The Brown Family Environmental Center

The BFEC is located at 9781 Laymon Road in Gambier, Ohio as part of the Kenyon College campus. On the BFEC's seven miles of trail, visitors can experience the serene waters of the Kokosing River, towering grasses in our prairie, a spring chorus of frogs in our wetlands or the cool canopy of our beech-maple forests. Visitors looking for relaxation can enjoy picnic tables next to the center or our wildlife garden, which features over sixty species of native plants and the many butterflies and birds they attract.

The BFEC offers regular programs that are usually free and open to the public, on topics such as wildflowers, star gazing, nature art or medicinal plants.

While programs offer opportunities for informal education, the BFEC also offers a novel resource to Kenyon College classes ranging from art to zoology, an opportunity to view nature through a new lens. English classes seek inspiration for haiku poems, while photography classes hone new techniques. Science students conduct research on topics such as bird foraging, bluebird nesting habits or the impacts of invasive species on forests.

Both Kenyon College students and community members volunteer to bring 1,000 elementary school children to the BFEC on field trips every year. Vocabulary words like "adaption" and "food web" take on new meaning as children see these concepts in action while exploring our preserve and catching tadpoles.