About Us
MISSION
The mission of Der Happy Hallow is to preserve the Hunt farm as a natural park in a rural setting for the enjoyment of future generations.
OUR VISION TODAY
We envision laughter and learning at Der Happy Hallow. We welcome all students and teachers, Boy and Girl Scouts and their leaders, parents and children, church groups and senior citizens, child-care providers and community service organizations – all are welcome to learn and play!
We envision a barrier-free environment where all guests can participate.
We envision the sharing of knowledge from all individuals at Der Happy Hallow; with craft activities going on in the barn, songs and stories around the campfire, older generations fishing at the bank with our younger generations, and sharing fish stories. Our guests at Der happy Hallow can learn about the trees and plants, birds ad insects, fish and ecologym, cooking at a campfire, the circle of life and an appreciation of our environment.
We envision educational activities and challenges that encourage cooperation and respect.
OUR VISION MOVING FORWARD
We are enthusiastically looking forward to the future of Der Happy Hallow. The park is made up of over one hundred acres, with seventy plus acres currently excluded from park usage.
Erinie had visions of the property to the north reforested, with open fields. Next to Hagadorn, the land is a natural wetland that can possibly be renewed.
With the gardeners the food bank brings in many families that bring children. We all know that young children bring inquisitive minds and active imagination. We are in the process of creating a play space south of the hoop houses. We envision a space with logs, mounds and rocks to climb on. We want a safe space only limited by a child’s imagination. Hopefully we can create a few WOW moments along the way that grab your attention. Maybe slow you down, possibly seeing something from a different perspective.
We still have open land to the east between the pond and woodlot. The is more open land along Harper next to the food bank fields.
This land and its potential will continue to evolve beyond our lives and imagination. We invite and encourage anyone with ideas from future development and a desire to be part of Der Happy Hallows’ future to contact us.
Ron Venner 517-281-9358
Donna Brower 517-282-0577
REALIZATION OF A DREAM
This land was the farm of Ernest and Virgilene Hunt. They loved the peacefulness and the closeness to nature they felt while this was their home. Ernie gathered nuts and fruits in their season while Virgilene plantd her garden and looked forward to the fall harvest. They always had birds to feed and all of God’s creatures to enjoy and protect.
The thoughts of losing this natural beauty and harmony with nature was more than they could bear. Gradually, the thought of preserving and sharing with future generations became fixed in their minds.
In Ernest and Virgilene Hunt’s own words:
“We hope all who enter here will remember the many years we have dreamed of a place where all could come to relax and enjoy the fruits of God’s grace given to all mankind. We hope the young and the elders will find the pleasure we have had watching nature as it reproduces many new and unusual wonders. Birds who sing a merry hello and flit from tree to tree, animals of several species roaming in their own habitat, fish to watch and frogs to croak.” ENJOY!