Seven Ponds Nature Center (SPNC) is celebrating a half century of connecting people with nature and residents of Oxford and its surrounding areas are invited to join in on the celebration.

The anniversary event, titled “Party at the Ponds,” will be held Friday, Aug. 25 from 2-9 p.m. at SPNC located at 3854 Crawford Rd. in Dryden.

The event will include trail walks, lessons on Seven Pond’s history, a bonfire/s’mores roast and the burying of a time capsule ceremony, which will memorialize where SPNC stands today until the center’s 75th anniversary.

Complimentary snacks and beverages will be available during the event.

If you’ve never visited, SPNC has 486 acres which contain deep glacial lakes, ponds, marshes, fields, woodlands, and prairie. These provide sanctuary for various kinds of plants and animals and serve as a peaceful retreat for visitors.

Those who attend the “Party at the Ponds” event will have the chance to learn more about SPNC’s clubs and groups, such as its Astronomy Club, Beekeepers Club, Birding Club, Camera Club, Butterfly Gardeners and Stingers (Women’s Auxiliary of Seven Ponds).

One of the main goals for the nonprofit nature center is also to educate the public on the amazing world of natural history. SPNC has drawn schools and groups from five county areas, according to Executive Director Daryl Bernard – schools which have included Oxford Schools.

The center hosts a variety of summer programs, school field trips, programs for scout groups, and trail tours.

“We provide a place where people can enjoy birds and wildflowers and native ferns and butterflies. We are a preserve for native plants and animals. We also provide environmental education. As a society, we’ve become more urbanized. So, the need for a place like Seven Ponds, we feel, is greater than ever and our goal is to continue to get kids out here, get adults out here, get families out here, and help them to connect with nature,” Bernard added.

Along with celebrating the education that the center provides to the community, the event will also pay homage to the years of service provided by the center’s dedicated staff and volunteers.

SPMC’s staff of nine, along with hundreds of volunteers, all work together to bring a newfound respect for nature to those who visit the center.

“For the staff, this is kind of a calling for them,” said Bernard. “The idea of sharing, loving and embracing nature and wanting to share that with others… so that everybody that comes in contact with us has that opportunity to develop that same kind of appreciation and relationship with the natural world. At this moment, we have hundreds of volunteers that help us and they are just as important as our staff in allowing us to accomplish what we do.”

No advance registration is required to attend and the event will be held rain or shine.

For more information, please visit www.sevenponds.org or call (810) 796-3200.