Wetland Themed Birthday at Killens Pond Nature Center

When searching Pinterest, you most likely won’t find many (if any) posts on a wetlands themed 5th birthday party, but we are going to change that. Killens Pond Nature Center is a super modern, eco friendly facility with plenty of space, a private conference room and restrooms. There are live animal displays upstairs and a kids nature area downstairs. Truthfully, what the kids enjoyed most was getting to run around outside together. In March, the weather can be unpredictable, so I always have to plan an indoor party for D. We got lucky with a beautiful day and it was nice to have the option of the kids getting some time to play freely outdoors.

The conference room fits up to 50 people but after 40, quarters are going to be a little tight. There’s a counter for setting up snacks, drinks and cake as well as a recycling can. There was no trash can though, so we just used a box and took it out with us. Make sure you bring hand sanitizer and/or baby wipes for washing hands during/after the 45 minute live animal presentation (if you choose to have that) where the kids get to touch some of the critters. Also, bring some Lysol wipes to clean off the tables as needed. The bathrooms are located on the bottom floor and just so you know, they’re a little bit weird. The nature center does it’s own wastewater treatment on site, so the toilet is basically an indoor porta potty except with a MUCH farther drop down. Whatever you do, DO NOT bring you cellphone or any other loose items anywhere near the toilets because if you drop them down there, you aren’t getting them back.

Overall, the party was a huge success and I would highly recommend it!

The facility rental fee is $200 for 4 hours. If you choose to add the Wonders of the Wetland Program, the cost is $4 a person including kids 2 and up.

The following are the rental requirements provided by KPSP:

Making Your Reservation

1. Not all dates and times will be available for rentals due to park programs, please discuss available dates with facility coordinator prior to requesting reservation. Rentals will not begin before 7 am and under no circumstances continue past 12 pm.
2. A 50% deposit of the total cost is required to make your reservation. The remaining balance is due 1 week prior to the event date. The deposit will be forfeited for cancellation, less than 30 days prior to the event, except for extenuating circumstances which will be at the sole discretion of the facility coordinator.
3. Checks may be made out to KILLENS POND STATE PARK, please write the date of your event in the memo section. Contact the facility coordinator for alternate methods of payment.
4. Maximum capacity for the conference room is 50-60 people. The max capacity for the whole nature center is up to 200 people.
5. Please see approved list of caterers for food service during your rental.
6. Music is permitted, but must be approved by the facility coordinator prior to your event. Under no circumstances will unreasonable sound levels be tolerated outside of the general nature center area. Speakers cannot face the pond.
7. The facility coordinator may determine that extra security or staff is required for larger events. This will be provided by the park at an extra charge to the client.

Setting Up

1. Start and end times of the rental include your setup time and cleanup, please be aware of this when filling out the times on the rental request form.
2. Nature Center Rental includes park entrance fees. Passes for the event are given prior to the event.
3. Although the park has plenty of parking, please be aware that it is open to the public. Your rental does not guarantee parking for all guests or contractors.
4. The unloading area by the nature center is only for dropping off supplies, please use the designated parking area.
5. Setup of chairs, tables, decorations or any event related items are prohibited in all areas outside of the conference room and adjoining deck without prior approval of the facility coordinator.
6. The exhibit area and restroom section of the building along with the outside adjoining picnic areas, parking lots, playground, trails, and waterfront will be open to the public during your event, be prepared to share these areas with other visitors.
7. Decorations on the interior of the rental area are permitted; decorations that attach to walls or leave any trace on the building are prohibited. The facility manager will have the right to remove any decorations that they feel detracts from the experience of other visitors or harm the building or surrounding resources in any way.

After your Event

1. Trash cans and trash removal will be provided by the facility staff, however, you are responsible for all cleanup and making sure facility is left clean and litter free. There will be a $100/hr cleanup charge when building is left in an unsatisfactory condition. If you are hiring a caterer, please be sure to let them know who is responsible for cleanup as the cleanup charge will be billed to the client.
2. Recycling containers will be provided by the park staff. Please check with facility coordinator to see what items are recyclable.
3. Please contact the facility coordinator before leaving so that he/she may do a final check of the facilities prior to your departure.
4. The park closes at sunset. All guests must leave the park by sunset. In the event that the rental goes to or beyond sunset, all guests and contractors must leave the park through the special events gate.
5. For events that go past the scheduled end time as noted in the Rental Request, a charge will be assessed based on 200% of the rental (including all rooms and facilities) prorated to the next nearest hour. For example, if the client payed $200 for the Conference room for 4 hours with an ending time of 3:00 pm and the client did not finish cleanup until 3:20 pm, the client would be charged an additional $100. The prorated rate would be $50 up until 4pm times 200%. If the client then went past 4pm, the additional charge would be $200.

All photos posted with permission of the parents. Photo credit goes to Jennifer Ross and Peggy Nagorski since I forgot to put the memory card in my camera. Thank you ladies!