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Dunwoody Nature Center lays plan to resume programming this month By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com
CARSON COOK/CRIER
The Spruill Center for the Arts announced it will remain closed until mid-June, even as other community facilities open up this week.
Spruill Center for the Arts targets June for reopening By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Though shelterin-place orders have been lifted, the Spruill Center for the Arts has announced that it will not offer in-person classes until later this summer. CEO Alan Mothner said the difficult decision to postpone reopening was made because of the many unknowns about the COVID-19 pandemic and the
logistical challenges of operating safely. “Recommendations have been changing on a daily basis,” Mothner said. “One day no face masks are necessary; the next day everybody is wearing a face mask. The CDC still hasn’t come out with its guidelines for camps … As we had more and more questions and fewer and fewer answers, we felt we weren’t ready to open yet.”
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DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Nature Center hopes to resume at least some of its programing the week of May 18. The grounds and trails of the nature center have remained open for people to explore while maintaining physical distance. However, since March, its playgrounds have been closed, its programs and events canceled and its volunteer activities diminished. Now, the center is working to find a “new normal,” where it can resume programing safely and stay in the black. “We’re still trying to figure it out,” Executive Director Michael Cowan said. “We’re working with the city to come up with a plan. We might have to have smaller class sizes than we were originally wanting, but we are hoping to still do it.” Under normal circumstances, summer camps would begin following Memorial Day. Cowan is still hopeful that will be the case, but the center is awaiting additional guidelines from the state and the Centers for Disease Control. “Our number 1 priority is making sure we can deliver on our summer camp experiences,” he said. “Not only have people already paid for it, but it really is something special, especially for the families who do it year in and year out.” Cowan said the center is also eager to let volunteers come work on trails again. While some work has been performed
The center is working to find a “new normal,” where it can resume programing safely and stay in the black. over the past two months — such as new beehives — the loss of corporate, high school and Eagle Scout volunteers has put the park behind schedule on maintenance. “We really rely on so many volunteers,” he said. “We have a lot of corporate groups that come through in the spring, but we haven’t had that this year. It’s been a concern. We’ve just had to do piecemeal projects, but we’re really behind. We’re hoping things will open up so we can get back to it.” The center needs volunteers to clear out invasive species and maintain the trails. The staff is also hoping to redesign the common room in the main building and build an observational deck. “The Nature Center is one big outdoor classroom,” Cowan said. “It’s always changing. It’s always growing. It always needs maintenance.” In addition to volunteers, the Nature Center welcomes financial donations and memberships, which can be made at dunwoodynature.org/. There, you’ll also find downloadable activity guides to explore the park on your own.
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