Officially opened on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, this unique display gives visitors to the Nature Center the opportunity to learn about wildlife on the Clinton River.  The exhibit was provided by a generous contribution from Visteon and was designed and constructed by The Nature Factory with input on design and guidance from the employees and volunteers from the Nature Center. Their efforts to create a hands-on exhibit for children and adults was truly a labor of love and is evident by the display’s realistic qualities and the attention to detail that was given during its construction.

The display gives visitors a glimpse of some of the living things found in and around the Clinton River.  It allows children to crawl through a “river bank tunnel”.  Along the way they’ll find buttons to push.  Each button lights up one of eight different visual displays showing scenes of Clinton River wildlife. 

Stop by the Burgess Shadbush Nature Center and see this truly unique display.  The Nature Center is located at 4101 River Bends Drive, which is off the east side of Ryan Road between 22 Mile and Auburn Roads. 

Did You Know?

• The Clinton River was shaped by the Wisconsin Glacier that covered Michigan 18,000 years ago.
  
  
• There are three branches of the Clinton River:  North Branch, Middle Branch, and Main Branch.
  
  
• The Main Branch flows approximately 80 miles from its head waters west of Pontiac to Lake St. Clair.
  
  
• Approximately seven miles of the Clinton River flows through River Bends Park.
  
  
• The Clinton River was originally names the Huron River by Native Americans.  The name was changed to the Clinton River in 1827 in honor of DeWitt Clinton, the governor of New York; the state where many of our early settlers came from.
  
  
• The Clinton River played an important role in both the settlement and development of Macomb and Oakland Counties.
  
  
• The Clinton River was an important natural resource for hunters, trappers, and early settlers.  It served as a significant source for food, water, and transportation, as well as a power source to operate mills.
  
  
• The Clinton River is still a valuable resource to us today.  It provides opportunities for recreation such as fishing, canoeing, wildlife watching, and other outdoor activities.
  
  
• The Clinton River serves as a principle habitat for the 66 species of fish, over 30 species of mammals, over 100 species of birds, and countless species of wildflowers.

 

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