The Nature Center Celebrates Five Years at New Location | An Ocean Lakes Milestone

Five years ago, we opened the new location of the Nature Center. This much-loved amenity has seen tremendous growth in the past five years, including new exhibits, activities, teammates, and visitor traffic. 

Kaylei recently joined the Ocean Lakes team, so we sat down with her and our Recreation Director, Craig, to discuss the Nature Center’s growth and where we see this amenity going in the future:

Chattin’ With Craig | 

What is the Nature Center’s biggest accomplishment thus far?

I think the biggest accomplishment for the Nature Center has been relocating the facility to its new home, allowing us to start fresh with new displays, content, and an expanded Nature-based activity schedule.

Let’s talk about the old building and where the idea came from for a new building?

It has always been our intention to continue the work and passion that Leonard Raker created when we first opened the Nature Center. The old building served as a store on the south side of the campground. It was later converted to storage for various departments on the campground. We initially allowed Reverend Raker to use one side of the facility to permanently house his extensive shell and fossil collection and give him the opportunity to share it with our guests. 

We eventually cleared out the rest of the building, allowing us to expand with more displays and added on to the facility to make room for more of Reverend Raker’s ideas for expanding that facility. A combination of the deterioration of the facility, Reverend Raker’s failing health, and the addition of full-time staff for the Nature Center, led us to look for other options to house the Nature Center. The Jackson Family’s Lake House Mobile Home was offered for use by the family. It was the ideal setting on the lake, in a natural area on the property and brought the Nature Center to a more centralized location on the campground. The move has allowed to us to expand on Leonard’s dream by creating a place to offer our guests opportunities to learn about our local history, ecology, environment, and the ocean.

Kickin’ It With Kaylei | 

First off, let’s meet Kaylei!

I am Kaylei, the new lead Naturalist at the Nature Center! I graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2021 with a degree in Marine Science and minor in Psychology. I am from North Carolina, and grew up in the country surrounded by nature, going to the beach, and developing a passion for marine life, as well as all animals. My goal is to educate and conserve because you never know who’s interest you may spark, and we all must share the planet. Two fun facts about me are that I scuba dive and fish in both saltwater and freshwater!

What can guests look forward to this year at the Nature Center?

Grayce and I have added in new and exciting activities for the upcoming season, which we will be conducting through the Nature Center. We have a new exhibit, which is called, “Southern Beasts of the Ice Age.” Thanks to Dr. W. Scott Persons for the exhibit on loan from The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston!

What is the next biggest goal for the Nature Center?

We have been working very hard at making sure our animal residents are in the best shape and happy. Our building is fresh and new for this upcoming season. This includes new decorations and changing up old exhibits to new ones. Our biggest goal is to educate our guests and show the importance of the nature that is all around us, and how everyone plays a part within our ecosystem.

Where do you see the Nature Center in another five years?

In the next five years, I see the Nature Center growing with healthy resident animals, as well as more educated teammates. Together, we can create a fun, unforgettable experience for everyone that visits! 

Until Next Time | We look forward to your next visit to the Nature Center! There is much to see and do together as we learn about the world around us. 

The Nature Center is located behind Camptown Center and beside Lakeside Paws N’ Play and Sandy’s Wash N’ Wag and is open Monday – Saturday from 11 AM – 5 PM.