Shipley Nature Center

Peaceful and beautiful, full of wild life, great looking Red Wood Tree area, the Nature Center is nice, love the little brook created, and the walk around the Nature Center is adventurous!

Cute little nature center almost completely run by volunteers. Support them and check it out.

Really cool place for a Saturday. Kids had a great time.

Shipley Nature Center is an escape from the hectic pace of city life, and on the days it's not so busy, it feels like you're exploring nature in your own mini wonderland. The trails are quiet, and trees shade part of the loop hike. Please be advised during the rainy season, low-lying parts of the trail over by Goldenwest Ave., near the lake, do get flooded and this portion of the loop will be closed and posted with signs.

I've seen all kinds of birds here, including Allen's & Anna's Hummingbirds, Red-Tailed Hawks, Red-Shouldered Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, ducks of varying species in the reed-surrounded lake, Crows, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, which actually nest in the trees here, Goldfinches, and sparrows to name a few.

They've also planted so many flowering plants on the grounds, especially in the Butterfly Garden up front, but also in several other areas of the loop trail, so this is a butterfly lover's paradise.

Plenty of squirrels can be found racing back and forth up the large trees, just east of the small amphitheatre here, where they host weddings.

Please be kind and donate into the metal drop box a short way inside the gate on the left. I've always dropped a couple buck in each time I've visited. It helps with the miscellaneous costs of this privately run nature center. Shipley is open only on Saturdays, from 9am to 1pm.

Volunteers are kind, and free with their knowledge here. Spread some smiles by saying, "Hello."

It's closed for the time being but it's great when its open. It's an 18-acre preserve with native willows more than 60 feet tall and a full size replica of the thatch houses the indigenous peoples constructed. Last Sunday you could go up to the gates and see two snowy egrets in their nests up in one of the willows.