A 135-acre nature center remembers a teenager who loved the land

Howard Christensen Nature Center began with a family gift. Frank and Rita Christensen gave 135 acres to the Kent Intermediate School District in 1975. The land honored their son Howard, who died at age 17. They wanted other children to experience the woods, wetlands, fields, and lake that he had enjoyed.

The school district built classrooms and other spaces for outdoor lessons. Many students came for field trips. When district support changed, local volunteers formed Lily’s Frog Pad in 2011. The nonprofit kept the programs going. The 135 acres include woods, fields, wetlands, trails, and Chrishaven Lake. Its Kent City mailing address can be misleading. The U.S. Census Bureau’s address lookup places the site in Tyrone Township.

There is an important current wrinkle. In 2026, the operator reported that the school district approved a land sale involving the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The future of the center’s buildings was still being discussed. Programs and daylight trail access remained listed, but this is a place to check before visiting. Through each operating change, the land has kept its purpose. It remains a memorial built around the idea that children should be able to learn outside.