Vergennes's 141-acre outdoor classroom anchors a community trail

The Wittenbach/Wege Center has a Lowell mailing address. Its grounds are in Vergennes Township. The U.S. Census Bureau’s coordinate lookup confirms the boundary. The center also sits at the north end of a trail partnership formed by Vergennes Township, Lowell Township, and the City of Lowell.

The center adjoins the Wege Foundation Natural Area. Together they cover about 141 acres. Lowell Area Schools uses the land as an outdoor classroom. Field trips change by grade and season. Young students explore habitats and animal life cycles. Older students study how plants and animals adapt. Winter programs add snowshoeing, tree identification, and animal tracking.

The land serves adults and families too. Trails are open to the public during daylight hours. Residents can rent garden plots from March through November. In 2011, the Lowell Area Recreation Authority finished a 3.2-mile trail from the center to the Flat River Valley Rail Trail. That link makes the school nature center part of a larger public route. A science lesson, garden visit, or ordinary walk can begin on the same ground.