ODC Network

Buidling a nature-rich community helping people and nature thrive

Who We Are

ODC Network (ODC) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan. Since its founding in 2000, ODC has preserved thousands of acres of native habitat and connected more than 1.5 million people to nature through outdoor learning, hands-on programs, and a network of free trails and preserves open year-round.

With a commitment to providing meaningful outdoor learning opportunities for all ages, ODC operates five nature-based early childhood sites, partners with K–12 schools, and delivers community engagement programming throughout the region.

ODC is building a nature-rich community where people and nature thrive, creating the best place to live, work, play, and learn.

What we do

We are pioneering nature based education by changing how and where learning happens. The ODC Network provides nature based education for all ages through early childhood centers, partnerships with local k-12 schools and community programs. 

We are protecting natural ecosystems by promoting, preserving and restoring natural habitats. The ODC network has conserved thousands of acres of habitat through restoration and preservation projects. 

We are providing outdoor access through furthering our community and improving its connection to the natural world.  Our nature preserves are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk 365 days a year. 

Our History

In 1999, the Wildlife Unlimited of Allegan & Ottawa Counties, Inc. and the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) partnered to create the Outdoor Discovery Center to advance outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan.

The 100-acre parcel of land purchased by Wildlife Unlimited was an ideal site because of its diverse ecosystems. It had been decades since it was farmed and one of the first projects the ODC undertook was to restore the land to its pre-settlement condition. Subsequent land acquisitions have added to the natural diversity including ponds, remnant dunes, wetlands, meadows, remnant prairie, and lowland hardwood forest. Visitors are able to experience these unique surroundings while walking on three miles of trails, many that are ADA accessible, on the 160 acre site.

1999Outdoor Discovery Center is founded
2008ODC Explorer Network is launched
2009Merger with Macatawa Greenway Partnership
2012ODC Conservation Services is established
2013Project Clarity is launched
2013Little Hawks Discovery Preschool Opened
2013First Nature Playscape Constructed
2016ODC Education Network is established
2017Rabbit River Preserve Opens
2018DeGraaf Nature Center joins the ODC Network
2018Kalamazoo River Greenway is established
2019Nature-rich Community Initiative is launched
2020Seedlings Discovery Preschool Opened
2020Outdoor Discovery Schools Established
2022Dragonflies Discovery Preschool Opened
2024Woodlands Discovery Preschool Opens
2023River Junction Preserve Opens
2024Woodlands Discovery Preschool opens
2025Gentex Discovery Preschool opens
2025ODC Celebrates its 25th Anniversary

Our Partners