Photo Credit: Courtesy of the City of Chandler
In April 2008, the city of Chandler, Ariz., held the grand opening of its newest facility and park—the Environmental Education Center (EEC) located in Veterans Oasis Park. In the five years since it opened, the center has had more than 150,000 visitors, and the staff members have learned much about what works—and what doesn’t—at a government-run, tax-funded nature center and park located in the middle of an urban environment.
The EEC has been touted as the gateway to Veterans Oasis Park, a 113-acre site. Those visitors who take the time to venture into a park’s visitor center or onsite nature center will find their experience to be that much more rewarding. Not only will they find a place where they can ask questions about the site and what there is to do and see, but they can learn about the unique attributes of the location and why it was set aside as a protected area.
Attracting Visitors
Staff members have devised several creative ideas to bring in not only first-time visitors, but also park regulars. This has been accomplished by: