Leaflet Impact Report 2025

LEAFLET Fontenelle Forest News | Impact Report 2025

Table of Contents 2024: Financial Report PAGES 3-4

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

Transforming Trails: A Look Back at Ecosystem Evolution PAGE 10

11 Evolving Education An overview of how the Nature Center remains a hub for environmental education and programming 25 years after opening.

Community 12 Fostering & Lifelong Learning

A Grand Entrance to the Great Outdoors

Hannah Miller reflects on programs that build friendships as well as nurture a love for nature.

A look back at the grand opening of the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center.

PAGES 5-6

7 8 9

Shaping a Welcoming Environment From Treehouses to Trailheads: Building a More Accessible Experience

A Place of Learning: Research and Monitoring

THE RAPTOR WOODLAND REFUGE:

Community Cultivation PAGE 13

Building for the Future: Spaces That Teach PAGE 14

Front Cover: A reimagined Acorn Acres opened in October 2024. This natural playscape would not be possible without the generosity of our donor community: John and Elizabeth Lauritzen Foundation, Bruce and Gerry Lauritzen, Pape Family Foundation, Parker Family Foundation, Dixon Family Foundation, Amy L. Scott Family Foundation, Kiewit Companies Foundation, William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, Claire M. Hubbard Foundation, Bill and Sydney Winstrom, and The Sherwood Foundation.

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Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

A Message From the Executive Director Honoring Our Legacy While Forging Ahead

Leadership Executive Director Tyler Irvine

Staff Directors Greetings, Forest friends, I hope you and yours are off to a happy and healthy 2025. While times have changed, the Forest abides through all seasons. We come here to escape from the ever-increasing technological and digital world to discover that real life still exists. The Forest is our refuge where we can tap back into our connection to the world around us, ourselves, and each other. We have long held true that ecological stewardship grows best among a community that loves nature as opposed to one that fears it. We strive to kindle a lifelong passion and joy in nature for all who visit this special place, knowing that by cultivating a love of the outdoors, we are planting seeds in both current and future generations to care for the natural world. I truly hope that you too have discovered this love at the Forest.

As an organization, the Forest has made great strides over the past few years. We have worked hard to make sure we are a well-functioning organization. Over the course of our past strategic plan, we have standardized our employment and volunteer processes, developed land and facilities guiding principles, deepened a shared organizational identity, ensured that all team members understand and effectively use the tools at our disposal, identified our target markets, prioritized a positive working environment, and made significant investments in staff compensation. While these items aren’t immediately visible, they are key components of ensuring that the Forest is well-run and respected within the broader community. We are eager to kick off the Forest’s next strategic plan in Fall 2025 in partnership with the Board of Directors and staff.

As you look through the rest of this edition, we are especially excited to celebrate our 25-year anniversary in the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center. So much happens within our space, from programs and events to casual conversations that ignite connection with one another. We are especially indebted to Katie Buffett who was a lifelong lover of the Forest and to previous leadership for their vision of this space.

We are deeply grateful for your support, and happy trails,

Denise Lewis Director of Programs Michelle Foss Director of Operations Emily Prauner Director of Development and Community Engagement

Board of Directors

Sally McGill, President Hassan Shalla, Past President Sarah Griger, Treasurer Brittni Redding, Secretary Alyssa Borden Matt Burke Sarah Griger Sarah Gudeman Amy Henderson Janel Kaufman Lori Kleinschmit Colleen Leever John Levy Jerry McCaw Sally McGill Brittni Redding Eric Roumph Jenni Rock Ray Turkle Bob Wells

Honorary Trustees

Anonymous Anonymous Susan and George Haddix Gerry Lauritzen and the Morrow Family Marilyn and Carl Mammel Valmont Industries, Inc

Honorary Stewards

Shawn Bengtson Ann and Dennis Christiansen Debra and Neal Ratzlaff

Tyler Irvine, Executive Director

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2024 Financial Report FUNDING SOURCES

Fontenelle Forest is sustained by a diverse revenue stream due in large part to the generous support of members, guests, and community partners. Over 55% of the Forest’s 2024 operating revenues were contributed by individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Another 31% of operating revenues were generated from annual memberships, daily admissions, and educational programs and activities. The balance of 2024 revenues were generated by gift shop sales, space rentals, and other miscellaneous sources including a

SPENDING POLICY AND OPERATING EXPENSES The Board of Directors reviews and approves the annual operating budget to ensure that spending decisions are in line with the strategic direction of the Forest. In 2024, 68% of total expenditures were on program services including education, raptor programs, land stewardship and visitor services at the Nature Center. Management and general expenses totaled about 21% with fundraising expenditures at 11% of total spend.

EXPENSES

REVENUES, GAINS & OTHER SUPPORT

3%

one-time insurance payout to replace the Nature Center roof. Reported separately from 2024 operating revenues is a net unrealized gain on the investment portfolio, reflective of 2024 market performance.

11%

11% 8%

21%

23%

68% 55%

Contributions & Grants Memberships & Admissions Programs & Workshops Annual Fundraiser Other Revenues Total Operating Revenues & Support Investment Income, Net Total Revenues & Support

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$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

1,561,177 639,197 234,636 81,523 297,563 2,814,096 1,191,324 4,005,420

Program Services Management & General Fundraising Total Expenses

$ $ $ $

2,062,393 630,073 325,949 3,018,415

ENDOWMENT DRAWS The Forest withdraws 5% of the endowment fund balance each year to support the operating expenses of the Forest. The balance used to determine the annual draw is based on a rolling 3-year average market value of the endowment fund as of the last day of each year.

ENDOWMENT FUND The Forest has adopted investment and spending policies for the endowment that attempt to provide a predictable stream of funding for operations while seeking to maintain the purchasing power of the endowment assets.

The Forest invests the endowment fund in professionally managed portfolios that contain money market funds, exchange traded funds, and mutual funds. The primary investment objective for the endowment fund is long-term growth of capital. The secondary investment objective is preservation of principal and purchasing power.

ASSETS Cash and Cash Equivalents

$

1,886,144

Promises to Give, Net Grants Receivable, Net Other Investments Property, Buildings and Equipment, Net TOTAL ASSETS

$ 207,500 $ 51,415 $ 89,672 $ 10,282,167 $ 8,441,369 $ 20,958,267

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities Accounts Payable Payroll Liabilities Deferred Revenue Other Total Liabilities

$ $ $ $ $

681,884 60,700 227,815 5,151 970,898

Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions Undesignated Board-designated Endowment Board-designated Reserves

$ $ $

8,947,781 1,943,142 656,380

Total Without Donor Restrictions

$ 11,547,303

With Donor Restrictions

$

Total Net Assets

$ 19,982,717

TOTAL LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS

$ 20,958,267

OPERATING AND CAPITAL RESERVE FUNDS The Forest has established operating and capital reserve funds to ensure that the Forest can maintain financial stability during times of unexpected financial need. The reserves are funded at the discretion of the Executive Director and Board of Directors through the allocation of surplus unrestricted operating funds. The goal is to fund the operating reserve at 50% of the annual operating budget and the capital reserve at a $500k balance.

VOLUNTEER RESOURCES The Forest benefits not only from the financial support of the community, but also from thousands of hours of volunteer time each year. Collectively, our volunteers gave 6,050 hours of time to the Forest and its mission in 2024. Although not reflected in the financial statements, the estimated value* of our volunteers in 2024 was over $210,479. The Forest recognizes and appreciates the contributions of our many volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to help the Forest deliver on its mission.

8,435,414

*The Independent Sector established the current estimated national value of each volunteer hour at $34.79 in April 2024.

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The Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center was designed by Alesia Architecture (formerly Keeler Raynor Hinz Architects). Construction was completed by Boyd Jones Construction.

