View photos taken this year by visitors like you from all around Three Rivers Park District in a display that spans the entire length of the Eastman exhibit area! Includes a special "Flowing Waters" category in recognition of the Big Year of Rivers. Hunt images for items in the Photo Show I-Spy and participate in an informal vote for the People’s Favorite Award. Voting continues through December 15, and photos will be displayed through December 28. Free. Drop in anytime.

Be among the first to view photos taken this year by visitors from around Three Rivers Park District! This year's show includes a special "Flowing Waters" category in recognition of the Big Year of Rivers. Participate in an informal vote for the People’s Choice Award, hunt images for items in the Photo Show ISpy, and chat with the naturalist about any questions the pictures may inspire. Voting is open through December 15, photos will be displayed through December 28. Photo submissions will be accepted through November 1 in both adult and youth divisions. Two winners will be selected in each division: one by random drawing and one by vote. To participate in the contest, visit ThreeRiversParks.org/EastmanPhotoShow or email EastmanNC@ThreeRiverParks.org for submission guidelines. All ages welcome. Free.

All photos tell a story. Whether you are a child taking a photo for the first time, a hiker using your phone camera, or a lifelong photographer, we want to see the parks through your lens! Show us how much you love the parks by submitting your photos of them for the Thankful for Parks: Amateur Photography Show! All submissions will be displayed for a month at Eastman Nature Center and will have a chance at winning prizes as described below. Please review submission guidelines carefully. Visit the event's website for more information at www.ThreeRiversParks.org/EastmanPhotoShow, by emailing EastmanNC@threeriversparks.org or by calling 763-694-7700.

Join the animal characters of the Big Woods on a Halloween trail walk. Visit the bubbling cauldron, eat a bug and experience the Gross Out Grotto! Enjoy Halloween games, a green screen photo opportunity and make a treat at the fire. Earn treats and experience the candy cannon. Costumes encouraged and refreshments provided. Activities are ongoing from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., but your reservation time is your trail start time. $8/person.

Learn basic candle making skills using natural beeswax and soy wax. Create several different projects using various candle making techniques, such as dipping, rolling and pouring tealights. This program is for ages 8+ for safety reasons. An adult must stay to assist children and must register if they want to make candles as well. $18/person.

Winter is a time of survival and our cold blooded animals are experiencing a special type of hibernation. Meet the animal ambassadors and learn how each species approaches this winter challenge. You will have a chance to see amphibians out of their tanks from 1–2 p.m. and reptiles from 2–3 p.m. All ages welcome. Free.

Sit with a naturalist and enjoy a warm fire. Examine furs and other body structures animals use to survive the winter cold. All ages welcome. Free.

Discover which mammals stay active in the winter and how they survive the cold temperatures. Touch and compare different types of fur. Drop in anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

Get out on the trails for a self-guided fall scavenger hunt. Choose from several options and complete your hike to earn a prize! Drop in anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

Join us as we prepare for our Winter Solstice Luminary Walk on December 21 by decorating a luminary bag. Color, draw, punch holes and make art! We will use these bags to decorate our trail. Come back on December 21 and see if you can spot the luminary bag you created out on the trail! All ages welcome. Free.

Winter is coming and a quiet stillness appears to cover the land. However, that is just an illusion. Enjoy a fire to warm up by as we explore the tiny things around Eastman with microscopes. Have you seen the beauty of soil magnified? Can you find something that's small and still alive? All ages welcome. Free.

A nature mandala is a circular design created using natural materials such as leaves, flowers, stones, seeds, bark or shells. It combines art, mindfulness and learning, allowing participants to explore symmetry, patterns and geometry while engaging with the natural environment. Come create your own on a fall day! All ages welcome. Free.

Love an oak tree, thank a squirrel! Hunt for acorns, discover squirrel facts, touch some unique artifacts and try your hand at the squirrel obstacle course. All ages welcome. Free.

Stop by the fire pit to listen or to share! Whether it be a poem, short story, picture book or a memory, if it's all-ages appropriate and has to do with a lake, a river or the ocean they all empty to, it belongs at this water-themed "open mic." All ages welcome. Free.

Learn the ways of our wild turkeys in Minnesota with a few indoor activities. Then, take a short trot/walk outside to look for evidence in our park. All ages welcome. Free.

