Bird safety top priority as Fridley's Springbrook Nature Center reopens

A nature center designed to showcase wildlife shouldn't be dangerous to the very animals it's celebrating.

That guiding principle will be evident at the grand reopening of Fridley's beloved Springbrook Nature Center on Saturday after a $5.46 million expansion.

The new 13,000-square-foot space features wall-to-wall windows offering panoramic views of portions of the 127-acre property. All that new glass has been etched with visible vertical lines designed to minimize bird strikes.

"We utilized the best available technology," said Springbrook Director Mike Maher. "Certainly time will tell, but I have not seen a bird strike on the new glass."

Volunteers have also agreed to periodically walk the perimeter of the building looking for evidence of bird strikes, Maher said.

Planning for the birds makes sense. Over the years, bird-watchers have spotted around 170 species at the natural area.

Springbrook is home to one of the longest continuous bird banding projects in Minnesota.

For three decades, citizen scientists have gathered each month at Springbrook to take a snapshot of the region's bird population. Volunteers, under naturalists' supervision, gently capture birds. A trained scientist checks the birds for identifying leg bands or attaches one. The birds are weighed, measured, examined and released.

The banding project has continued through construction and will operate in the new space.

The stunning views from all those new windows are just part of the nature center's rebirth.

Thanks to $5 million in state bonding and some fundraising, the city more than doubled the original 5,000-square-foot, 1970s-era building.

The new airy space features high ceilings with birchwood accents, ample meeting space and plenty of new exhibits you can touch. There's even one exhibit young visitors can crawl through.

The nature center's resident animals, including snakes and turtles, have gotten some new digs.

"Our public exhibit space is vastly expanded and improved," Maher said. "We are excited."

The new building includes a 3,200-square-foot banquet hall that can be divided into four classrooms. The meeting hall, featuring a wall of windows and access to an outdoor patio, will be available to rent for events and weddings. It's already being used for summer camp programs.

Staff have created 10 new environmental education programs for children visiting on field trips. Visitors can expect to see more programming added in the coming months, Maher said.

To see all the changes at Springbrook, bring some comfortable walking shoes.

The property includes about 3 miles of trails and boardwalks. The newest trail addition is 900 feet of boardwalk that zigzags across a pond on the southwestern edge of the property. The boardwalk allows visitors to step a little closer to nature, peer into the water below and catch a glimpse of turtles and other wildlife.

The city spent $250,000 to install the new boardwalk in the fall of 2015, Maher said.

More projects are in the works.

A private donor has contributed $200,000 to build a nature-based playground for children. The Fridley Lions have donated $250,000 to build an outdoor amphitheater.

The grand opening ceremony runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the nature center, 100 85th Av. NW. Festivities include live music, ice cream, nature stations and tours of the new building.

Shannon Prather • 612-673-4804 shannon.prather@startribune.com