How the idea was born
In 1999. The "Bory Tucholskie" National Park took over the 19th-century manor house (formerly used as the Forestry Commission's headquarters) together with a livestock building and the surrounding area in Chociński Młyn from the Przymuszewo Forestry Commission. This settlement is centrally located in relation to the attractive natural sites in the Park and its immediate surroundings. It lies in the area of Zaborski Landscape Park, Natura 2000 areas: Wielki Sandr Brdy (PLB220001), Dolina Brdy i Chociny (PLH220058) and Biosphere Reserve Bory Tucholskie. At the same time, it is a place of intersection of important regional roads: voivodeship and poviat roads, which ensures easy access from the towns and villages by one's own means of transport or by suburban bus transport. At present, thanks to the Kashubian Marszruta cycle path network, Chociński Mill can be reached by bike from most of the neighbouring towns and villages (e.g. Chojnice, Brus, Swornegaci, Konarzyn). Due to such a good location and undeniable natural advantages, the village was chosen for the construction of the Centre of Nature Education of the "Bory Tucholskie" National Park. An additional advantage of the settlement is the fact that the old buildings of the village have been preserved, the character of which will be emphasised by the buildings of the future Centre. The location of educational activities in this place will not be without significance for the Park's nature. On the one hand, easy and safe access will make it possible to conduct educational activities in the Park, on the other hand, quite a considerable distance from the most valuable areas of the Park will protect it from excessive penetration by tourists.
Preparatory work
Implementation of the assumptions for the creation of the Centre began with the preparation of a structural and architectural-functional expert opinion on the manor house and the livestock building. In the next stage, based on its findings, a design and cost-estimate documentation was prepared for the future centre, which was financed from the funds of the Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk, and a building permit was obtained. In addition, a study was commissioned by the Sandry Brdy Local Action Group entitled 'Concept for the establishment of a Nature Centre at Chociński Mill in which local products will be located - phases 1 and 2'. The document explores the possibility of making wider use of Chociński Mill's assets by creating a cultural village. This concept has been included in the Study of Conditions and Directions for Spatial Development of the Chojnice Municipality (Resolution of the Chojnice Municipality Council No. XI/100/2011 of 30.06.2011), where the need to draw up a local spatial development plan for the area is also indicated. In 2013, the "Bory Tucholskie" National Park received funding from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management for the project entitled: "The Centre for Nature Education in Chociński Młyn a centre for shaping the right attitudes of society towards the preservation of the richness of biodiversity" Stage I.: Construction of didactic facilities". As a result, construction work began in early 2014.
Source: pnbt.com.pl