After some discussion between Orion Township representatives and Lake Orion Community Schools officials, the district has decided to continue its operation of the Moose Tree Nature Preserve.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum David Beiter said both sides liked the idea of allowing the public to use Moose Tree, but the dollars just didn’t add up.
‘If we can’t make it self-sufficient, we’re going to look at it again next year,? Beiter said, noting the district’s budget for operating Moose Tree is much smaller that of similar nature preserves in other communities.
‘They (the township) were going to be putting out the dollars and not opening the facility to the public any more,? Beiter said of the township’s proposal.
The district has budgeted $30,000 for operation of the nature preserve.
‘We thought we had a proposal that was pretty strong,? said township Parks & Recreation Director Rock Blanchard. ‘But, I think they felt like they could do a lot of the things we were proposing on their own.?
Blanchard said the township got interested in the idea, in part, because of their recent needs assessment survey.
‘Our survey showed that a nature center was one of the needs in the community,? he said.
‘We definitely want to get it more available to the public,? he added. ‘We’re also looking at running some additional programs.?
Though some township officials had been monitoring the situation, Blanchard said no formal proposal was ever presented to the Board of Trustees.
‘We’re open to talking to them anytime about it,? Blanchard said of the school district. ‘I think there will be an opportunity for us to get involved in the future.?
Last year, the district trimmed its operation costs from $60,000 to $30,000 by eliminating programs for secondary education students.
The nature preserve is currently part of the district’s science curriculum at the elementary levels, ensuring each K-5 student one half-day visit during the school year.
Moose Tree is located next to Webber Elementary School, on Clarkston Road.