89-733 WNITE - CITV CLERK �
PINK - FINANCE GITY OF AINT PALTL Council
CANARV - DEPARTMENT
BI.UE - MAVOR File NO. ��' �
,Counci esolution �y`�
Presented By
Referred To Committee: Date
Out of Committee By Date
WHEREAS, The City of Sain P ul owns and operates the Crosby Farm
Park, and
WHEREAS, Crosby Farm Park is natural floodplain and supports a
variety of native wildlife, in lu ing deer and other animals not found
elsewhere in St. Paul , and
WHEREAS, the mission of e ivision of Parks and Recreation is to
"develop, operate, maintain an p eserve a system of public parks, open
space areas, natural resources, a d recreation facilities," and
WHEREAS, A Needs Assessm t urvey of City Residents Concerning Parks
and Recreation Programs and S rvi es conducted in 1987 recommended that
"Due to the high level of int res expressed, the Division may wish to
include the following in any la s to expand programs and services.
. . .nature programs.", and
WHEREAS, The Division of Pa ks and Recreation wishes to develop a
nature center program at Cros y arm Park to assist park users in learning
about nature and preserving a d aring for our natural resources, and
WHEREAS, Funds for developing a nature program, including staff,
equipment, and materials are ne essary in order to develop such a program,
now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the City Co ncil of the City of Saint Paul hereby
endorses the Crosby Farm Par N ture Center development and, further
RESOLVED, That the City Co ncil hereby directs the Division of Parks
and Recreation to submit gra t pplications to potential funders of the
Crosby Farm Park Nature Cent r nd authorizes the Division of Parks and
Recreation to accept such gr nt as may be awarded for this project.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Yeas Nays Requested by Department of:
rnmoaa Community Services
�� [n Fav r
Goswitz
Rettman
Scheibel A gai n s
Sonnen
Wilson
APR 2 7198 Form A by it torne
Adopted by Council: Date C.
Certified Pas e ncil S tar BY � �� !��
gy. N1•'V
Approv Ma r:
H1"R � 8 8 Appro d y Mayor for Sub io o �uncil
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OEPARTMENTIOFFIGEICOUNCIL DATE INITIA �
Parks & Recreati on GREEN SHEET No. 3 6 5
CONiACT PERAfNI 8 PHONE INITIAU DATE INITIAUDATE
DEPAR7LAENT DIRECTOR �CITY OpUNpI
C1 a i re Marti n 7599 � iry nrroANey �q7y q.ERK
MUBT BE ON COUNdL AGIENDA BY(DATE) ROU7U�K# BUDGET DIRECTOR �FIN.8 MpT.8ERVICE3 DIR.
As Soon As Pos s i bl e MAYOR(OR A8818TAN � p r & Rec.
TOTAL#�OF SIGNATURE PAGES (CLIP ALL IONS FOR 81GNATUR�
ACTION REWESTED:
Approval of attached Resolution reque ti g permission to submit grant applications
to potential funders for Crosby Farm ar Nature Center.
RECOMMENDATIONS:Approve(A)a ReJect(R) COUNqI REPORT OPTIONAL
_PUWNIN(a COMMISSION _qVIL SERVICE COMMIBSION """"'� RECEIVED
N �
_qBCOMMITTEE - ppMMENT3: 1�p R 1 � 1989
—gT,� — AP R 17
_DISTRiCT WURT _
SUPPORTSWHIqiCOUNqLOBJECTIVE? ���0(�,saF�g��T� �'��,����'��R 1 1 1989
iNmnnNO ar�os�eM.issue.OPPORTUNITY(INho.wna�.wnen,wnere,why�:
Lack of money to operate Crosby Farm ar Nature Center.
ADVANTAGES IF APPROVED:
Opportunity to educate public (includ'ng school children) about conservation
of our natural resources and about na ur in general .
018ADVANTAGES IF APPROVED:
None
DISADVANTA(�ES IF NOT APPROVED:
Crosby Farm Park Nature Center can n t ntinue to devel
�'��-'"�;! (�e���rci� Cen�er
I!,��; 19 ;��:s�
TOTAL AMOUNT OF TRANBACTION � C08T/REVENUE BUDOETED(CIRCLE ON�. YES NO
FUNDINO SOURCE ACTIVITY NUMBER
FlNANCIAL INFORMATION:(EXPLAII�
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PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPMENT
OF NATURE CENTER AT
CROSBY FARM PARK
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA
APPLICANT: City of Saint Pa 1
Department of Co mu ity Services
Division of Park a d Recreation
MISSION OF TNE DIVISION OF PARKS ND RECREATION: "To develop, operate,
maintain and preserve a system of pu lic parks, open space areas, natural
resources, and recreation facilit es "
SCOPE OF OPERATIONS: The Divisio o Parks and Recreation owns and
operates 3500+ acres of parkland n t. Paul , includin� six regional
parks, five local parks, four gol c urses, 45 recreation centers, plus
additional recreational opportuni ie . The Division is also responsible
for all maintenance of the urban or st in St. Paul including all tree
trimming and tree planting on the ci y's boulevards.
