Friends of Northwest Park

The Friends of Northwest Park is a volunteer, not-for-profit corporation formed in 1981 to play a leading role in development of a nature center at Northwest Park.

The Friends' original mission of supporting development of the Nature Center has expanded to include support for Northwest Park as a whole. Click here to join the friends on-line!

The Friends' fundraising efforts have received broad-based community support from individuals, civic groups, foundations, businesses and corporations. In partnership with the Town of Windsor, the Friends support Park and Nature Center programs, operations, and development. Raising over $500,000 since its incorporation, the Friends have purchased all equipment and furnishings in the Nature Center and financially supported a wide variety of Park programs.

Just a few of the Friends' contributions include:

• All Nature Center furnishings, including air conditioning, carpeting, all furniture and cabinets, kitchen appliances, science equipment, computers, lighting, etc.
• Financial support for exhibits
• Spring and fall environmental interns
• Financial support for environmental education research and programming
• Annual financial support for the Youth Conservation Corps

The Friends' annual community events include the autumn Country Fair and the Pancake Breakfast in March at the culmination of the maple sugaring season.

Friends' officers and committee chairs meet ten times a year as an executive board. The 27 member Board of Trustees meets quarterly, and the Friends' general membership meet for their annual meeting in late fall. All these meetings are open to the membership.

Committees, all of which need volunteers, include Special Events, Membership, Fundraising, Publicity, Newsletter, and Exhibits. Your membership in the Friends of Northwest Park is a statement of your support for Northwest Park and the Interpretive Nature Center. For those Friends who are to become active on committees, we invite participation at all levels. Project involvement is certainly not required in your membership, but is available and encouraged.

In addition to having the satisfaction of supporting an outstanding Park and Nature Center, membership dues entitle you to the following benefits:

• A subscription to Northwest Passage, a quarterly journal produced by the Friends and Park staff, which includes current program information, educational articles and news about the Friends, volunteers, special events and Park activities.
• 10% discount at the Nature Center Shop. (Present card at time of purchase.)
• Discounts on Friends' sponsored events.
• Invitation to complimentary "Members Only" programs and social events at Northwest Park.
• Invitation to Friends' sponsored field trips. Friends of Northwest Park decal.
• Consecutive Patron and Benefactor memberships totaling $500 qualify as a Life membership.

Become a part of the tradition and future of the Friends and of Northwest Park. Membership dues are an important source of financial support for the work of the Friends. The membership and fiscal year of the Friends is July I to June 30. Memberships are renewed during July. Click here to join the Friends of Northwest Park on-line.