Additional assistance was provided by the Anderson Group for landscape design and Big Muddy Workshop for site planning.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

A Grand Entrance to the Great Outdoors

Catherine Kuper, Volunteer Archivist

On a sunny Saturday in October of 2000, the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center opened its doors to the public for the first time. This marked a new era in Fontenelle Forest’s history as it provided much-needed space for expanding environmental educational programs, exhibits, and staff offices.

Families flooded to the Fontenelle Family Festival held in the new facility, which included activities such as crafts, raptor and animal presentations, nature hikes, and three special presentations by Jim Fowler of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. It was a glorious celebration attended by nearly 5,000 people.

The namesake for the new nature center, Katherine Buffett and her husband Fred, were long-time supporters of the Forest. Katherine, an accomplished bird watcher, visited the Forest often. Her birding journal lists close to 50 dated visits to Fontenelle and other local birding hot spots from 1949-56. She notes in one entry, “We are at Fontenelle Forest in Child’s Hollow by the RR tracks and the little 5

Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

stream. We sat and watched the birds come to drink and bathe.” Other comments indicate that she treasured her time at Fontenelle Forest. It was no surprise that she made the first major contribution to the new building.

The “Deep Roots, New Growth” fundraising campaign began in 1998, citing the need for expanded facilities due to the “astronomical increase in attendance” at educational programs. In 1998 alone, over 78,000 individuals visited the Forest, coming from 45 states and 23 countries.

The original building had become overcrowded as staff struggled to find space to work among the exhibits, classrooms, auditorium, and gift shop, all contained in 10,000 square feet. The new building more than doubled the space to 25,000 square feet. It was a welcome addition.

When architectural plans for the Forest Learning Center were being developed, efforts were made to create a space that would be considered “wise stewardship of the environment.” Many green features were incorporated, including a geothermal heating/cooling system that uses

underground temperature to minimize the use of fossil fuels. Other features included the extensive use of natural lighting, insulated windows, and high-efficiency electric lighting. All construction debris was recycled if possible, and the used lumber from the old nature center was repurposed by Habitat for Humanity.

the future rather than in the past.” LeDioyt was influential in hiring the first director, Jim Malkowski in the mid1960s. With the help of the Junior League of Omaha and the Fontenelle Forest Guild, the organization was able to build the first nature center on the property. It opened in 1966 and would eventually involve two additions.

The new building was part of the vision of Glenn LeDioyt, who was the chairperson of the Fontenelle Forest Board in 1963. He wrote an inspiring essay entitled “Looking Ahead” while reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the 1913 founding of Fontenelle Forest. His dream was to see a building constructed that would serve as a natural science center – which would be the first of its kind in the state of Nebraska. He understood that “large tracts of land like Fontenelle Forest will be far more important to humanity in

The Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center has proven to be a real asset to the Omaha metro, with over 150,000 annual visitors today. History exhibits, school programs, adult learning experiences, an inviting gift shop, and a welcoming atmosphere have enabled many to learn and appreciate the natural world around them. Thanks to the many caring and involved people over the past 25 years who have helped to make this space not just a building but a living, dynamic place for learning about the living world.

Nearly 5,000 people attended the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center opening celebration in October 2000.

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Shaping a Welcoming Environment Jocelyn Rodriguez, Facilities and Grounds Technician

It’s often the unnoticed details that create a truly comfortable and inviting environment. Ongoing improvements ensure the Nature Center will remain a vibrant space for learning and exploration for years to come.

FRONT DESK Installed in 2025, this new desk provides our staff more space for greeting guests, answering questions, and supporting visitor needs. This improvement enhances first impressions and overall experience of our guests, as well as the safety of our most valuable resource: our people.

HEAT PUMP The ongoing replacement of new heat pumps enhances visitor and staff comfort by ensuring consistent, efficient climate control throughout our facilities.

WASTE MANAGEMENT STATIONS Fontenelle Forest’s waste management stations, thoughtfully placed throughout the Nature Center, make it easy for visitors to help care for the environment while enjoying it.

