Welcome to Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

Immerse Yourself in Nature

Save the Date! Gala in the Garden is Saturday, July 27 from 6-9 pm!

Enjoy an enchanted evening of delicious food, delightful drinks, and festive music at our annual fundraiser.  This time, we're bringing the festivities indoors, offering breathtaking views from the Visitor Center. Celebrate our shared commitment to support our mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of our environment. This is an event you don't want to miss!

More information is coming soon!

Sponsored in part by the Douglas A. & Margaret E. DeCamp Foundation.

Pierce Pickup Favorites

Pickup is available at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute from noon-2 pm and at Anne's Health Food Store during normal store hours.

Click the link below for more order and pick up dates.

Click Here to Order.

2024 Holiday Gift Show Vendor Application

The 2024 Holiday Gift Show is Sunday, November 10 from 11 am - 3 pm.  We are accepting vendor applications until August 31, 2024.

Click here for the application.

 

Pre-Order Your Native Plants until May 27.

Pre-order your plants at www.CedarCreekInstitutePlants.com.

Join us for the Native Plant Sale and Artist Reception on Saturday, June 1, 9 am-Noon. Plant stock will be subject to availability so we entourage per-ordering to obtain your favorites. FREE Event! The Artist Reception will be from 10 am - Noon in the Visitor Center.

Membership

Of all the many things that matter at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, members matter most! Without their dedication, participation, and generosity, the Institute would not be what it is today. Nor could it be what it aspires to be in the future!

Become A Member

Creative Retreats at Batts Cottage are Now Available!

The Creative Retreats at Batts Cottage are available from April -- September and are offered on a one-,two-,or three-week schedule for writers, artists, photographers, and musicians of all backgrounds and genres.

Learn more here.
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Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Executive Director Michelle Skedgell Announces Retirement

Michelle Skedgell, Executive Director of Pierce Cedar Creek Institute since September 2001, has announced her plans to retire from the Institute as of December 31, 2024.   Michelle joined the Institute shortly after its opening. The Institute is a nature center, an environmental education center, and a biological field station, a destination of learning, research, and natural resource management on 850 acres in rural Barry County. The Institute's founder, Bill Pierce, and his wife, Jessie, created the Institute to give back to the community that meant so much to them and provide a welcoming space for everyone to connect with the natural world.

Continue reading here.

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, for Environmental Education

Set on 850 acres in rural Barry County, Michigan, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, a mix between an environmental education center, nature center and biological field station, provides visitors opportunities for education, recreation, research and exposure to a blend of diverse habitats including wetlands, forests, marshes, streams, lakes, and prairies.

What's Happening at the Institute?
Dive into the Fun: Explore Our Calendar to See All of Featured Programs and Events!

01may4:52 pm31(may 31)4:52 pmSummer Wildflower Nature Walk on the Lupine TrailCan you identify common summer wildflowers? Put your skills to the test while learning about the many varieties of colors, shapes, and patterns of Michigan’s wildflowers.4:52 pm - 4:52 pm (31)(GMT-04:00) FREE

01may4:52 pm31(may 31)4:52 pmWhat's in Michigan's Blue Waters4:52 pm - 4:52 pm (31)(GMT-04:00)

03may(may 3)8:00 am31(may 31)8:00 pmMay Storybook Walk: Rare & Blue: Finding Nature's TreasuresJourney across various ecosystems to discover Earth's rarest and bluest treasures!8:00 am - 8:00 pm (31)(GMT-04:00) Free on the Black Walnut Trail

03may8:30 am10:30 amMigratory Bird Hike at the Little Grand Canyon-Space is limited. Call 269-721-4190 to register.Join the Barry County Bird Club in welcoming migratory birds to Michigan.8:30 am - 10:30 am(GMT-04:00)

03may10:30 am11:15 pmScience Storytime: Springtime PollinatorsLearn about the importance of springtime insects and how you can help them with stories, songs, and activities this pollinator-themed storytime hosted by Hastings Public Library.10:30 am - 11:15 pm(GMT-04:00) Registration not required.

07may10:00 am12:00 pmSpring Wildflower Accessible Tour - 10am, Full, Please call to be on the waiting list. 269-721-4190.Do you love spring wildflowers but not quite up to hiking the Institute’s trails? This is the program for you! 10:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00)

07may2:00 pm4:00 pmSpring Wildflower Accessible Tour - 2 pm, One spot left. Call 269-721-4190 to register.Do you love spring wildflowers but not quite up to hiking the Institute’s trails? This is the program for you! 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm(GMT-04:00)

08may10:00 am12:00 pmSpring Wildflower Accessible Tour - 10 am. 3 spots left. Call 269-721-4190 to register.Do you love spring wildflowers but not quite up to hiking the Institute’s trails? This is the program for you! 10:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00)

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01jun8:00 am30(jun 30)8:00 pmJune Storybook Walk: Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica ArnaldoGrub is a lonely racoon, rumbling in the trash looking for food. Seed is just a seed, patiently waiting in the trash for someone to plant it. When these two meet they realize they might be able to help each other, and so begins an unlikely friendship. 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (30)(GMT-04:00)

01jun9:00 am12:00 pmNative Plant Sale and Artist ReceptionJoin us at this year's annual Native Plant Sale! For the second year in a row, we will host an in-person event at the Visitor Center as well as a pre-order pickup. Pre-order at www.CedarCreekInstitutePlants.com9:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Pre-Order Here!

05jun(jun 5)9:30 am06(jun 6)12:00 pmStewardship WorkdaysGet outside with the stewardship crew!9:30 am - 12:00 pm (6)(GMT-04:00) Register Now

12jun9:30 am12:00 pmStewardship WorkdaysGet outside with the stewardship crew!9:30 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Register Now

13jun(jun 13)10:00 am17aug(aug 17)12:00 pmTrail Blazers Social Hikes-Drop-insCan't committ to the entire challenge. Register for the months you can attend!(june 13) 10:00 am - (august 17) 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Register Now!

13jun10:00 am12:00 pm2024 Trail Blazers Social Hikes - Thursdays Join us in this years’ social hikes to make new hiking buddies, enjoy good conversation, and feel comfortable hiking the trails. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Registration closed.

15jun10:00 am12:00 pm2024 Trail Blazers Social Hikes - Saturdays Join us in this years’ social hikes to make new hiking buddies, enjoy good conversation, and feel comfortable hiking the Institute’s trails.10:00 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Registration closed.

19jun9:30 am12:00 pmStewardship WorkdaysGet outside with the stewardship crew!9:30 am - 12:00 pm(GMT-04:00) Register Now

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Environmental Education & Sustainable Land Management Initiatives

The Institute offers environmental education and sustainable land management programs to the community, instructing environmental stewards by communicating the core values of land conservancy, environmental responsibility and the pursuit of knowledge; provides scientific research grants and research partnerships with a consortium of area colleges and universities; and features over nine miles of hiking trails open to the public, free of charge, from dawn to dusk year-round.