Natural History. Stewardship. Sustainability.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is an important part of what makes Hartley Nature Center special. You can help HNC in a variety of different ways by picking one of the options below today!
Last year Hartley Nature Center served more than 28,000 school children, scout groups, and private individuals from over nine northland counties. We had a banner year that, thanks to our school and camp scholarship funds, enabled us to serve more low-income families than ever before.
What makes this truly remarkable is that, unlike most other nature centers, Hartley is not operated by any state, county, or municipal agencies and therefore relies solely upon program fees, memberships, grants and private donations from people like you!. Please consider helping us bring even more people to Hartley for their very own special experience.
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Busing
One of the biggest challenges for many schools is paying for transportation to Hartley. With the growing cost of transportation, this fund makes a big difference. This way all who want to come can make it to Hartley.
- $100 per bus for day field trips
- $60 per bus for afterschool trips
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Special Events
We need your financial help to keep our most popular and fun events going strong:
- Candlelight Ski, Skate and Snowshoe: Our membership appreciation event in January. Luminaries will line the ski trails for a peaceful night ski or enjoyable ice skating on Hartley Pond under the stars. Naturalists will lead snowshoe hikes by moonlight, which will end at an encampment adjacent to Hartley Pond. A light dinner will also be served in the facility.
- Wine In The Woods: Our annual spring auction event takes place in April. This event raises funds for Hartley’s School Scholarship Fund, as well as for the general operation of the center. The evening will feature savory hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats, as well as a selection of fine beer and wine. The event begins with a raffle and a live auction. Financial support, as well as goods and services suitable for auction are all greatly appreciated!
- Youth Outdoor Expo: This fun family outdoor event in May has a number of stations set up between the facility and the pond where children and their parents learn skills such as canoeing, fly-tying, and birdhouse building. Bird banding demonstrations will have children handling birds, and the emphasis will be on the effective use of bird books and binoculars.
- Habitat Here! Festival: The center is abuzz as the hummingbird and butterfly garden is in full bloom, the water garden is teeming with life and native plant vendors are here to sell their remaining stock during this late August event. Speakers, hands-on activities and a raffle are just a few of the days events. Participants learn to create a haven for birds, insects and plants in your own backyard. This is a day to celebrate the interconnectedness of nature.
- Bird Banders Breakfast: This open-house is for bird lovers young and old. Participants will see how birds are netted, banded and released. The timing of this event is at peak migration and close enough to courtship time that the birds will be at their most colorful. This program provides fantastic photo opportunities as children and their parents get chance to handle birds prior to release.
- Hartley Nature Trax: Become a partner in the annual Hartley Nature Trax trail run on the first Saturday in October. Entirely volunteer driven, this challenging and exciting fundraising event will take you through deep woods, alongside streams and ponds, and to great heights. Kids Critter Races will provide youth with trail running experience, Conquer the Knob will challenge families to enjoy the outdoors. Promote your goods and services to local and statewide active, health conscious, family oriented, outdoor loving enthusiasts by becoming a sponsor. Not only are the listed sponsorship levels available to you, but we can also customize sponsorship and benefits to best meet your needs.
- Howl-O-Ween: Costumed characters line the scavenger hunt trail for this parent and preschooler Halloween celebration on the last Saturday in October. The day features games, face painting, cookies and cider.
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Same as gold level
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1/2 page ad in event program (Wine in the Woods, Youth Expo & Nature Trax only).
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“Platinum-level” framed print for posting at your business.
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Spot on the “Soapbox Knoll” level of HNC’s General Operating Plaque
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Same as silver level.
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1/4 page ad in event program (Wine in the Woods, Youth Expo & Nature Trax only).
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“Gold-level” framed print for posting at your business.
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Website link from logo on Hartley Nature Center website.
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Mentions in HNC radio ads.
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Same as bronze, but with logo rather than listing in all placements. (E-mail logo to info@hartleynature.org)
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Logo in at least two print media ads and/or inserts.
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Listing on event posters, HNC website and the Hartbeat Newsletter of which about one-thousand are printed quarterly. Listed on race T shirt (Hartley Nature Trax only)
Acknowledgement of Your Sponsorship
Platinum level - $1000 of support via financial sponsorship, goods and/or services.
Benefits include:
Gold Level - $500 of support via financial sponsorship, goods and/or services.
Benefits include:
Silver Level - $250 of support via financial sponsorship, goods and/or services.
Benefits include:
Bronze Level - $100 of support via financial sponsorship, goods and/or services.
Benefits Include:Call to inquire about discounts for business members or multiple sponsorships.
Special Events: Individual and Business pledge form -
Internships
The intern programs at Hartley Nature Center seek to provide the place, space and time for new environmental education and park stewarship interns to polish their craft while gaining a holistic perspective of the center. You can cover the costs for one intern for the entire time they are here.
Environmental Education Interns: Our Environmental Education interns receive unique training that provides opportunities for growth as an educator through supervised experiences in environmental and outdoor education, non-profit administration, exhibit design and maintenance, stewardship and sustainable technologies. These interns are committed to Hartley for 600 hours, so you can make a huge difference in their and many kids lives for only $1500. Park Stewardship Interns: Hartley Nature Center provides full-time college students with an opportunity to fulfill their 120 hour internship requirements while benefitting from hands-on work that has an impact. They develop real world skills through their stewardship work in ecological restoration, monitoring, exotic vegetation control, and trail work. Help us improve and maintain this beautiful place by sponsoring a stewardship intern for just $200. -
Camp Scholarship
The purpose of this scholarship is to immerse up to 700 area youth in healthy outdoor activities. The focus is on developing wilderness skills and hopefully, a life-long interest in the region’s ecology and outdoor recreation opportunities. We feel that this is essential in developing healthy active lifestyles in our youth. Our program features a variety of nature-theme courses, all with multiple hands-on activities for youth including fishing, canoeing, climbing, sailing, birding/bird banding, and camping. Most offerings are weeklong, and range from half-day parent and preschooler experiences to five day off-site adventure camps.
Scholarships are $50 for a half day week long camp or $100 for a fullday week long camp
Camp Scholarship pledge form School Scholarship
The most frequently asked question of late has been “How is the economic slowdown affecting Hartley Nature Center?” Our response is that our program volume is heavier than ever (we set an all-time record of more than 24,000 visitors for our fiscal year ending in September) but that program income only accounts for about a third of our operating budget. The more kids we can bring to Hartley, the better for all of us. Make a kid's day (or week, or year!) by making a field trip possible.
You can send a class of 30 students to Hartley for just $135.
School Scholarship pledge form