These stations support our commitment to sustainability by reducing landfill waste. We’re excited to share composting is now available at several of these stations. This recycling infrastructure was made possible due to the generous commitment of the Union Pacific Foundation.

ACORN ACRES As it turns out, it’s not just the wildlife that have an interest in spending time up in a tree - kids (and kids at heart!) love playing in Tom’s Treehouse. Throughout this year, our facilities team will be making further improvements in Acorn Acres, continually ensuring the best experience for all of our visitors!

RAPTOR WOODLAND REFUGE The mews in our Raptor Woodland Refuge, which are home to 27 impressive birds of prey, are receiving muchneeded attention thanks to the dedication of our facilities team and volunteers. Addressing rust mitigation is a major undertaking that will continue through 2025, requiring significant time, resources, and teamwork to ensure these structures remain safe and lasting homes for our resident raptors.

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Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

From top to bottom: The new front desk in the Nature Center was completed in February 2025; Composting was implemented at our waste management stations in March 2025; Rust mitigation will continue to be a priority for maintaining the mews in the Raptor Woodland Refuge throughout 2025.

From Treehouses to Trailheads: Building a More Accessible Experience Michelle Foss, Director of Operations

Since the Nature Center first opened in 2000, accessibility standards have continued to evolve—and so have our efforts to meet them. At Fontenelle Forest, we are committed to creating an inclusive experience for all visitors. Over the years, we’ve taken meaningful steps to improve access across our trails and facilities – we recognize these efforts will be ongoing. As part of our continued commitment, we’ve partnered with All Kinds Accessibility, a local consulting firm, to assess our current accessibility and guide future improvements.

We continue to weave accessibility into our projects across the Forest, recognizing that thoughtful design benefits everyone—whether or not they experience a disability.

One example is the new informational kiosk at Neale Woods. While the rugged terrain at Neale Woods presents challenges for mobility-aid users, we focused on addressing visual accessibility through this project.

The kiosk design prioritizes plain language, high color contrast, and enhanced map readability. These choices support individuals with vision barriers and improve the overall clarity and usability of the signage for all visitors.

The Neale Woods kiosk was completed in Summer 2024, which gives an overview of the history, ecology, and land management tools used at this property.

Accessibility was also a guiding principle in the recent renovation of Acorn Acres, a natural playscape for explorers of all ages and abilities. Pathways were designed with gentle grades and mobility-aid-friendly surfacing to support safe and easy movement. We introduced signage that includes pictograms, multiple languages, raised lettering and Braille to offer learning opportunities for a wider audience. Tom’s Treehouse, a central feature of Acorn Acres, is built to accommodate mobility devices.

Additionally, seating options were thoughtfully placed throughout the half-acre space, offering a place to rest for visitors with a variety of needs.

The newest improvement project is our redesigned front desk at the Nature Center. The shape of the desk offers visual wayfinding cues that help guests intuitively locate the check-in area. The renovation also enhances functionality for staff, with a more spacious and efficient layout that improves visibility with lower counters.

These projects reflect just a few of the steps we’re taking to expand access. As we look to the future, we are eager to ensure that Fontenelle Forest is a welcoming and inclusive place for all!

Acorn Acres was completed in Fall 2024 and welcomes people of all ages, abilities, and comfort levels to explore and play in nature in a safe, accessible space.

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A Place of Learning: Research and Monitoring Michelle Foss, Director of Operations

Fontenelle Forest is a place of learning: we conduct onsite school field trips, public programing, on-the-go programs, and provide the best classroom available – nature! Why is the land stewardship team talking about education and learning, you may be wondering? Well, we work with high school and college level classes and coordinate the research and monitoring that happens on site. In fact, we are all learning more each day when we’re out in the field working on trails or habitat management.

We use what the various living communities “tell” us through research and monitoring to help make decisions on the actions we take or don’t take.

