Bloomfield Hills, a city without municipal parkland, now has its first public greenspace.

Under an interlocal agreement finalized earlier this year between Bloomfield Hills Schools and Oakland County Parks, two school-owned natural areas — the 40-acre Johnson Nature Center on Franklin Road and the 93-acre Bowers School Farm on Square Lake Road — are opening to the broader community with expanded programming and $3 million in capital repairs. Both the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved the deal before the district announced it on April 16.

The district keeps ownership of both properties. Oakland County Parks takes over day-to-day operations, brings public programming expertise, and splits the repair bill evenly — $1.5 million from each side. The Oakland County Parks website already lists the Johnson Nature Center under its directory as "Bloomfield Oaks - Johnson Nature Center," a sign the transition is underway.

For students, the agreement preserves priority access. Fifth-graders already visit the Johnson Nature Center for watershed lessons along a tributary of the Rouge River that runs through the property. Those field trips continue.

"It's… nature at its best, right here, nestled in Bloomfield Township, and our students get to benefit from it. Our community gets to benefit from it, and that's the richness of the partnership," Superintendent Rick West told WDET on Friday, July 17.

West, who took over as superintendent on July 1, 2024, after serving as deputy superintendent in the Troy School District, said in the April announcement that the deal pairs responsible financial stewardship with expanded access while maintaining student priority.

Oakland County Parks Director Chris Ward called the sites "truly special places that have connected students and families to agriculture and the outdoors for generations." Ward framed the partnership as part of the county parks department's strategic plan, called Mission 26, in the same April announcement.

The Johnson Nature Center, established in 1970 and named for retiring superintendent Eugene L. Johnson, features more than two miles of mulched hiking trails, a four-acre pond, native plants, and wildlife habitats. Its visitor center, built in 2006 with grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, includes interactive exhibits and an outdoor amphitheater. Trails are open 8 a.m. to sunset daily, with no fee for individuals or groups of fewer than 10 people.

Bowers School Farm, a working farm the district has operated since 1967, offers livestock, gardens, a farm store, and seasonal events including a fall festival and winter tubing.

The partnership also involves Michigan State University Extension programming at both sites, according to the district's April announcement.