About the Nature Society
Nature belongs to all of us. And it’s everyone’s responsibility to nourish it
Royal Oak is fortunate to have an abundance of trails, parks, wildlife, and a lush and beautiful arboretum. All are open daily from dusk until dawn.
The Royal Oak Nature Society is a group of volunteers who protect, promote and maintain the city’s two nature preserves — Cummingston Park and Tenhave Woods — both over 20 acres with lined trails. The Nature Society does this solely voluntarily, donating time and experience for the betterment of the community.
The Nature Society is also in the process of developing a wildflower garden and an arboretum. The Fred A. Erb Arboretum is a park located behind the Royal Oak Senior Center. And the future plan is to create a collection of native trees and plants that are not found in Tenhave Woods, further enhancing the natural resources in our city.
Why is a Nature Society necessary?
Did you know that Royal Oak is fortunate to have 50 acres of nature preserves? With vastness in size, maintenance is necessary. The City of Royal maintains the 48 parks it has; however, the preserves are maintained solely by the Nature Society on a volunteer basis and have been since 1999.
The Nature Society works diligently to not only maintain these precious preserves but also to provide educational and recreational opportunities within these conservancy parks to our citizens and visitors.
From nature walks to “owl hoots” to pond studies, speakers, and school and scout events, our goal is to share what our beautiful natural surroundings have to offer.
Natural habitat in your backyard
Not every city is as fortunate to have abundant nature preserves as Royal Oak is. The preserves are home to flora and fauna and have never been developed, thus, is indicative of Oakland County vegetation pre-settlement. This is a gift! And nature lovers and those who yearn to learn more about nature can do so right here in Royal Oak. And the protection of the plant and animal life here is vital.
Your Donation to Royal Oak Nature Society Makes a Difference
Your generosity allows for our natural habitat to thrive
As mentioned, the Nature Society maintains our preserves and natural education opportunities on a volunteer basis, as we are passionate about nature.
However, we rely on the donations of our generous community to keep things operating smoothly and moving forward. All of what we do is made possible solely by fundraising and grants.
All donations go directly toward the maintenance of our preserves, as well as necessary functions like removing trees, restoring ponds, reworking trails, improving accessibility, as well purchasing and maintaining the necessary equipment to do so.
Your donation is tax-deductible, and when you make a donation, you can feel good about leaving a thumbprint on the beauty and natural resources in your beloved city.
With your help, the natural beauty of our home can thrive for years to come.
Donate to Royal Oak Nature Society by completing the form below:
Donate by Mail to Royal Oak Nature Society
If you wish to donate by mail/check, please make checks payable to: ‘Royal Oak Civic Foundation.’
Click Here for the mail-in donation form to include with any mail-in checks:
Please send the donation form (above) along with your check to the following address:
Royal Oak Civic Foundation
Attn: Jill Martin, Executive Director
203 S. Troy St. Royal Oak, MI 48067