In working with various teachers and professors, not only do the students get hands-on experience and can apply what they’ve learned in school, but we at the Forest also obtain valuable information on what’s going on in the woods. For example, a wildlife class did bat acoustic surveys, which let us know the species of bats found over a particular period. Tracking biodiversity over time helps us understand how our actions impact various populations and can trigger adjustments in the techniques we use.

In addition to student research, we also contract out species monitoring to provide specifically repeatable data to check for indicators of healthy systems. This year, we

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have both plant and insect surveys scheduled to provide a ten-year repeat of surveys conducted at the beginning of our Save the Oaks habitat restoration initiative in 2015 (see details at FontenelleForest.org/habitat-restoration). Using two season’s worth of data for the repeat surveys, we will be able to see how the diversity changed in our plants and insects, which will help guide future restoration planning.

We also do our best to stay up on current research on trail building (especially in the highly erodible soil we have) and stewardship techniques. While research in other places may not be exactly applicable to our specific habitat, we can use what others have learned to improve how we care for the land.

A great resource for everyone is our Nature Search website: www.ffnaturesearch.org. This online reference site focuses on living things found at Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. New species found in our various monitoring projects, from both contracted professionals and citizen science efforts, are documented on the site.

It’s a great way to check out all the cool things living right here!

These are some of the many ways Fontenelle Forest properties are places of learning. What can you discover in nature?

Transforming Trails: A Look Back at Ecosystem Evolution Matt Miller, Manager of Conservation

Managing 2,100 acres of varied ecosystems and 24 miles of trails for recreation is both difficult and rewarding work.

Since the early 2000’s, Fontenelle Forest has taken on a diverse array of ever-changing projects and it’s apparent that people drive action. The Land Stewardship Department has been fortunate to have long tenured staff and dedicated volunteers to bridge projects and ideas.

Over the last 25 years, the Forest’s Land Stewardship Department has worked towards preserving the health and vitality of this unique urban green space for future generations. The following examples showcase key projects, research, and monitoring efforts from the last quarter century.

Controlling Erosion: The Forest addresses erosion in five key drainages to manage runoff from neighboring subdivisions near our Bellevue property.

Native Trees Planted: 350 bur oak, red oak, shagbark hickory, Kentucky coffee, and American elm trees were planted in conjunction with small pocket openings to help enhance declining regeneration of these species.

Save the Oaks Initiative Launched: This project brought on two new staff members, secured equipment, and established a forest-wide oak woodland restoration effort to lay the foundation for long-term woodland management.

Trail Restoration Plan Developed: A third-party expert created a comprehensive guide that rerouted, reinforced, and established key principles for trail management across Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods.

Trail Improvements: Our newest trail, Grey Squirrel, opened to the public in 2022. Significant reroutes and upgrades have also been completed to the Oak, Linden, History, Gifford, and Fox Trails, improving the overall hiking experience.

Monitoring and Research Conducted: Includes bat surveys (UNO), butterfly and insect monitoring, 10-year plant studies, wetland vegetation and flow tracking, and woodland plots measuring bur oak canopy and abundance.

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Evolving Education Denise Lewis, Director of Programs

Visitors coming to the Forest may be surprised at the number of people that pass through the Nature Center on any given day. As a welcoming community space, visitors are spread throughout all of our properties. Our spaces are open for all levels of learning at any age, from beginner to advanced.

grow and evolve. Our partnerships with Gifford Farm, Lauritzen Gardens, and other like-minded organizations allow us to reach more students. Additionally, offering homeschool day camps is new for 2025. We are proud of our summer programs that provide lasting childhood memories.

Our nature programs have evolved greatly since the Nature Center first opened its doors. Although we continue providing all-important nature programs for various school districts, our team has been successful in developing new directions. Our team has added homeschool programming, winter wellness programs, expanded capacity of our monthly full moon hikes, and added new recreation programs like a “Family Campfire Festival”. Check our website for a view of the variety of programming available.