Join us for a leisurely birding experience to learn common birds you can see or hear in Minnesota during the month of October. We expect to hear year-round residents such as the cardinal and chickadee, but hope to catch some of the birds migrating south, including various hawks and sandhill cranes. We will bird around the front sidewalks of Eastman Nature Center looking toward the forest with the option to continue up the forested bike trail. Please note: the bike trail is smooth pavement but has an incline over 10% which may be challenging for some users. This experience is designed to be intentionally inclusive and accessible for beginner birders who experience accessibility challenges as a result of a disability or other health concerns. For more information on the inclusivity of this program or our building, please call 763-694-7700 or email EastmanNC@ThreeRiversParks.org. All ages welcome. $6/person.

Huddle up together and learn to cook new recipes over an open fire by visiting three stations. We'll provide all the food and materials needed for one serving per person. Move from station to station at your own pace. Learn new recipes, cooking tools and tips for success, all while celebrating the holiday weekend together! Not all food allergies can be addressed, but we will have alternatives when possible. $15/person.

Go back in time with your scout friends and try pioneer-style crafting. Create a hand-dipped beeswax candle, rolled beeswax candle and a yarn doll. Adult leaders are free of charge and required to attend to assist scouts. $15/scout. Only ages 8+ are allowed in the classroom for safety reasons.

Explore the trails with your baby in a carrier or all-terrain stroller. We will hike at a slow to moderate pace and allow the babies/toddlers to engage in safe, sensory experiences along the way. Drop-ins welcome. Ages 0-3 plus adult. Free.

Carve your very own hiking stick to take home in exchange for a donation of gently used winter gear. Please bring clean, gently-used winter coats, mittens, snow boots, snow pants or fleece, and we will give you a hiking stick to carve and make your own. We are looking for adult-sized clothing but will take children and toddler sizes as well. All tools to carve hiking sticks will be provided. Drop in anytime. Free.

The trails around Eastman Nature Center were formed by the weight of 2,000-foot glaciers and the titanic force of rivers flowing through valleys. Wrap up the Big Year of Rivers by hiking the Meadowlark Trail and find where glaciers and the ancient river shaped the trail. All ages welcome. $6/person.

Drop off your homeschool student to be immersed in outdoor discoveries. During the six-session series, students will explore the world of environmental science through questioning, discovery, information sharing, record keeping, evaluation and reflection through nature journaling. Designed for curious kids who would enjoy working in a group; must be able to attend most sessions. Each class is held almost entirely outdoors. $75/person.

Become a field biologist. Students will learn how to research an ecology project, produce a hypothesis and perform a study to test it. Students will also learn about their individual leadership styles and practice teamwork with other individuals. This is a drop-off series and part of a multi-year study. Students must be able to take accurate measurements and attend all nine sessions. $204/student.

Though we can’t normally feel it, air is all around us. Come learn about the power air pressure has through hands-on experiments. Observe air crush a pop can and learn how it helps birds fly. $6/student.

Learn what makes birds unique. Examine taxidermied birds, learn about the adaptations that help birds survive and go on a binocular hike to find birds around the nature center. $6/student.

Learn basic candle making skills using natural beeswax and soy wax. Create several different projects using various techniques, such as dipping, rolling and pouring. An adult must attend to assist children. Only ages 8+ are allowed in the classroom for safety reasons. $18/student.

Did you know a bird's wing acts a lot like an airplane wing? Learn how birds and planes fly as you examine the four different kinds of flight. Study bird wings to improve the planes you make through the process of biomimicry. $6/student.

Why do birds fly south for the winter? How far do they go? Get all of your migration questions answered by participating in games and activities that will get you ready to fly south. $6/student.

Why are raptors such effective predators? Examine owl artifacts, compare your vision and strength to raptors, and determine what other adaptations raptors have to catch their prey. Meet our live great horned owl. $6/student.

Learn about the unique adaptations snakes have to help them survive. Learn what it is like to be a snake through games. Meet a live snake. $6/person.

Can a turtle leave its shell? Find out as you explore the world of turtles. Go searching for turtles at the pond, then meet a live turtle up close and assist with enrichment activities that help Eastman's turtles thrive. $6/student.