Bloomfield Hills Schools Partnership
This partnership between Oakland County Parks (OCP) and Bloomfield Hills Schools (BHS) expands OCP's presence into the population-dense central corridor of Oakland County, an area currently underserved by the county park system. Johnson Nature Center and Bowers Farm align directly with the Discovery Gateway strategy under Mission 26. Together, they deliver agricultural education, environmental learning, wildlife interpretation, heritage programming and family-oriented events at a scale not currently replicated elsewhere in the OCP system.
Johnson Nature Center/Bloomfield Oaks
Johnson Nature Center is a 43-acre environmental education facility in Bloomfield Township. The site includes a four-acre pond, a Rouge River tributary and more than two miles of trails through diverse habitats. A visitor center houses science labs used for curriculum-aligned environmental education programs. The site will be referred to as Bloomfield Oaks in the OCP system.
Bowers Farm/Discovery Oaks
Bowers Farm is a 96-acre working educational farm, also located in Bloomfield Township. The farm includes livestock operations with sheep, horses, goats, poultry and llama; agricultural production areas; a farm kitchen and market selling Bowers-grown produce; 75 community gardens; and 21 curated botanical gardens maintained by the Oakland County Master Gardener Society. The site will be referred to as Discovery Oaks in the OCP system.
Phases
Public Engagement
In-person community engagement opportunities were held at both Bowers School Farm and the Johnson Nature Center, and an online survey was also available to provide feedback on this potential partnership. The purpose of the online survey was three-fold:
- To measure the amount of public support for Bloomfield Hills Schools to continue dialogue with Oakland County parks about this potential partnership.
- To determine community priorities related to offerings, features, and activities related to Bowers School Farm and the Johnson Nature Center
- To analyze how often these facilities are visited and the different ways visitors use them.
Around 80 people engaged with the materials present at the in-person events and 646 individuals sent in complete responses to the online survey, for a total of 727 participants.
61% of respondents were in support of continuing dialogue that may lead to a partnership. 25% needed more information and 14% were not in support. 75% say BHS maintaining ownership of Bowers School Farm is somewhat or very important. 72% say BHS maintaining ownership of Johnson Nature Center is somewhat or very important.
The more often a respondent visits either Bowers School Farm or the Johnson Nature Center, the more strongly they feel about the facility and its ownership. However, this does not mean loyal supporters are opposed to the idea of the partnership, as 47% of respondents who visit the Johnson Nature Center more than once a month say they need more information on the subject to decide. The percentage of respondents who explicitly do not support the partnership is roughly the same (14%) regardless of how often they visit the facilities.
Visitors to Bowers School Farm who took this survey highly value agriculture education, weekend events, and natural areas. Popular features and activities at the Farm include farm store and kitchen (56%), Fall Festival (53% attended), Winter Park (46%), and grade K-5 field trips (42%). Visitors to the Johnson nature Center who took this survey highly value natural areas/trails and youth education opportunities. Popular features and activities at the Nature Center include trails and hiking (59%), youth education (46%), visiting rescue animals (45%), and maple sugaring (33% attended).