Access and Inclusion at Dodge

Dodge Nature Center and Preschool is for everyone.

As stewards of the land, we create and foster a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment where all can nourish their need for nature. We listen to, honor, and learn from lived experiences and feedback to create a space where everyone feels welcome.

Providing access to environmental education and experiences in nature is essential to Dodge Nature Center and Preschool’s mission, vision, and values. As educators, we are committed to staying curious, challenging our status quo, and changing in ways that facilitate greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.

How we're advancing access and inclusion at Dodge

In our community

Partnering with organizations that provide young people with hands-on skills, enriching education, and career opportunities, such as Tree Trust and the GAP School. Their participants work with Dodge yearly to assist with land restoration and building projects.
Serving diverse groups by offering a welcoming, safe space in nature for environmental education:
- Luisana Mendez of Huellas Latinas leads quarterly guided Spanish-language trail hikes.
- ROCC (Residents of Color Collective) hosts their Juneteenth event yearly at Dodge; naturalists also bring nature programs to their youth leadership program, ROCC Climbers.
- Highland Friendship Club (serving individuals with disabilities from teens through adulthood) and Neighborhood House (serving low-income, immigrant, refugee, and underrepresented communities) bring their groups to Dodge year-round for nature programs and connection with peers.
Being present at diverse events, such as West St. Paul Pride in the Park and the Latino Conservation Week Festival, to welcome new audiences to Dodge and share nature education opportunities.
Supporting local, BIPOC-led vendors by hiring them for Dodge events and programs.

In our programming

Maintaining free and open access to 8+ miles of trails across 460+ acres of prairies, woodlands, wetlands, and forests.
Bringing nature education to seniors with mobility restrictions at living facilities. Adult programming is also offered onsite monthly at Dodge.
Developing programs for historically excluded groups, like our Pride Outside program, created by Naturalist Allie Steffen for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Offering scholarships for families with financial need and those with low access to nature education. On average, $80k in assistance is provided yearly to Dodge Nature Preschool families and program participants.
- The Preschool participates in Parent Aware, Minnesota’s quality rating system, earning and maintaining the highest rating of 4-stars. This enables us to serve children receiving Early Learning Scholarships.
- Dodge Nature Center and Preschool is enrolled in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), allowing recipient families to attend Preschool and summer camp programming.
Contracting with interpreters to translate program information into Spanish, such as the Spanish-language guided trail hikes.
Adjusting our summer camp registration from a first-come-first-serve basis to a lottery system to provide equitable access to camp for all families.

On our properties

Increasing physical access by paving our parking lot and driveways (2020) and installing Cloverdale Trail (2021), a raised decking, handicap-accessible surface. This trail connects both sides of the Main Property and allows visitors with mobility aids to enjoy the wetlands and ponds.
Contracting with a translator to create welcome signage in Dakota, Ojibwe, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Russian, and Vietnamese languages.
Forming a Signage Task Force to identify needs and develop new signage for all four properties. New signage will help visitors navigate the grounds and provide educational information.

In our workplace

Adopting a new Strategic Plan that includes a focus on internal and external goals for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access at Dodge.
Forming the Access and Inclusion Committee that encompasses diverse voices from Dodge board, staff, and community members to continually advance equity efforts at Dodge.
Contracting with Cecilia Stanton Adams Staff from The Diversity Institute to lead access and inclusion trainings for all staff and board members throughout the year.
Raising support through the Nourishing Everyone’s Need for Nature Comprehensive Campaign (2019–2023), a fundraising campaign that focused on access, sustainability, and legacy initiatives at Dodge.
Working closely with school district special education departments, mental health consultants, occupational therapists, and other support professionals to serve children with disabilities and other developmental needs.

Everyone needs access to nature

We're proud to serve our community and bring environmental education to everyone.
Pictured from left to right: Luisana Mendez of Huellas Latinas leading a Spanish-language guided trail hike (2021), Neighborhood House students on a field trip (2021), Highland Friendship Club using Cloverdale Trail (2021), ROCC (Residents of Color Collective) celebrating Juneteenth at Dodge (2022), Green Seniors participants walking together on a snowy trail (2023), and summer campers exploring Dodge (2021).

Questions about this work?

This page highlights some, but not all of our access and inclusion initiatives and efforts.
To learn more, contact us at [email protected]—we’re here to listen.

About Camps

Scholarships

Sensory-Friendly Saturday: Feathers and Fur

Saturday, Sept. 21st

Blacksmithing Basics 1 with Coal Forge (8-session Series)

Sept. 24th - Oct. 10th

Tuesdays on the Trails

Sept. 24th - Nov. 26th

Access and Inclusion at Dodge

Dodge Nature Center and Preschool is for everyone.

How we're advancing access and inclusion at Dodge

In our community

In our programming

On our properties

In our workplace

Everyone needs access to nature

Questions about this work?

About Camps

Scholarships

Sensory-Friendly Saturday: Feathers and Fur

Saturday, Sept. 21st

Blacksmithing Basics 1 with Coal Forge (8-session Series)

Sept. 24th - Oct. 10th

Tuesdays on the Trails

Sept. 24th - Nov. 26th

Access and Inclusion at Dodge

Dodge Nature Center and Preschool is for everyone.

How we're advancing access and inclusion at Dodge

In our community

In our programming

On our properties

In our workplace

Everyone needs access to nature

Questions about this work?

Stay connected to Dodge by joining our mailing list

Search Dodge Nature Center