—and none of this happens without a community that is invested in the work. To learn more about what’s coming next and how you can get involved, visit https://outdoordiscovery.org/project-clarity/

10/19/2026

Something big is happening at our De Witt Birds of Prey Center 🚜👀🦅

Each year, thousands of visitors connect with our birds through this center and our programming—building understanding, compassion, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

This year, we’re embarking on an ambitious project to improve quality of life for our birds—breaking ground on construction of a 100-foot flight chamber to provide them a space to safely fly and exercise.

Construction will include a courtyard and picnic area for visitors and families to gather, as well as a redesigned amphitheater for field trips and community programs.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the new space in the spring. In the meantime, please excuse the mess and forgive any closures of the center as we bring this exciting vision to life.

10/17/2026

Today is the day! ☀️ 🎃

�🕒 2-7pm�
📍 Outdoor Discovery Center

Here’s what’s waiting for you along the way:

🍬 Games, candy, and treats along the trails�
🦉 Meet live birds of prey�
🔥 Roast s’mores and marshmallows�
🥾 1.2 miles of wheelchair-, stroller-, and wagon-friendly trails

A few important things to know before you head out:

🎟️ $20 per family. Register here: https://outdoordiscovery.org/treats-trails/
⏰ No admission after 6pm�
🅿️ Park at the shuttle location: Shekinah Revival Ministries, 1941 Washington Ave, Holland

10/16/2026

We believe nature is for everyone 🌱

This fall, join us for Accessible Adventure, a free, family-friendly open house designed with and for explorers of every age, ability, and comfort level.

📅 Friday, October 23�
🕒 3:00-7:00pm�
📍 ODC Network’s main campus, the Outdoor Discovery Center

Explore six stations along our Sensory Trail in any order, at any pace, for as long as you like.

✨ Touch the soft fur of a bunny�
✨ Smell pine, bee balm, and mint�
✨ Listen to red-winged blackbirds and katydids�
✨ Look through binoculars and a pre-focused scope�
✨ Build a nest from natural materials

This event was created in partnership with the Ottawa Area Center, whose expertise shaped the programming from the ground up 💚

More details and registration here: https://outdoordiscovery.org/accessible-adventure-a-nature-program-built-for-every-explorer/