Environmental Education Center
at Veterans Oasis Park

The mission of the Environmental Education Center is to be an outstanding resource for life-long environmental education through the provision of innovative, creative, effective, and scientifically- and experientially based programs, services, exhibits and events to people from all walks of life.




BIRDING

Questions: Do you know how many different species of birds have been identified in Veterans Oasis Park?

Answer: 153

Did you know that Veterans Oasis Park is now considered one of the premier birding spots in the Valley? With its recharge basins, riparian areas, 5-acre lake and abundance of native vegetation, this 113-acre park is a natural draw to birds of many varieties. From the tiny Burrowing owls to stunning Vermilion flycatchers, over 153 species have been sight­ed at the park! Stop by the EEC to pick up a bird list, and join the many people flocking here to spot some of these feathered wonders for themselves!

Click HERE for a  printable version of our current  Bird List!
For more information, we recommend you visit eBird at eBird.com


Have your next meeting at the EEC!
- Rental Brochure (PDF)
- Rental Policy (PDF)

Reserve a Pavilion at Veterans Oasis Park
- Pavilion Map (PDF)



May 5 - Resident Registration for Summer Nature Camps Begins 
During our five-week summer camp, kids 7-10 will explore the environment through games, activities, experiments, hikes and crafts.  Click on the flyer, to the right, to find out more informaiton.



EEC Monthly Newsletter and Program Schedules 


View May version of The EEC Express! program (PDF) 
View May event calendar (PDF) 

 
View June version of The EEC Express! program (PDF) 
View June event calendar (PDF) 

 
View July version of The EEC Express! program (PDF) 
View July event calendar (PDF) 

 
View August version of The EEC Express! program (PDF) 
View August event calendar (PDF) 


- Shortcut to Chandler's Break Time Magazine




The EEC's Community Artist's Corner features talented artist from around the Valley and currently on display, from February 16, 2012 -  May 16, 2012 is the wildlife and nature oriented artwork of Chandler resident  Bruce R. Sink.


Artist Biography:  
Bruce Sink (PHOTO) studied art at Columbus College of Art and Design and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein College.  Bruce focuses his work on control of  light, color, texture and composition to create dramatic images. His goal is to take the viewer beyond simple images and create feelings.
 
He has a passion for nature and has traveled to the Arctic Circle on several adventures.   Bruce has taught watercolor painting for several decades and has participated in and judged many art competitions.  
 
Bruce has participated in and won several juried exhibitions including the Central Ohio Watercolor Society, the Ohio State Fair, the Artreach Hawaii exhibit and the Westerville Art Festival.  Gallery exhibits include the Carousel Gallery, Nationwide Gallery and the Columbus Museum of Art Collector's Gallery.  His works are in several public and private collections including Reynoldsburg Public Library, Ross Laboratory and Bank One.  Bruce has taught aqua media painting and has judged several art exhibits and is member of the Arizona Watercolor Association and the National Watercolor Society. 
 
Bruce has lived in many parts of the United States and he now makes his home in Arizona and Alaska.  Bruce would like everyone to  know that all of his work, currently on display at the EEC, is for sale and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the EEC.


 Recognition Awarded to Veterans Oasis Park

National Wildlife Federation Recognizes the Environmental Education Center in Veterans Oasis Park as a Certified Wildlife Habitat
In May of 2011 an application was submitted to the National Wildlife Federation for Veterans Oasis Park as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  The program was set up by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in 1973, and has certified nearly 145,000 habitats nationwide in an effort to increase awareness of environmental education stewardship.  In order to become certified, a property must provide the four basic elements that all wildlife need:  food, water, cover and places to raise young.  In addition to providing for wildlife, certified habitats conserve natural resources by reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and/or irrigation water.  

In addition, in June of 2011, an application was submitted to the University of Kansas (KU) to have Veterans Oasis Park on the international Monarch waystation Registry.  This registry was created to track the monarch butterfly’s migration and conserving its habitats along migratory routes between the United States and Mexico.

On their migration, monarchs need stops or waystations to rest, eat and lay eggs.  These waystations contain milkweed and nectar plants essential to their lifecycle, thereby helping the species to have a better chance of becoming stabilized and preserved.

Bird Habitat Recognition Award for Veterans Oasis Park
In April of this year, Environmental Education Center staff submitted an application to Desert Rivers Audubon – a local chapter of the National Audubon Society – for their Bird Habitat Recognition Program.  The program was set up by Desert Rivers Audubon (DRA) in order to increase awareness of the importance of providing suitable habitat for birds, particularly here in the desert, and to publicly recognize those sites that do. Shortly thereafter, staff received notification that not only had the Environmental Education Center and Veterans Oasis Park been granted the distinction of Bird Habitat Recognition, but that they also had the distinction of being the first municipally-managed site in the Valley to receive such an award. 
 
To receive this award, a site must be shown to provide food, shelter and water to birds, particularly through the use of native plants in the landscape.  To that end, Veterans Oasis Park was able to qualify based on the size of the habitat, the presence of a water source accessible to wildlife (the park’s lake and recharge basins), and the abundant use of native plants which provides healthy desert habitats, food sources and shelter to birds and other wildlife.
 
On Friday, April 22, during the Environmental Education Center’s annual Earth Day event, DRA Board President Krys Hammers announced the award by reading the statement contained on the signage that will be placed throughout the park that explains why a site has received this recognition.  The statement reads: “The Desert Rivers Audubon Society recognizes that the people who care for this property pledge to provide healthy habitat that supports birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.”  The staff members of Veterans Oasis Park and the Environmental Education Center are pleased to receive this recognition on behalf of the City of Chandler’s Community Services Department.

                                                                                                                                                                                  
EEC Videos 

.  Chandler in Focus - Watch this video featuring the EEC that is now airing on Chandler Channel 11.

  EEC YouTube video playlist 

   Watch Sprinkler's Clubhouse featuring the EEC. “Clown vs. Wild” Sprinkler the Clown takes on the Great Outdoors as he decides to create his own   
      ‘Adventure Guy’ television show.


Urban Fishing Program 

Urban Fishing Program
The lake at Veterans Oasis Park is stocked with fish every two weeks from mid-September through June, with species including Channel catfish, Rainbow trout, Sunfish, and Largemouth bass. The weeks in which stocking will occur are published on the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) website. Only the weeks are given; specific dates are not published by the AZGFD nor are they released by Veterans Oasis Park staff.

• Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) Urban Fishing Program
• Fish Stocking Schedule
   

About the Park:
This "non-traditional" facility capitalizes on the divergent and plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities at the site created
by the park land, lake, and wetlands/groundwater recharge basins. The shallow basins infiltrate high quality reclaimed water
to the subsurface aquifer for storage and recovery as part of the City's comprehensive reclaimed water management plan.
The Environmental Education Center serves as a gateway to the site, offering a diverse roster of programming related to
the environment.

Veterans Oasis Park covers 113 acres and feature both lush wetland and arid habitat suitable for the diverse plants and wildlife
of the Sonoran Desert. The park also includes 4½ miles of trails, wildlife viewing areas; ramadas and picnic areas; a butterfly
and hummingbird habitat; an outdoor amphitheatre; a unique, learning-oriented playground; a 5-acre “urban fishing” lake; and
interpretive signs and exhibits.

Equestrian Trail Map

Map of Equestrian Trails at Veterans Oasis Park (PDF)

Environmental Education Center
at Veterans Oasis Park
4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd. 
Map & Driving Directions
480-782-2890, or e-mail eec@chandleraz.gov
Watch our Virtual Tour of the EEC