Rory Reese, one of the volunteers and a master gardener who helped establish a Class One arboretum at Bonny Oaks last year, said such a designation requires at least 30 species of trees, properly labeled for public education purposes. The trees must be maintained, and the area must be open to the public. The nature center, just off Exit 20 from Interstate 75 and next to construction work that will become the Tri-State Exhibition Center this summer, meets all those requirements. The center is on eight acres that wrap around a pond between the new agriculture center site and the Bradley County landfill. Young trees, evergreen and deciduous, shrubs and flowering plants will soon show spring buds.
Bird boxes stand among the trees.
A pavilion is surrounded by raised beds of trees and summer's flowering plants. The nature center, she says, is a place where school groups can learn about the outdoors. Lesson plans are available for teachers upon request. The Ocoee Regional Nature Center's history goes back to 1991 when a citizens group called for improvements in the area. In 1993, the Cleveland-Bradley Chapter of Keep America Beautiful and Santek Environmental, the contract operator of the landfill, created a picnic area and installed education displays.