College Township near Gambier in Knox County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Conserving Natural Diversity
Engaging People With Nature BFEC mission
Photographed by Craig Doda, October 24, 2025
1. Conserving Natural Diversity Marker
Opened in 1995, the Center is part of Kenyon College. Its name recognizes a generous gift from the Minigowin Foundation in honor of Robert Bowen Brown (a former Kenyon provost) and his family.
Programs and Activities
An Academic Resource
Kenyon students in fields ranging from art to zoology use the BFEC's varied habitats as a lens through which to see the natural world.
Restoration & Management
Ongoing projects such as reforestation, the establishment of natural buffers along waterways, and removal of invasive species help promote natural diversity.
Community School Programs
Each year hundreds of elementary school children take field trips to BFEC for hands-on experiences that make learning about nature effective and fun.
Volunteering
Volunteers tend gardens, lead field trips, maintain trails, clear invasive species and assist in the BFEC office.
Nature Walks & Events
Programs range from bird-watching and star-gazing to trail races and an annual Harvest Festival. Most programs
this page online
Erected by Brown Family Environmental Center at Kenyon College.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1995.
Location. 40° 22.428′ N, 82° 24.37′ W. Marker is near Gambier, Ohio, in Knox County. It is in College Township. It is at the intersection of Laymon Road and Porter Road, on the right when traveling south on Laymon Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9781 Laymon Rd, Gambier OH 43022, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Amish Country. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: What is Your Role in Shaping Our Future? (here, next to this marker); Natural Areas (here, next to this marker); Change is Constant (here, next to this marker); Thomas R. Sant '65 H '13 (a few steps from this marker); River of Life (approx. 0.2 miles away); Living History Along the Kokosing River (approx. 0.3 miles away); Colonel Lorin Andrews (approx. 0.4 miles away); John Crowe Ransom & The Kenyon Review (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gambier.
Photographed by Craig Doda, October 24, 2025
2. Conserving Natural Diversity Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 2, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
