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.

Step down from the bank and into the water of rambling Rush Creek. Investigate sandbars, forest birds, puddle creatures and oxbow formations. Splash, climb, bend and leap as you explore the shallow water channel and its connection to the big river. Naturalists will lead this unique hiking experience with an eye toward water quality and wildlife. $6/person.

Have you ever wondered why the bike trails around Eastman have so many hills, while outside the park the trails are relatively flat? Join us as we bike the north loop of Elm Creek Park Reserve and explore how the glaciers of 10,000 years ago impact your biking experience today. We will take small rests at glacial features along the trail, but it will be a moderate intensity bike ride. $9/person.

Beavers have amazing bodies and behaviors! A family of beavers built a dam not far from the nature center. Stop by to learn about Minnesota’s largest rodents, try to build a mini dam and head out on Eastman's trails with a map to where beavers have been active to hunt for signs that they have been busy. Drop in anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

Learn how to use a GPS, then head out on the trails to discover fascinating river facts as we celebrate the Big Year of Rivers. All ages welcome. Free.

Drop in and make a beautiful cyanotype art project using a special paper, a nature object and the sunshine. Make one for yourself and one for a grandparent in honor of Grandparents Day. Limit of two projects per person. 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.

Stop by to visit with monarchs; there might be eggs, caterpillars, a chrysalis, or adult butterflies to see. Learn about the fascinating life cycle of the monarch butterfly and how it migrates to Mexico for the winter. 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.

Join us for collecting insects in the prairie. Use nets and small containers to collect, observe and release while the prairie is in full bloom. Meet in the prairie near the upper parking lot. If it rains or is too wet, we will meet a prairie animal ambassador in the nature center. Drop ins anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

Join Brandon, one of the hosts of The Wandering Naturalist podcast, by a campfire to explore the show's September topic and get a sneak peak of the October topic. Learn how to identify some of the birds that use the Mississippi Flyway in the fall, then borrow binoculars to find them on the trails. Learn what makes crows and other corvids such amazing birds. Bring your questions and chat with Brandon. Drop in and leave anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

The people of Acer Township are calling for help. The water elementals in their river have grown furious and nobody knows why. Can you save the town from the fury of the elementals? Play Dungeons and Dragons 5E and perform biotic indexes at the waterways around Eastman to help save the town. This class will involve playing the game inside and doing activities outside. No previous experience with D&D is necessary. Participants receive a set of dice to keep. Come individually or as a family. $12/person.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why do scientists call some animals reptiles? Discuss why scientists organize living things into categories through the science of cladistics. Observe living reptiles to determine what traits they share. Play games to learn what it is like to be a reptile. $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.

What drives our weather? Will it be sunny or snowy? Learn how to use weather tools such as anemometers to answer these questions, become a meteorologist and learn how to predict the weather. $6/person.

Join Chef Derek Nicholas of Wiising LLC to explore the deep cultural connections of Indigenous food systems. Explore the plants and animals around Eastman Nature Center with Derek and participate in an activity related to Indigenous food. Activities may include cooking, art or skills related to that season's topic. The topic will be chosen by Derek based on what the season is providing. $6/person.

This MEA weekend, earn a nature badge by completing the ultimate nature quest! Try several activities in and around Eastman Nature Center: pond dipping, fall tree hiking, geocaching, meeting an animal ambassador and more. As a reward for your hard work, create a sweet treat over the fire. $6/child.