OVERVIEW
Nestled at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers near Hastings, and located only thirty minutes from the metro, Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center provides a unique opportunity to learn and explore the outdoors. We preserve wildlife habitats while providing educational experiences for community families. To ensure people of all economic backgrounds can connect to nature, admission is completely free.
Carpenter Nature Center plays a vital role in the hands-on education of more than 7,000 K-12 students and 50,000 visitors annually. The diverse ecosystems found on 725 acres of protected habitat minutes from a major metropolitan area make Carpenter a destination for teachers and families alike. Carpenter Nature Center shows students the importance of working in harmony with the natural world and gives them the science skills and experiences they need to begin to understand and solve our future global environmental problems.
HISTORY
Carpenter Nature Center grew from the desire of Thomas & Edna Carpenter to preserve the beautiful bluff lands along the St. Croix River. The Carpenters owned Sperry Office Furniture Company in St. Paul, but their creative energy went to gardening and horticulture. To support these interests, in 1939 Thomas Carpenter purchased land along the St. Croix River. After building their home in 1943 and making other land purchases, they accumulated 325 acres.
In the late 1960s the Carpenters made plans to preserve this property and make it available for public use. After they died, their Foundation carried this vision forward by creating an environmental learning center.
As a non-profit organization that provides services to the public admission for free, we rely heavily on donations from our generous supporters. The financial support of our donors is what allows us to educate families and conserve wildlife and habitat. Please consider membership. We need your help to achieve our mission!
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and our E.I.N. # is 23-7275337. Our legal name is the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation.
Mission
The mission of Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is to foster a lifelong appreciation of the natural world through environmental education, habitat conservation, and outdoor experiences.
Vision
It is our aspiration that nature is honored and valued by people of all generations.
Values
Through the pursuit of our mission and vision, we uphold the following values:
- Providing premier science- and nature-based education.
- Proactively protecting habitat and pursuing excellence in land stewardship.
- Serving all ages, abilities, and backgrounds with experiences for all seasons.
- Leading and partnering collaboratively.
- Connecting environmental and human health.
- Honoring the history and legacy of the land and the St. Croix Valley
Fast Facts
- CNC is a 501(c)(3) private, non-profit organization
- There are 725 acres with more than 20 miles of trails to explore
- CNC naturalists teach over 7,000 students outdoor environmental education each year.
- There are two campuses. We are located in Hastings, MN and Hudson, WI.
- CNC is open 361 days a year, 7 days a week, with free admission.
Ethics Policies
Code of Conduct
CNC believes strongly that its staff and volunteers must uphold the highest standards of ethical, professional behavior and to:
- Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of professional duties.
- Abide by all CNC policies and performance standards, and all laws, regulations, and other commonly accepted standards of business and professional conduct.
- Act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance personal and professional honor, integrity, and dignity of the profession.
- Treat fellow employees, supervisors, volunteers, and visitors with honesty, integrity and mutual respect.
- Treat with respect and consideration all persons, regardless of their age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or other protected status.
- Participate in carrying out CNC’s in a professional manner.
- Collaborate with and support other professionals in carrying out CNC’s mission.
- Build professional reputations on the merit of services and refrain from competing unfairly with others.
- Maintain a work environment free from threatening or violent conduct.
Equal Employment Opportunity
CNC strives to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and job applicants without regard to age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, military service, or other protected classifications in the workplace and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws requiring equal employment opportunity and prohibiting discrimination in employment.
Diversity and Inclusion
CNC promotes a policy of workforce diversity and inclusion because it embraces the idea that a collection of individual attributes helps the organization. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, characteristics such as national origin, language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family structures as well as differences of thought and life experiences. CNC’s inclusion policy creates a culture that connects each employee to the organization, encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness, and leverages diversity so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.
Discrimination Prohibited
CNC does not tolerate any discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, military service, or other protected classifications in the workplace. Anyone with questions or concerns about discrimination is encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of any supervisor, the Executive Director, or any Board member. Employees can raise concerns and make reports of discrimination without fear of retaliation. Anyone who engages in unlawful discrimination will be subject to appropriate remedial action, including any form of disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Harassment Prohibited
CNC prohibits harassment and offensive behavior, including violent behavior and sexual harassment, throughout the working environment and any physical location where its business is being conducted. Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct which has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or which creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile environment is not tolerated. Harassment that is based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, military service, or other protected classifications is expressly prohibited.
Any individual engaging in such conduct will be subject to appropriate remedial action, including any form of disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.