PRIMARY SERVICE POPULATIONS: Regi na parks are developed to serve the
entire population of the seven co nt metropolitan area, as well as
outstate residents and visitors t M nnesota. A primary service area of
five miles has been defined for r gi nal parks. The primary service area
of Crosby Farm Park includes the a� rity of St. Paul , plus West St. Paul ,
Mendota, South St. Paul , and Mend ta Heights. Approximately 280,000
people reside within five miles o C osby Farm Park. This densely
sopulated area includes 25% of th r gion's minority population and a
ubstantial number of low income esidents. Crosby Farm Park had 150,000
visitors in 1988 (Metropolitan Pa ks and Open Space) .
GOAL: * To rovide �ark_ visitors wi h the oaaortunitv to learn about
nature and wild if� e
* To preserve and rop tect ur nature resources
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Crosby F rm Park is a 500 acre park located
minutes from owntown St. Paul ai ng the Mississippi River. Entrance to
the park is on Shepard Road just es of the intersection of I-35E.
Crosby Farm Park is natural flood lai and supports a variety of native
wildlife. The City of Saint Paul ac ired Crosby Park in the early
1960's. It is part of the Hidden Fal s/Crosby Farm Park Regional Park and
is under the jurisdiction of the ivi ion of Parks and Recreation.
BUDGET: Attached. Total budget is $ 7,005. Grant request includes two
part time staff positions, equipm t, and class development material for
the program.
Ongoing funding for the Crosby Fa P rk Nature Center will be presented
to the St. Paul City Council as p t f the 1990 Budget Process for
continuing this program.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT: In 1987, A N ed Assessment Survey of City Residents
Concerning Parks and Recreation P og ams and Services was conducted by
Anderson-Neibur, Inc. The needs ss ssment recommended that, "Due to the
hi gh level of interest expressed, th Division may wish to include the
following in any plans to expand ro rams and services. . .nature
programs. " Crosby Farm Park is th o 1 park area in St. Paul which could
rov�de this service.
The Metropolitan Council has also collected information on the leisure
interests of the region's populati n. In 1983, 400+ people from the
greater St. Paul area (generally i cl des St. Paul and areas to the south
and east) returned a general leis e urvey questionnaire (approximately
3,500 usable returns were analyzed re ion-wide) The results indicate
that Hidden Falls-Crosby Farm Park is undersupplied with typical regional
park activities in relation to the re t of the metropolitan area. Nature
Study Proyrams is one of the activ ti s where less than half of the
interest is satisfied.
Metropolitan Council counts also i di ate that while the number of
visitors to the metropolitan area' m jor parks grew by 42% from 1982 to
1987, visits to five selected natu e enters went up by 52% during the
same period.
In 1986, the State of Minnesota ma da ed that elementary schools teach
students about the environment. T is has increased demand for nature
centers. There are 29 nature cent rs surrounding the Twin Cities, but
none are located in St. Paul .
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A nature stu y rogram began in 1988 with one part
time staff person and 15 volunteer w o assisted with nature study classes
and park maintenance. Although th re ere no facilities at Crosby Farm
Park, they developed a nature cent r rogram with classes for both
children and families.
The Division of Parks and Recreati 'll expand the nature center program
to include both a part time naturalist and a part time interpretive center
manager. A used mobile home will a quired and remodelled for use as a
interpretive center.
Programs will be developed for scho 1 ge children, minorities and low
income families. Of particular imp rt nce is the development of programs
for people such as S.E. Asians whos c ltural background is very different
from ours. Other cultures may not nd rstand our stewardship values,
although they may be much closer to na ure than we are.
Refugee youth will be involved in p og ams and values and feelings about
nature will be explored. Contacts av been made with the City's metro
refugee youth forum to interest the i taking part in nature study. �
Many free family programs are offer d ince 25�0 of the people who live in
the vicinity of Crosby Farm Park ar 1 w income. Marketing efforts will
continue to be made to assure that ho e people who most need free
programs are aware of them.
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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: To assist par u ers in learning to preserve and care
o� r our win ing natural resoure s, including the land of Crosby Park.
To preserve the Crosby Farm Park at ral resources by attracting a greater
variety of wildlife to the area t ro h chang ing elements of the park,
such as reverting maintained gras t natural vegetation, putting up
bluebird houses, etc.
To give children, students, and a lt a positive outdoor experience, with
new doors opening up and personal ro th stimulated.
To develop a written curriculum to he p volunteers teach and to help
teachers prepare for and follow up th ir students visits to the park.
