The Nature Center is a portal to 235 acres of one of the few remaining Coastal Plain Forests on the eastern seaboard. Our program responded to the communities' desire for a more accessible and attractive space by removing walls and adding windows. The physical transformation of the Center increased the exhibit area and created a "third space" for community members to drop in without fee. The interactive exhibits prepare the visitors to understand what they will encounter when they hit the trail. Why are there all these large boulders everywhere? Are these softwood or hardwood trees? Is Silver Lake deep? What kind of animals or birds will I encounter? The secondary theme demonstrates the dynamic change that has taken place in just the last century, a spectacular growth in dwellings and, surprisingly, trees!