Animal Adaptations (year-round)
Discover how adaptations aid in animal survival with a scavenger hunt,
adaptation activity, and a look at live animals.
Animal Homes (year-round)
Learn how animals’ size and adaptations define their shelters. Hike to
survey different animal homes.
Animal Tracks (year-round)
Study track identification basics and hike to search for and identify tracks
of resident animals. Make plaster casts of animal prints to take home.
Class supply fee: $5 for 1-15 students, $10 for 16-30 students.
Apple Cidering (Sept-Oct)
Using an old-fashioned cider press, make apple cider and learn about the
natural and cultural history of apples. Enjoy a fall hike, time allowing.
Class supply fee: $5 for 1-15 students, $10 for 16-30 students.
Bees and Honey (April-Sept)
Collect insects and learn about the bees’ hive and life cycle. Finish the
program with a sample of Wood Lake honey. Class supply fee: $5 for
1-15 students, $10 for 16-30 students.
Birds Around Us (year-round)
Birds are amazing and beautiful creatures that alert us to changes in the
environment. Discover the incredible secrets of bird behavior and migration.
Cold-Blooded Critters (April-Oct)
Learn the attributes of animals with no fur or feathers, observe live
specimens in their habitats, and participate in a ‘hands-on’ visit with some
live cold-blooded critters.
Dead or Alive (year-round)
Observe characteristics of living, dead, and inanimate (never alive) things
and learn the difference between the three. Sort objects into the three
categories and go on a hike to identify how all three things fit into
nature’s cycle of life.
Food Web (year-round)
Observe the interdependency of all living things with an interactive game
and a hike.
Insect Study (April-Sept)
Using sweep nets and magnifying ‘bug boxes’, find and observe insects and
other invertebrates in the prairie and forest.
Keeping Warm (Dec-Mar)
Learn about the importance of insulation for animals that live in cold
climates. Make predictions about the effectiveness of various insulative
materials and carry out an experiment to test the predictions.
Maple Syruping (Feb-Mar)
Learn about the natural and cultural history of maple syruping. Identify and
tap maple trees, collect sap, and turn syrup into a maple sugar treat.
Marsh Explorers (May-Sept)
Discover the incredible variety of animals, insects, and plants that live in
the marsh. Dip into the marsh with a collection cup to explore the hidden
depths of this diverse wetland.
Marsh Explorers- Advanced (May-Sept)
Discover the incredible variety of animals, insects, and plants that live in
the marsh. Dip into the marsh with a net and collection cup to explore this
diverse wetland, then examine caught specimens with a video projection
microscope.
Migration and Hibernation (Sept-Feb)
Identify the ways animals (including humans) adapt for winter. Hike to find
signs of animal activity and play a migration game to learn about the
importance of habitat for migrating animals.
Native American Life (year-round)
Experience what life may have been like for Native Americans. Cook
stickbread over a fire, use bone tools, play battledoor, and learn about the
plants and animals used for survival. Class supply fee: $5 for 1-15
students, $10 for 16-30 students.
Nature Close-up (year-round)
Using magnifying glasses and microscopes, study wings, fur, plants, and
other nature closer than ever before. On a hike, collect something special
to observe under a microscope, then try to identify some common household
objects close-up.
Predator/Prey (year-round)
Compare the adaptations of predators and prey by looking at skulls of
herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Play a game to simulate predator/prey
relationships and watch a video of predators in action.
Snowshoeing (Jan-Feb)
Experience the joy of walking on top of snow, conditions permitting.
Additional snowshoe rental cost: $1 per participant.
Soil, Rocks, and Minerals (April-Oct)
Learn the difference between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks and
compare their characteristics. Discover how they turn into a key component
of soil and explore soil’s other ingredients.
Taxidermy for Beginners (year-round)
Learn about taxidermy and anatomy by removing and tanning a mouse pelt from
a frozen domestic mouse used for animal feeding. Additional supply cost:
$1.50 per mouse.
Trees, Leaves, and Seeds (April-Nov)
Become a tree by acting out its life cycle and learning about its leaves and
seeds. Collect seeds to find out how plants are able to spread out without
being able to move.
Weather & Water Cycle (year-round)
Using infrared thermometers and anemometers, learn why we have weather and
how to measure it, and see firsthand how the water cycle works.
Worm Cookies (May-Sept)
For adventurous groups! Learn about the life history and significance of
earthworms, then dig up worms to clean, cook, and mix with dough to make
real worm cookies. (No kidding; they’re delicious!). Class supply fee:
$5 for 1-15 students, $10 for 16-30 students.
