Spring Creek Education Building Expansion

The construction of the Diane Kerly Welcome Pavilion and Spring Creek Education Building is complete! CRPR officially opened both facilities for a Grand Opening on Thursday, October 24, 2024.  

The Diane Kerly Welcome Pavilion (pictured right) is open from dawn to dusk (opened seasonally) and features water fountains, a water bottle filling station, four family restrooms, resting areas, and informational resources. The expansion of the Spring Creek Education Building offers various rooms for environmental education programming, community workshops/gatherings for groups and individuals, a HUB for information, and public meeting space. The building includes 5 separate rooms; the large Donald Hamer Community Room, Donald Hamer Visitors Center, a multi-purpose room with interactive displays and an area for bird watching, the Dr. Robert Brooks Classroom, and Puddle Jumpers Classroom. A new sidewalk was also constructed and provides direct connections to the Puddintown Bike Path, Nature Center buildings, and the main parking lot.   

Check here for project photos.

Thank You, Donors & Volunteers! 

This $2.6 million project was supported by community gifts, The Hamer Foundation, grants awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, College, Ferguson, Harris, and Patton Townships, and the Borough of State College.

Donald Hamer, of Bellefonte and founder of The Hamer Foundation, and Diane Kerly, of State College and former Hamer Foundation Trustee, were passionate about conservation and environmental education.

"Millbrook Marsh Nature Center was a special place to Don and Diane, and we are really pleased to support this effort."

-- Pat Morse, Hamer Foundation Trustee.

A special thank you to Don Francke for his volunteer service to this project as a Construction Consultant!