JAY C. HORMEL NATURE CENTER
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Friends of the Hormel Nature Center


Donate, join the Friends, or renew your membership online:

Donate
None of the Nature Center’s programming would be possible without the community’s continued support! Please use the button on the left to make a donation to the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center's greatest needs fund. 
Join/Renew
Reoccurring Payment Options
Lifetime Member
Interested in supporting us through membership? Please use the button on the left to join the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center or to renew your membership.  ​
New in 2022: Choose to continue your membership with monthly, semi-annual, or annual donations.
Become a lifetime member for a donation of $500 or more. 

Why join the Friends?
  • Support and promote environmental education programming.
  • Help preserve the incredible Jay C. Hormel Nature Center for future generations!
  • Enjoy a subscription to Nature Center News, a semiannual publication of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, to stay up-to-date on the programs you enjoy.
  • Receive an invitation to the Friends Annual Meeting.
  • $5.00 off all Summer Adventure Programs.
  • 15% off all Nature Center merchandise.  ​​
  • Participate in members-only events and classes for youth and families at the Nature Center.
  • Enjoy a members-only bus tour day trip. Cost of bus paid by Friends, participants take care of their own admission fees (when applicable) and food.
  • Give a free one-year gift membership to a non-member.
  • $25 of Lifetime Memberships will be earmarked as scholarships for youth.
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Join/renew online, OR download membership form here and send with your donation to:

Friends of the Hormel Nature Center (FHNC)
PO Box 83
Austin, MN 55912


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A note from our President: 
March 2021

About every time I’m leaving the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, I tell myself that I need to get out there more often. Most people probably think similarly after walking, skiing or running through the nature center’s over 530 acres of woods, wetlands and prairie or after taking in the beautiful, education-filled $7 million interpretive center opened four years ago. My hope in 2021 as the president of the Friends of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is to help support that feeling for nature center users of all ages.

This year, the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is 50 years old. Back on March 11, 1971, the City of Austin purchased the original nature center property from Geordie Hormel, one of the late Jay Hormel’s three sons. This protected the land from being developed into a gas station and strip mall along the interstate.

More importantly, the citizen-led effort 50 years ago ensured that tens of thousands of students from Austin, greater Mower County and beyond would have an incredible outdoor classroom to learn about and grow an appreciation for nature.

Today, the City of Austin continues to own and staff the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. The Friends of the Nature Center, formed in 1988, continues to raise donations to invest back in the nature center in ways that enhance it through education, research and the overall enjoyment of the outdoors.

This is your nature center. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Friends member. Please consider, though, becoming a Friends member to help show your appreciation for the nature center and your commitment to work with us on protecting and improving this crown jewel of the community and region.

Our 50th anniversary plans are greatly hampered by the ongoing pandemic. The Friends, however, will continue to look for safe ways to celebrate this year with the community. One thing you all can do on your own in celebration of this milestone is commit to visiting the nature center more than ever. Come out for the exercise, fresh air, environmental education, public programs, scenic views, wildlife, stream crossings and calming atmosphere. I hope to see you on the trails!

-Tim Ruzek, President of the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center 


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Sunrise from the trails. Photo by Steven Conradt

Mission Statement
To enhance and encourage environmental education, scientific opportunities,
​and the enjoyment of nature at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.
Contact                                                   
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
1304 21st St NE
Austin, MN 55912
Phone: (507) 437-7519
Email: info@hormelnaturecenter.org

Fax: (507) 396-2903
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"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught."  — Baba Dioum
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  • Home
  • About
    • eNewsletters
    • FAQ/Rules
    • Trail Map
    • Education Programs
    • History
    • Staff
    • Nature Center Gifts
    • Ski & Snowshoe Rental
    • Injured/Abandoned Animals
    • 50th Anniversary
  • Programs & Events
    • Upcoming Programs and Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Youth Ski Club
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Friends of the Hormel Nature Center
    • Employment
  • Facility Rental
  • Sola Fide Observatory
  • Resources
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Nature Notes
    • Rain Garden
    • Pollinator Garden
    • Gravel Bed Tree Nursery
    • Sustainable Tips
    • Night Sky Viewing Guide
    • Environmental Education Resources
  • Track Power Chair Rentals