The Watershed Nature Center exists as a unique partnership between the City of Edwardsville and the Nature Preserve Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by local community members and nature enthusiasts John and Kay Kendall. Motivated to transform an abandoned sewage lagoon into a vibrant, beautiful oasis of biodiversity, the Kendalls founded the Nature Preserve Foundation to rally resources and the entire community around this special place. Known by its placed-based name - the Watershed Nature Center - the 40+ acre site and its mission-driven programming are managed by the Foundation and its team of staff, interns, volunteers, and community partners. Today, the Foundation’s mission remains focused on its three pillar priorities: Education. Restoration. Recreation. Its mission-driven goals are needed now more than ever:
Mission
To promote stewardship and sustainability via equitable access to nature, environmental education, and ecological restoration.
Vision
Healthy, nature-centric communities that enable a greater diversity of life to survive and thrive.