A Fresh New Look, With a Little Help

This spring the outdoor garden landscapes at Kettunen Center were spruced up with the help of four MSU Extension Master Gardener students.

Three of the volunteer gardeners were graduates of the 2009 Wexford and Osceola County Master Gardener Program. Jenny Gray is a seasoned Wexford County Master Gardener and has volunteered at Kettunen Center for two years. Susan Alexander, a Master Gardener and owner of the “In Harmony Gardening by Design” business in Buckley, Michigan, provided new garden design ideas, selected the plants, supplied mulch and other materials at a discount.

In conjunction with Susan’s guidance, the “worker bee” volunteers of the project Jenny Gray, Pat Marlow and Andrea Grix, dedicated over 12 hours of their time and expertise weeding, pruning, and planting. In addition, Pat Marlow donated large rocks from her home to contribute to the new garden design around the large White Pine tree next to the main entrance. The results are truly vibrant and aesthetically pleasing thanks to the work of these volunteers and will certainly please our guests.

It's not too late! Register now for Learning Science Through the Arts Camp 2010

Power Up! Blast Into Action with Rockets & Dance!
July 11-14 (Register by July 5, 2010)
$140/person
DEADLINE APPROACHING FAST!

The Kettunen Center will be holding their annual Learning Science Through the Arts Camp on July 11th -14th.

The theme for this years camp is "Power Up! Blast Into Action with Rockets and Dance!" The camp will include fun things such as: moving it with mime, zumba, dance and yoga, blasting off with homemade rockets, exploring with a magnetic energy compass, building a high powered catapult, creating energy-inspired art plus all the really fun "campy" things like: hiking, swimming, camp fires, s’mores, friends and more.

JUST ADDED: Campers will be able tackle the 32' climbing wall "The MAX."

Camp brochures can be downloaded from our website or e-mail Kama Ross and she will get one right out to you.

LSA Camp is for:
♦ Boys and girls ages 9-14
♦ 4-H Members and non 4-H Members

*Scholarships may be available. 4-H members should contact their county MSU Extension office. Campers who are not 4-H members should contact Kama Ross at Kettunen Center for more information.

Osceola County Quilt Trail

Last fall Kettunen Center staff members, in collaboration with the Osceola County Quilt Trail, designed a quilt to hang on the outside of the Red Oak Lodge.

Over the winter, several quilting groups helped paint the 8' X 8' structure. In May, the Rising Star quilt pattern, which honors all the 4-H rising talents, was hung. The project was funded with a grant from the West Michigan Quilters' Guild.

A Quilt Trail is a route containing a number of wooden blocks that are painted to resemble quilt squares which are then mounted to barns or other host structures. Together they form a self guided tour. Currently there are 13 quilt blocks in Osceola County, including Kettunen Center.

Quilt trails stretch across 24 states, celebrating rural heritage and life, encouraging communities to come together to tell their stories about the land and the people. For more information about the Osceola County Quilt Trail, please contact the Osceola Economics Alliance at (231) 832-7397.

'Take Me Fishing' at Kett

Kettunen Center has increased its water-related educational program activities through a new Take Me Fishing program grant.

The initiative, which began in September, launched innovative and dynamic winter programming. It has sparked the development of new programs and the purchase of new equipment and supplies for water-related educational and recreational activities for guests.

The Take Me Fishing program focuses on getting children, ages 3 and older, families and adults outdoors to enjoy fishing year round, lake ecology, canoeing, kayaking, nature study, snow science, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and bird watching for learning, physical fitness and an appreciation of Michigan’s natural water resources.

“The overall goal for the Take Me Fishing initiative at Kettunen Center was to involve 2,000 youth and adults in fishing, boating and water-related educational program activities this year,” said Andrea Grix, Kettunen Center education coordinator.

The Take Me Fishing program is funded by a grant from the National Recreation and Park Association provided by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The grant funded the purchase of new ice fishing equipment and supplies, including an ice shanty fishing shelter for programming and an ice auger. It also funded life jackets, a new paddleboat, repairs to the dock and the resurfacing of the handicapped-accessible trail to the Kettunen Center waterfront.

Grant subsidies for programs meant lower fees for participants of the Take Me Fishing Family Fun Day, the Winter Family Fun Day, one-day 4-H TRACKERS school field trips and multi-day overnight camps and a Project WILD curriculum workshop for educators.

Originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of Vantage.