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.