Visitors also gather in our Raptor Woodland Refuge, opened in 2016, where we care for 27 non-releasable birds of prey. Our volunteer docents answer questions and show artifacts. Visitors who arrive early get to witness the birds being served breakfast. Our traveling raptor team is often on the road, educating the public on the importance and conservation of these ambassadors.

Our summer day camp programs also continue to

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Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

After 25 years, Fontenelle Forest still offers transformative and safe educational spaces for all ages, inciting curiosity about the natural world. We look forward to the next quarter century.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Fostering Community & Lifelong Learning Hannah Miller, Naturalist Educator

Here at Fontenelle Forest, we strive to build communities and encourage lifelong learning through our environmental education programs. Communities of all types flourish here at the Forest – ecological communities, as well as communities of people! While we take pride in all of our programming, it’s been a pleasure to watch friendships thrive while hosting our regular ongoing classes. Programs that meet multiple times a week (Mudpies and Acorn Academy), or monthly (like SUN), create a space where people gather together to learn about one thing – nature!

Young minds explore the Forest with Mudpies, a long-running program geared towards 3-5-year-olds, and its sister program, Acorn Academy, for children ages 6 and older. Every week, participants explore different natural topics through crafts, songs, activities, and hiking. While the children are learning, exploring, and socializing, the adults who bring them are too.

“I always learn from hearing the kids’ amazing observations and questions!” says Kristi, a parent whose kids attend both Mudpies and Acorn Academy. Another parent shares “Violet loves animals, friends, and learning. She is eager to share the many different facts she learns while at Acorn Academy. A lot of times, we’re able to learn together, and then expand the conversation into other facts, subjects, and ideas!” These programs encourage social interaction between folks of all ages, and watching connections, playdates, and clubs form

among our participants expands our reach beyond the Forest.

Older adults enjoy our SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) programs, a monthly speaker series, with a break during the summer months. Speakers are always local, and focus on a wide range of topics based in Nebraska. Speakers have covered everything from the History of Fontenelle Forest, to prehistoric animals, to turtles, to pollinators. A longtime SUN attendee shares, “I’ve been coming to SUN for nearly 15 years, since I retired from being a teacher. It keeps my mind going.” Another way we’re expanding our SUN community is with our new Seniors Understanding Nature: Boardwalk Exploration and Forest Exploration programs. These programs explore the Boardwalk and nearby trails at a leisurely pace, keeping folks with mobility concerns in mind. Finally, our Traveling SUN programs are fostering community by bringing the Forest to assisted living facilities and senior communities.

Though these programs are geared towards younger or older learners, we have plenty for everyone in between, too.

The Education Department runs camps for children ages three to fifteen, recreational hikes for adults like our Habitat Hikes, and many more. The forest is a unique place that brings people and nature together.

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THE RAPTOR WOODLAND REFUGE

Community Cultivation Ell Kinsey , Raptor Care Specialist

The Raptor Woodland Refuge is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, but the care of the 27 residents who live there is constant. Support comes in different forms—from generous monetary donations, dedicated volunteer hours, paying daily admission, sharing Fontenelle raptor videos on social media, and helping spread the word about our work within the community.

Those different avenues of support fit together like puzzle pieces. Financial support helps put rodents in the freezers— plus puts electricity into those freezers! Donations help cover veterinarian costs, which is more important than ever as our raptor population ages, as well as maintenance of the enclosures to ensure our birds live in safe conditions.

Our volunteer base is phenomenal. In 2024 alone, the raptor team racked up a whopping 1,540 hours (the equivalent of 2

months). Our volunteers clean enclosures, prepare and feed specialized diets, are docents in the refuge, and take birds off-site for education programs. Without them, our small staff could not provide the high quality of life we do for these magnificent birds.

Visiting the refuge, seeing the birds, and learning their stories—these are small ways to support our resident raptors as well as the wild populations in the Forest and beyond.

Connecting with wildlife cultivates the individual bond toward the natural world. Being an environmental steward is the best thing you can do to protect raptors and the biodiversity that supports them.

