Chuck Trover gained his spent his young life enjoying nature, hunting, fihsing, and enjoying wildlife. After seeing young people growing farther away from nature, he wanted to do something to bring them closer.
An SIU grad, trover thinks the university's outdoor resources at Touch of Nature OUtdoor education center will help kids reconnect with the outdoors.
Trover, "And their losing their touch with nature. I don't care whether it's tomato plants or I don't care whether it's an elk climbing up a mountain. And hopefully this will reconnect them in a different manner and in some way. So they have a instead of a touch of nature, they'll have a touch of habitat."
Trover donated $3 million dollars to build a new interactive welcome and education center. SIU broke ground last week on the center that will feature displays of big game animals and even virtual reality to engage young visitors, "How do we make it not only introduce them to it, but how do we make them remember it and want to come back out and tell their parents, I want to go back out there, because that way they're going to get more of a feel for as they grow older, for what this really means to the animals."
Brian Croft is the director of Touch of Nature. He points to studies that show if kids have a positive experience in the outdoors while they're young, they're more likely to enjoy the outdoors as an adult. Croft believes this new center is meant to build those positive moments for kids who come to touch of nature, "So to have a new and a modern way with interactive, displays and, you know, things like holograms and touch screens and also cool displays. It's just going to be a great opportunity."
Croft is excited to use the new center as just one of the many outdoor opportunitIes they have at touch of nature, "For when we're standing right now, you can go rock climbing, mountain biking, backpacking, canoeing, paddling, and everything else in between. So this is a reason for people to come to see you."
Construction on the center will finish late next year with the center expected to open up to visitors in early 20-27.
