By Sylvia Neely 

In the summer of 1973, Dr. Kenneth Walker, Superintendent of the Prescott Public Schools, suggested that an outdoor laboratory be incorporated into the design and construction of the new junior high school. The lovely twenty-two acre site was established on Williamson Valley Road, one-fourth mile north of Iron Springs Road, adjacent to what is now Granite Mountain Junior High. The property was purchased by the school district at a cost of $90,000.

The purpose of the proposed project was to develop plans for an outdoor laboratory and a community nature center, with the Prescott Unified School District assuming the leadership role. Dr. Henry Dahlberg was named Project Director. The initial planning for this project was done by the board of education and staff with the assistance of a select group from the community. The planning activities were implemented in September 1974, and included the development of the site as well as preparation of related study guides, materials, etc. 

Plans were made to phase out Title III funding by a transfer of the fiscal burden to other sources of support after the funding period ended. Related agencies of the community, through their interests, accepted responsibility for supporting the continuation of the program. During the summer of 1975 construction began. At that time 1500 hours were donated by the community to various projects at the Center such as constructing a trail, building a log cabin, designing a fresh-water pond and water system, and publishing brochures. Guidebooks were written, color-coded to match numbered wooden markers on the trails. The guidebooks provided a detailed study of forty-one plants of the Center's more than two hundred species. Other markers outlined a paved trail around the periphery of the grassland. A more rugged trail was designed to extend further into the Center. 

A log cabin was built by members of the Youth Employment Program funded through the Northern Arizona Council of Governments. The Foxfire book was used as a guide on construction and some residents of the Arizona Pioneers' Home were used as resource people. A high school woodshop class put a roof on the cabin and an interested citizen built the fireplace. 

During 1976, construction began on an amphitheater. During the same year, Prescott High School advanced-carpentry students designed and built an information kiosk for the Center. The April 1976 edition of Sunset magazine featured a story on the Center's development. It told of the site's being listed as an Educational Natural Area in the State Parks Department's new Natural Area Registry. A very attractive article was also included in the June 1977 edition of the Arizona Highways magazine. 

The opening ceremony was held at the Center on April 23, 1976, with Carolyn Warner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, as the keynote speaker. Six directors have worked very hard to keep the Center a very special place in Prescott. Dahlberg served from 1973-1978; Bob Percy, 1978-1982; Jan Marcuson, 1982-1985; John Paris, August-October 1985; Carl Tomoff, 1985-1990; and Nichole Trushell, 1991 to the present time (1997). 

During Jan Marcuson's directorship, Nina Mohit was hired as a part-time energy education coordinator for the Center. At that time the "Energy History Story Bench" was installed across from the cabin. This permanent display was created by artist Tom Broderson and historian Fran Wildman. During 1985, benches around the Center and in the amphitheater were constructed. In 1989 the Center was closed to the public due to lack of funding. However, members of various local organizations, along with public school teachers and community leaders, formed a committee early in 1991 to look into the feasibility of re-opening the Center as a nonprofit entity, separate from the school district. Funds were secured from Prescott National Forest, the school district, Prescott Frontier Days, numerous individuals and local businesses. Volunteers were trained as hosts for weekend programs and as docents for the school program. A curriculum was written and tested for the public school second graders. On April 28, 1991, the Center opened once again with a part-time director, a host of volunteers, and a sound program for the future. 

Over the years the Center's focus has broadened to include multiple grade levels, families, and the greater tri-city community. Currently the Center is operated by the Highlands Center for Natural History. Over 2,000 students throughout Yavapai County attend an outdoor education program each year during the spring and fall. Weekend activities are provided from April to October, adult natural history classes are held in January and February, and a drought-tolerant landscaping workshop is held each spring. All of the programs conducted at the Center encourage a sense of wonder, careful observation, and creativity, both for adults and students. This year on August 23, 1997, 9am to 3 pm the Highlands Center for Natural History will host a sixth-annual family outdoor fair, Wander the Wild, at the Center. Tickets are available by calling 445-5497. 

NOTE: A new and wonderful site for the Highlands Center for Natural History was opened to the public in the Spring of 2004. The site is located at 1375 Walker Road with various programs offered for both children and adults on a continuing basis. Contact the Center for more information at 776-9550 or log on to their website at highlandscenter.org. The site on Williamson Valley Road is still being used for 2nd and 4th grade school programs. 

Sylvia Neeley is a Sharlot Hall Museum volunteer and docent for the Highlands Center for Natural History.


Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(Highland Center.jpg) Reuse only by permission.
This log cabin was built in 1975 by students and continues to serve as the cornerstone of the Highlands Center for Natural History. Dr. Henry Dahlberg talks to students in this 1977 photo. Photograph by Alan Weisman and courtesy of the Nature Center.