Kalamazoo Nature Center

Looking for ways to keep your brain going all summer long? The Summer Exploration series is a great way for elementary and middle school scientists to get involved in ecology alongside their grown-ups. Register for June 4- Slime and Scales: Learn about salamanders, snakes, turtles, and all things cold-blooded Register for June 18- Feathered Friends: The sounds, colors, and behaviors of the avian world Register for July 2- The Great Bug Hunt: Discover and identify the incredib

Flex those creative muscles and stop by the visitor center for some fun unstructured art time! We’ll have an assortment of mediums and crafts to play with, so it’s a great time to relax and get creative. Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10 am-2 pm Sunday, August 9, 2026, 1-3 pm Meet: Visitor Center Classroom Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Audience: Families, children

Explore the wonders of a grassland sea! Prairies used to cover 240 million acres of our continent, but now these majestic ecosystems are few and far between. We'll hike the mowed trails of Pitcher Prairie to see, smell and touch the plants and cool creatures who call this sun-swept landscape home. Saturday, August 8, 2026, 2-3 pm Meet: Visitor Center Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Drop-in program. Audience: All Ages

Join us once a month for a picture book story time, featuring a selection of nature-themed books perfect for little explorers. We’ll follow our book with a gentle hike if weather permits, so be sure to bundle up! June 13- Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer by Kenard Pak July 18- Cicada Symphony by Sue Fliess August 8- The Wild by Yuval Zommer Meet: Clubhouse inside the Visitor Center Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Audience: Families w

Flex those creative muscles and stop by the visitor center for some fun unstructured art time! We’ll have an assortment of mediums and crafts to play with, so it’s a great time to relax and get creative. Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10 am-2 pm Sunday, August 9, 2026, 1-3 pm Meet: Visitor Center Classroom Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Audience: Families, children

Enjoy KNC at a whole new speed! Hop on the golf cart as we take a binocular tour of some of our most beautiful habitats. Binoculars will be provided. Register for June 18, 10:00 - 11:00AM Register for June 18, 12:00 - 1:00PM Register for July 23, 10:00 - 11:00AM Register for July 23, 12:00 - 1:00PM Register for August 13, 10:00 - 11:00AM Register for August 13, 12:00 - 1:00PM Meet: Visitor Center Fee: KNC Members $12; Non-Members $15 Audience: Adult

Meet new friends and decompress with a night of yoga and mindfulness for nature lovers between the ages of 16-20. We’ll enjoy gentle yoga, breathe in the evening air, and leave feeling more grounded and connected to the world around us. Thursday, August 13, 2026, 6:30-8:30 pm Meet: Glen Vista Gallery inside the Visitor Center Fee: KNC Members $12; Non-Members $15 Please Register > Audience: Ages 16-20

Have you ever wondered how we train our birds of prey? Come to the bird mews in the arboretum for a special training session with some of our most charismatic residents and learn more about these majestic raptors and their care. We’ll be outside, so be sure to bundle up and bring your best burning birdy questions! Saturday, August 15, 2026, 2-3 pm Meet: Bird mews in the arboretum Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Audience: All ages Lear

Step away from the noise of everyday life and join us for our second annual refreshing one-day retreat designed just for women. Surrounded by the peaceful landscape at KNC's Stryker Nature Preserve, we’ll gather for reflection, crafts, gentle movement, meaningful conversation, and quiet renewal. Come as you are, and leave feeling grounded, refreshed, and inspired. Saturday, August 15, 2026, 8:30 am-7:00 pm Meet: Stryker Nature Preserve at 2343 Angling Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Join KNC staff this summer for guided butterfly walks around the Emma Pitcher Prairie. Participants will have the opportunity to search for butterflies, observe them up close, and learn more about what makes each species unique. This will be a great opportunity to see different butterfly species become active as the summer season progresses and as different food and nectar sources become available. Register for Sunday, July 19, 2026 Register for Sunday, August 16, 2026 Register for Sun

Join Justin Gish, Kalamazoo’s Sustainability Planner, to talk all things compost; from large-scale industrial setups to the tumblers in our own backyards! This program is geared for adults 50 and up, but all ages are welcome. Date: August 20 11:00AM-1:00PM Meet: Cooper's Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Registration recommended, drop-ins welcome Audience: Geared for Adults 50+, but all are welcome

Looking for ways to keep your brain going all summer long? The Summer Exploration series is a great way for elementary and middle school scientists to get involved in ecology alongside their grown-ups. Register for June 4- Slime and Scales: Learn about salamanders, snakes, turtles, and all things cold-blooded Register for June 18- Feathered Friends: The sounds, colors, and behaviors of the avian world Register for July 2- The Great Bug Hunt: Discover and identify the incredib

Spend an evening in the cool breeze of summer’s end, and enjoy a laid-back evening of music with award winning singer Sara Emerson. Lay back, relax, and let the music merge with the sounds of nature. Saturday, August 22, 2026, 6:30-8:00pm Meet: Amphitheater in the arboretum Fee: KNC Members $12; Non-Members $15 Please Register > Audience: All ages

Come explore KNC on a guided hike through some of our favorite areas. Each month will feature a different trail, taking you through our greatest hits and best kept secrets. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring your best trail shoes! Hot tea will be provided- help us reduce waste by bringing your own travel mug. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2-4 pm- Discover the Bluebird Trail: The Bluebird Trail is at least an hour-long hike with some notable elevation changes. Be ready for a moderate hik

Join the staff from Nature's Way Preschool to learn about the benefits of risky play and how to encourage and develop risky play opportunities for your child. Our preschool team will share photos and video examples demonstrating the developmental gains that children achieve while playing in nature, with time for questions and discussion. Saturday, August 22, 2026, 10-11 am Meet: Cooper's Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Mem

Connect with nature’s harvest and bottle the very best that summer has to offer as we create our own infused herbal oils! Join Lea Sevigny of Joyful Wildcrafting for a guided look into the world of summer herbs. We’ll learn to identify local plants and talk about the ways we can preserve their benefits to use long after summer’s end. Saturday, August 29, 2026, 10 am-12 pm Meet: Visitor Center Classroom Fee: KNC Members $16; Non-Members $20 Please Register > Audience:

Summer’s winding to a close, but the fungal world isn’t slowing down! We’ll learn about what’s fruiting this season and take a light stroll to see what mushrooms are popping up on the trails. Saturday, August 29, 2026, 10-11 am Meet: Visitor Center front desk Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Audience: All ages

Join KNC staff this summer for guided butterfly walks around the Emma Pitcher Prairie. Participants will have the opportunity to search for butterflies, observe them up close, and learn more about what makes each species unique. This will be a great opportunity to see different butterfly species become active as the summer season progresses and as different food and nectar sources become available. Register for Sunday, July 19, 2026 Register for Sunday, August 16, 2026 Register for Sun