ODC Network's Outdoor Discovery Center

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ODC Network's Outdoor Discovery Center We advance outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan! The ODC Network is a non-profit outdoor education organization.
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Through its programs, demonstration areas and interpretive exhibits, the ODC Network provides students and community members with up-close views of nature and learning opportunities about the West Michigan environment. Since 2000, the organization has served more than 120,000 children and adults through outdoor education and recreation programs. More than 70,000 people annually visit ODC sites to walk the trails and view the wildlife. Thanks to the 2009 merger of the Outdoor Discovery Center and Macatawa Greenway Partnership the organization now protects over 1,200 acres along the Macatawa River in Ottawa County and a 130 acre nature preserve in Fillmore Township.

These are the skills and craftsmanship that transcend generations ✨The Cultural History Center at ODC exists to lift up ...
10/14/2026

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

10/09/2026

Fall color watch 👀🍁

This season is short—don’t miss it! Our trails are open sunrise to sunset every day.

10/08/2026

We get *a lot* of questions about year one of our restoration process. Cosmos are a big reason why 🌸

They’re an annual, non-native to Michigan—not exactly what comes to mind for ODC Network conservation work. But they serve a real purpose.

When native species like coneflowers, asters, and milkweeds are first planted, they put all their energy toward building root systems. They don’t have time to put on a show—they have work to do. Cosmos give the site quick, vibrant cover and help crowd out weeds like crabgrass while the native plants do their job underground.

By year three or four, the natives take over and the site looks completely different—more diverse, more resilient, and built to support pollinators and wildlife for decades.

To the cosmos: Thank you for doing your job beautifully. Now the real transformation begins.

Want to see the full progression of an ODC restoration site? Link in bio.

10/07/2026

This is what building a nature-rich community looks like 🌷👧

This afternoon, students from Seedlings Discovery Preschool, our downtown Holland campus, joined the city-wide fall tulip planting effort. They knelt in the dirt, helped dig holes, and tucked bulbs into the ground, all in preparation for Tulip Time next year.

Getting outside gives children an opportunity to learn about their world in ways a classroom can’t offer. And when that learning serves their own town, it means even more.

These tulips will bloom at the biggest moment of the year for Holland, welcoming visitors from across the country and around the world. And our students will be there to see it. They’ll pass these very flowers nearly every day as they explore Window on the Waterfront and Sally Smoly Nature Playscape.

Letting young children help matters. It builds independence, confidence, and a sense of purpose. We’re grateful to the City of Holland for entrusting our preschoolers with real work and making them feel like they have an important role to play in our community. Because they do.

Our favorite fall tradition returns ✨🍂🎃Registration is open for Treats & Trails! Join us Saturday, Oct 17 for games, can...
10/06/2026

Our favorite fall tradition returns ✨🍂🎃

Registration is open for Treats & Trails! Join us Saturday, Oct 17 for games, candy, wildlife encounters, s'mores, and barrel rides.

Costumes are encouraged! Tickets are $20 per family. https://outdoordiscovery.org/treats-trails/

09/30/2026

Don’t miss ODC at ArtPrize! 🎨🌳 Our VP of Operations, Mike Oosting, has the honor of showcasing his sculpture, ‘Peace Dance,’ at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the festival this week.

‘Peace Dance’ was created from a century-old white ash, which stood on ODC’s own grounds before it was overcome by the Emerald Ash Borer—an invasive species that has devastated ash trees across Michigan for more than 25 years. Most of those trees are cast aside, but through over 1,000 hours of carving, this one became a centerpiece of an international arts festival.

One of the best parts? Watching kids light up as they explore it.

ODC’s mission is to advance outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan. Mike’s art does both—inspiring young people through the beauty of nature and the call to preserve it.

How to see ‘Peace Dance’ in person:

📍Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids
🗓 Now through Saturday, October 3
🗳 And don’t forget to vote! Your first vote must be cast within the ArtPrize event boundaries. Voting ends Friday, October 2.

09/28/2026

This is the LAST WEEK in 2026 to enjoy the stream at the Haworth & Klow Family Imagination Forest.

This has been an incredible season for ODC. The opening of this new space gave thousands of families a place to get outside, connect with each other, and experience the full power of the forest within a world-class playscape.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the public reaction. Our visits were up 47% over the summer. With countless families telling us they can’t believe it’s free.

That reaction is important to us. ODC Network is a 501c3 nonprofit, and expanding access to free and meaningful outdoor spaces in our community is a pillar of our work.

Thank you for all the kind words, for visiting with your families, for spreading the news about this space, and for quickly making it a staple in our community.

On Friday, Oct 2, we will stop the stream for the fall and winter seasons. All other sections of the space will remain open. Come scramble over rocks, dig in the sand, and jump through the trees. We can’t wait to welcome you back into the water next spring.

09/26/2026

Clean water takes all of us💧

Macatawa Water Festival is our annual celebration of a community-wide commitment to a cleaner, healthier lake. Every year, 20+ sponsors and partners gather to engage all ages in learning about our most precious natural resources, Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa Watershed.

For more than a decade, ODC Network has led the effort the protect what is irreplaceable through our signature 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 efforts.

🔗 Learn more about Project Clarity at the link in bio.

We’re grateful to everyone who could make it out today! (And there’s still time!)

EVENT DETAILS:
💧Macatawa Water Festival
📅 September 26, 2026
🕙10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍Kollen Park

Macatawa Water Festival returns TOMORROW!Date: September 26, 2026Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMLocation: Kollen Park 240 Kolle...
09/25/2026

Macatawa Water Festival returns TOMORROW!

Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Kollen Park
240 Kollen Park Dr. in Holland

This event was rescheduled from July when our area was experiencing air quality issues. We can’t wait to finally welcome you out to Kollen Park!

Over 20 community partners and sponsors will come together to offer water activities and educational experiences designed to engage all ages to learn about restoring and preserving our lake and watershed.

All ages welcome!

09/24/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Stroll & Roll at Paw Paw Park tonight! 🚲🌱☀️ Missed us? Join us on Saturday for our annual Macatawa Water Festival from 10am-2pm in Kollen Park!

Address

4214 56th Street
Holland, MI
49423

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+16163939453

Website

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