Our Vision

The Darien Nature Center envisions a community that is deeply connected to nature and inspired to take action to preserve and protect it.

Our Mission

We inspire passion and respect for the natural world through nature education, hands-on experiences with nature, and environmental action and stewardship.

Our Values

Nature.

We appreciate nature’s beauty and complexity, and we foster strong and lasting connections to nature.

Nature Education.

We are committed to experiential nature education that is accurate, empowering, and confidence-building.

Integrity, Authenticity, and Respect.

We are a trusted source of information for our community. We treat all living things with respect.

Excellence and Quality.

We hold our work to the highest of standards and expect distinction in both product and performance.

Collaboration.

Working with other public and private organizations expands our reach into the community and provides us with valuable perspective.

Our leadership in the Community.

As nature educators and stewards of the environment, we welcome being seen as leaders in sustainable practices.

History

The Darien Nature Center began as a fledgling summer program in 1979 at the Darien Community Association. Founded by a group of committed citizens who wanted to open the eyes and minds of Darien citizens to the natural beauty surrounding them while teaching respect for and understanding of the environment, the first Board of Directors was composed of Darien residents active in the Audubon Society, the Conservation Commission, the Darien Community Association, and Darien Public Schools. In the early days, the Nature Center operated summer programs in Darien public schools. As interest grew, the search for a permanent home launched.


In 1988, Cherry Lawn neighbor Mrs. Virginia McGregor donated three and a half acres of undeveloped woodland to the Darien Nature Center. Over the next decade, as programs improved and expanded, the Board of Directors launched a capital campaign to raise funds to build a new facility in the park. Thanks to the support of the Board of Selectmen and families throughout town, the Darien Nature Center opened the doors to its new building, a beautiful, light-filled barn, in February of 2002.


Today, nearly half of a century after its inception, the Darien Nature Center is a thriving community center, home to robust environmental educational programs, a diverse collection of live animals, seasonal exhibits, and lectures.



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