 As many of you may know, Riveredge is currently engaged in strategic planning. We have gained much useful information from our community survey, interviews with our membership and key constituencies (teacher naturalists, habitat healers, past board members and other volunteer groups) and input from our donors, staff and community leaders. The feedback has been incredibly positive, constructive and encouraging. We are still working to finalize the plan but we do have a slightly revised mission statement.
The mission now reads:
To inspire, inform and enable responsible environmental decision-making and sustainable practices by providing leadership in education; preserving and restoring the Riveredge and other natural sanctuaries; serving as a resource for scientific research.
Although this is clearly not a major change, we believe the revised mission statement better describes the purpose of Riveredge and will help guide our future strategic decision-making. For a more detailed explanation of the changes (including our previous mission statement) and to view a summary of the community survey and other planning information, please visit our website and click on the strategic planning link.
This is an exciting time for Riveredge; we are growing our programming and strategic partnerships at a very strong pace. We are involved with a variety of new initiatives, including the innovative homeschool program, a new Riveredge Naturalist adult program, outreach education at many different schools, partnerships with new businesses, organizations and government agencies, the Woodland Harvest Network and the Ozaukee Treasurers Network. We will also establish a Wildscape Mentoring Network established soon. Check out our website for more information about all of these new developments.
We are also expanding our building hours (9am to 4pm on Saturdays and Noon to 4pm on Sundays) starting June 2, adding a new Habitat Healer day (see page 2 for this story) and have created an ad hoc Building Renovation Committee to update and revitalize our Education Center. Each member of the Riveredge family is an essential part of the exciting future we see for the Center - we encourage you to get involved in whatever way you can! |
|
Riveredge Nature Center
Strategic Planning Summary
April 4, 2012 Update
I. Vision
Exploring and inspiring connections with nature.
II. Mission
Previous Mission Statement:
The mission of Riveredge Nature Center is to inspire, inform, and enable responsible environmental decision-making, by
- providing leadership in environmental education for people of all ages about their interrelationship with the earth, and its plant and animal life;
- preserving its natural sanctuary;
- serving as a regional resource for scientific research;
- integrating sustainability concepts and practices into it programming to inspire people to live within the limitations of natural systems.
Slightly revised new mission:
Inspire, inform and enable responsible environmental decision-making and sustainable practices by:
- providing leadership in education;
- preserving and restoring the Riveredge and other natural sanctuaries;
- serving as a resource for scientific research.
Summary of Mission statement changes:
- “The mission of Riveredge Nature Center is to” has been deleted as this is extra language not needed.
- “Providing leadership in environmental education” from the first bullet has been shortened to include just education as using the term environmental is too limiting and not descriptive of all our educational initiatives and philosophy.
- The second bullet “preserving its natural sanctuary” has been adjusted to state preserving and restoring the Riveredge and other natural sanctuaries instead because restoring is a good descriptive word of what we actually do as we aren’t limited to just the Riveredge sanctuary, although of course it remains our primary focus.
- “Regional” has been taken out of the third bulleted point as it is too limiting. Some of our research has much broader implications, like the sturgeon restoration project.
- “Sustainable practices” has been moved from the fourth bullet point to earlier in the statement because it encompasses everything that Riveredge does, rather than a stand alone bulleted item.
III. Core Values
- Excellence and innovation in education.
- Science based, inquiry oriented, interdisciplinary and fun programs.
- Relevant scientific research.
- Stewardship and preservation of the Riveredge sanctuary and other natural areas.
- Integration of sustainability concepts and practices into programming.
- Providing opportunities for low-impact recreation.
IV. Strategic Direction
Coming soon!
To view the summary from the community survey please e-mail patrick@riveredge.us and he will forward to you.
|