Dunwoody Nature Center shows off new look

The Dunwoody Nature Center showed off a new look Friday - with a redesigned logo adorning the sign that greets visitors from Roberts Drive.

The new logo is coupled with the launch of a redesigned website that's streamlined to be more user friendly, said Alan Mothner, executive director.

The new look comes at the 20th anniversary of the nature center. The mission of the center will continue to include many of the things that people know: a nice place to walk a dog, a great spot for a picnic lunch and a place that offers naturalist classes for children.

But going forward, the center will also be looking to expand its offerings, Mothner said. Some of it's already scheduled. A program from the High Museum planned at the center focuses on nature and its role in art.

"We're seen as the cute place to take your kids," Mothner said. "But we're so much more than that."

The Dunwoody Woman's Club work in the park in 1990 led to the formation of Dunwoody Nature Center in 1992. Pat Adams, one of the orginal founders, said the park has evolved over its 20 years.

"We've come a long way from the early days of the nature center where community volunteers were teaching classes to today where (it) is a respected authority in environmental issues."

The new logo and the website design of the center are a result of a strategic plan built in 2011. Officials at the center came out of that planning process wanting to refocus on what the center does well and on ways to better serve the public, Mothner said.

"This new look and feel brings us closer to how we envision the nature center evolving within the city as a cultural center for lifelong learning," he said.