Mission Statement
The Ney Nature Center exists to conserve, manage, and protect the Ney Wildlife Preserve and inspire generations to learn and experience nature through observation and education.
Ney Environmental Education Foundation
The board of directors conducts the business of the Ney Environmental Education Foundation, and manages the Ney Nature Center jointly with Le Sueur County through an Interagency Agreement. They are accountable to the membership, and report to them at the annual meeting and through quarterly newsletters.
Ney Environmental Education Foundation Board of Directors
Beth Beuch, Henderson
Earl Gransee, Belle Plaine
Orville Heitkamp, Belle Plaine
Carol Jackson, Eden Prairie
Karl Keup, Belle Plaine
Reta Lind, Le Sueur
Dick Peterson, Belle Plaine
Becky Pollack, Le Sueur
Nick Pollack, Le Sueur
Josh Reinitz, Henderson
Brigid Tuck, Le Sueur
Jim Wartman, Henderson
James Weber, Le Center
Le Sueur County Parks Dept.
Don Reak, Le Center
Greg Morgan, Le Center
History of the Ney Nature Center
The Ney Nature Center evolved from a bequest to Le Sueur County by the late Ruby Ney and from the vision of her nephew, the late Donald Ney, who grew up in the Chicago, IL area and moved to the Ney family farm, near Henderson, in 1950. Ruby dreamed of returning the 366 acre homestead to nature when she made her gift of land, known as the Wilhelm Ney Wildlife Preserve. Donald Ney envisioned a broader purpose for the site, that of educating young people about the environment. Thus, the Ney Environmental Education Foundation was formed to develop and manage, on behalf of Le Sueur County, a learning center on the preserve. Don’s gift of an additional 80 acres in 1997 increased the preseve to 446 acres. The site gained widespread attention in 1995 when a local teacher and her students discovered deformed frogs.