To establish an outreach program i to classrooms, hospitals, etc. when a
trip to the outdoors is impossible t develop knowledge and appreciation
of nature.
To provide volunteers a positive a d ewarding experience in return for
their work and dedication.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Develop an education curriculu t meet the State of Minnesota's
environmental education requir me ts
2. Promote the curriculum with lo al schools and book field trips
3, Hire part time naturalist and nt rpretive center manager
4. Continue volunteer recruitment an training
5. Develop interpretive exhibits, in luding photos, slide shows, animals,
historic information
6. Plan, advertise, and schedule na ure study classes, for children,
such as•
.Edible and useful plants . ird watching
.Pond life and pond successio . utdoor survival
.Campstove cookery . ature crafts
.Snowshoe walks . cology
.Deforestation . reenhouse Effect
.Tracking . asic Botany
.General Field Walks . ugs
.Reptiles and Amphibians . eterology
7. Contract with professional inst uc ors to present family programs such
as:
.Native American Philosophy, H st ry, Crafts, Healing with Herbs
.Land sterwardship play to rai e onsciousness toward the environment
.Puppet show for children to l ar about seasons, plans, animals,
pollution, environment
.Anthropology
.Geology of Mississippi River re
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8. Establish separate trails for bi ers and pedestrians; put up signs,
name and mark trails with nam s f plants, trees, wildlife in area
9. Recruit boy scout leaders to av troops earn badges by making and
installing blue bird houses
10. Provide nature center ameniti s uch as provision and remodeling
mobile home to be used for pr gr mmin�, landscaping of native
floodplain plants and instali ng picnic tables
11. Develop brochures, maps, trai g ides and trail markers about various
aspects of Crosby Farm Park
12. Plan open house to introduce ar visitors to nature center programs
13. Develop mailing list of group , i dividuals, schools
who might take part in progra s
EVALUATION•
1. Elementary school students wil b quizzed before the nature program
to determine their level of kn wl dge. Following the program, they
will be given an exam and 80% il demonstrate a 75% improvement in
knowledge of subject matter.
2. Children who attend as individ al , with parents, or other groups will
be quizzed before and after th p ogram to determine an increase in
knowledge.
3. Surveys will be prepared with he assistance of other nature center
personnel and will be given to pr gram participants to determine their
level of satisfaction with the in ormation provided by the program.
4. A mailing list of 500 interest d esidents will be developed and a
monthly newsletter will be sen t each person by June 1, 1989.
5. Twenty volunteers will be recr it d by July 1, 1989, who will be
trained to teach classes. An dd tional ten volunteers will be
recruited by July 1, 1989, to ss st with park clean up, planting of
wildflowers, put up blue bird ou es, etc.
6. Weekly nature classes will be ch duled for children between the ages
of 4 and 12, beginning June 1, 19 9.
7. Weekly classes will be schedul d or families, beginning June 1, 1989
with a target audience of 25 p r ession.
10. Trails will be named and sign a d markers will be designed,
produced, and erected by June , 989.
11. A self-guided trail map will b d signed and printed by June 1, 1989.
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STAFF OUALIFICATIONS: Current staff is a part-time naturalist who directs
and manages the program including c nd cting programs and recruiting and
training volunteers. The grant pro os 1 includes two part time positions,
a naturalist and a nature center ma ag r.
In addition, there is a strong grou o 35 volunteers who assist with all
aspects of the Crosby Farm program. M ny of the volunteers are
professionals in fields related to at re centers, such as botanists,
naturalists, landscape architects, rb rists, in addition to writers,
photographers, artists, etc.
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BUDGET:
Personnel
Naturalist
1040 hours x $9.48 hr. $ 9,859.00
Manager
1280 hours x $14.50 18,560.00
Volunteer Coordinator
100 hours x $9.40 940.00
Supervision 1,000.00
Tradesworkers 2,000.00
Clerical/Graphic Artist 2,000.00
Mob�E ui ment
me+ Installation/Modific ti n 12,000.00
Ten pair binoculars/microscopes 1,000.00
Four picnic tables 1,000.00
Bird Guides/Pond Nets/Collecting ns 270.00
Trail Signs 500.00
Volunteer training 1 ,000.00
Exhibit/display materials 2,000.00
Youth camera/art programs 1,000.00
Guest speakers 500.00
Library, audio visuals 1,100.00
Other
Printing/Postage 1,750.00
Utilities 2,000.00
Fringe Benefits (28%) 4,426.00
Open House 100.00
Evaluation 500.00
Total $6' ,��.6�
PROJECTED REVENUE:
Admission Charqe:
Children's Programs $1.00) $ ,0
School Field Trips $1.00) $ ,0
Other Groups $1 .00) $ 5
Income $ 6,500.00
Estimated Program Costs $57.005.00
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