Support the Center >

Thank you for investing in the Grange Insurance Audubon Center - we would not be where we are today without you! We are grateful you understand that, even in challenging times, providing science education, conservation programs and recreation opportunities is important to the quality of life for our community – both now and in the future.

We have just reached a wonderful milestone: Our Grand Opening! Now is where the rubber meets the road as we move from creating to operating beautiful new asset to the community. Your help has made a direct impact on our ability to successfully provide education programming for school children, restore important habitat, and provide family programs and events. In fact, last school year more than 2,000 students participated in a science program at GIAC.

It is our pleasure to share with you our many accomplishments during the past couple years at GIAC:

• Urban Revitalization: With our partners at Metro Parks and the City of Columbus we were able to convert hardscape to parkland. In 2006 there were approximately 6 acres of useable parkland. We now have 84 acres and next year that acreage will be doubled. As a result, residents will have access to numerous nature-related and recreational activities.
• Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: The Center has concentrated on providing job opportunities for teenagers from low-income families. By providing real world experience and job training we were able to provide 10 jobs last year for these children. Countless others know that opportunities exist for them in environmental and other STEM fields.
• Increase students test scores. This year we have increased our school programming to meet the needs of the community. We have 8 schools in our Conservation Classroom program that come to visit for either 24 half day visits or 12 full day visits throughout the year. We do individualized education plans with the schools to highlight student needs and match those with our needs to create amazing field study programs. We started this program in 2006 with Livingston Elementary when only 8% of their students were passing the Science proficiency tests. We are proud that the school showed wonderful progress over the last few years as their students are now passing at a rate of 45%.
• Protecting Habitat for Birds. Over the past year, we were able to start implementing the conservation plan that we created for the Scioto Audubon Metro Park. So far we have been able to meet 11 of the 36 benchmarks in that plan. Our high school, Conservation on.Location Program allowed us to use GPS as a tool to capture and analyze data around the restoration effort and create a resource management calendar that is also used by Metro Parks.
• Create a community center. While the Center is only 2 months old, we have already been visited by over 4,000 people!
• Teach people to live more lightly on the earth and inspire stewardship in their everyday lives. Our building and site are wonderful tools to teach people how to implement energy-saving techniques and operate in a more sustainable way. Our project has already won awards such as the AIA Sustainable Design Award, 2009 Excellence in Construction Eagle Awards, and Clean Ohio Fund Impact Award for Best Environmental Stewardship. We were a finalist for the Reechie Design Award and are on track to receive our Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED)certification in a few months.

We invite you to continue your support as the Center enters its new phase as a community center. Your gift to our annual fund enables us to provide education programs to schoolchildren, offer free nature activities for families, maintain our Center and hiking trails, and support our operating needs.

If you are already a member of the Grange Insurance Audubon Center – thank you! While a membership gives you the benefit of unlimited opportunities to experience GIAC, your gift to the annual fund provides unrestricted support for the ongoing needs of the Center.

As you consider year-end giving, we hope you will keep us in mind. Your gift to our annual fund today stays at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, bringing you the satisfaction of knowing you make a difference as we improve our natural wildlife habitat, educate local schoolchildren, and introduce families to the wonders of nature.

The Grange Insurance Audubon Center is a place where every child – and the child within us all – can discover the joy and mystery of the world in which we live. For many of the students we serve at GIAC, it is the first time they have ever touched a crawfish, jumped a creek, watched birds, or gone on a hike. Thank you for supporting our efforts, and we hope you will visit soon to enjoy a program or event, get involved in a conservation project, bird or hike at this very special place!

Or click here to donate now through our secure online form.