The Leslie Area Education Foundation (LAEF) is working on a brand new nature
center.
"We were approached by a former
Leslie High School graduate in
Texas who wanted to memorialize their mother and sister," says Sue
Lahtrop, President of LAEF, adding that the alumnus gave a gift of
$100,000 toward the project. The proposed nature center would be built
on land eight miles south of Leslie, which Lahtrop describes as "100
acres of beauty."
"We can impact more children for a longer period of time," Lathrop says
of the educational nature center.
In addition to funds from the former
LHS graduate, LAEF has received a $400,000 grant from the
Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. LAEF applied twice before finally
winning the grant.
The nature center will feature a 1,500 sq. ft.
building as well as trails. K-12 students of Leslie will make
field trips to the nature center, and Lahtrop said other schools can
make use of the building for a rental fee.
Surveying of the grounds is complete and Lathrop says she hopes the
construction will be put out to bid within 30 days.
"We hope to have it
complete by mid-fall and have it ready for the 2010-2011 school year," she says.
The total cost of the center is estimated at $620,000.
Source: Sue Lathrop
Writer:
Daniel J. Hogan