We do our best to turn that support outward again—to give back to the wider community that comes together for our birds and our mission.

Reaching over 13,000 people, the raptor team conducted over 170 programs in Omaha and neighboring towns in Nebraska and Iowa. Our farthest program this year was an overnight in Valentine for the Nebraska Master Naturalists training!

The Liberty Wildlife Non-Eagle Feather Repository (LWNEFR) in Phoenix, AZ, has been a valued resource as we navigated the death of our long-time raptor resident Smokey the rough-legged hawk. In life, Smokey was likely the first bird visitors saw when entering the refuge. He spent his decade at Fontenelle as an ambassador for his species and for raptors in general. His legacy lives on thanks to LWNEFR. Their motto is simple, yet meaningful: “Giving life to feathers that can no longer fly.” This repository and others like it enable Native Americans to apply and receive feathers for cultural purposes.

Smokey’s donation was one of 107 donations in 2024 from 62 donors in 24 states. This allowed LWNEFR to fill 586 orders to Native Americans representing 142 tribes in 34 states.

We are so grateful to our community for lifting us up—and we hope to uplift the community in return.

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Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

JOIN US AT FEATHER OUR NEST DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025 TIME: 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Fontenelle Forest 1111 Bellevue Blvd North, Bellevue, NE 68005

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Spaces That Teach Emily Prauner, Director of Development & Community Engagement

Fall 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Katherine and Fred Buffett Learning Center. Often referred to as the “Nature Center”, this incredible space has provided countless memories for visitors over the last quarter-century.

Last year, Fontenelle Forest welcomed 150,000 visitors from all 50 states and 22 countries. While we do have an international appeal, 88% of visitors and program participants are Nebraska-based. We are proud to be a community resource for our neighbors across the metro, providing critical health, wellness, and educational experiences. We serve youth through field trips, camps, and family programs, as well as seniors and retirees – and everyone in between. Providing access to green space and learning opportunities is core to our mission.

It is important we invest in the place that inspires so many to become stewards of nature. Annually, Fontenelle Forest budgets more than $215,000 on building maintenance and utilities. These expenses ensure that the Nature Center is a welcoming, comfortable, and safe gathering space for our members, program participants, staff, and community partners.

We take our work seriously as leaders in environmental stewardship and education, and strive to be the region’s premier nature center. This vision is only made possible with philanthropic support and earned revenue.

In honor of 25 years of the Katherine and Fred Buffett Learning Center, we will be celebrating this milestone at Feather Our Nest on Thursday, September 18. All funds raised in conjunction with Feather Our Nest – via ticket sales, sponsorships, silent auction purchases, and donations - will support ongoing facilities expenses. Our Board leadership past and present have generously seeded a generous match to encourage funds raised. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to provide a wonderful Nature Center experience for all!

FEATHER OUR NEST SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Fontenelle Forest has served the Omaha metro community for more than 100 years. You can help continue this important legacy! Become a Feather Our Nest sponsor to support Fontenelle Forest’s work in land conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation, helping to expand the reach of our mission.

Learn more about this event and sponsorship opportunities at FontenelleForest.org/FON/

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Fontenelle Forest 1111 Bellevue Blvd. North Bellevue, NE 68005

Nature by the Numbers In 2024, Fontenelle Forest continued to grow, while deepening our roots as a community space that sustains our ecological legacy, inspires curiosity, and connects us with ourselves, each other, and the natural world.

From acres restored to programs delivered, every number tells a story of dedication and impact.

Over 6,050 volunteer hours were logged in 2024.

15 million Instagram users

have been captivated by Spike & George, the Eastern Screech Owls who live in the Raptor Woodland Refuge.

The Forest’s education programs reached

11,500+ individuals.

2,100 acres & 24 miles of trails

protected for conservation, education, and recreation.

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Fontenelle Forest | Impact Report 2025

Fontenelle Forest hosted 23 day camps, 146 field trips, and 108 outreach programs throughout the community in 2024.