Who would benefit from an Environmental Learning Center?

Although students in nearby Bryn Mawr Elementary and Anwatin Middle School would be the primary beneficiaries, the Environmental Learning Center would be open to everyone. Since a limited time (less than an hour) is available for most class field trips, having Anwatin Woods close to the schools is vital. The two schools draw students from a large area of the inner city, and will be even larger in the future du to Minneapolis Schools restructuring. (see link).

FBPW/SaveAnwatinWoods' vision is for Anwatin Woods to be a city-wide resource, open to all Minneapolis public school students. Inner-city children may not have the opportunity to experience nature and this is one way to provide them with that experience. Bryn Mawr Elementary and Anwatin Middle Schools are the only schools in Minneapolis that directly border on a natural area such as this. Other schools could take advantage of existing parking lots, etc., to bring students in for a taste of nature.

In addition, preserving Anwatin Woods in a natural state extends and protects Wirth Park, providing habitat for countless animals. Deer, raccoons, squirrels, fox, wild turkeys, ducks, geese and songbirds call the woods home, and they too would be beneficiaries.