Water life is fascinating if you look closely! We'll review the value and scarcity of clean water by collecting and observing macroinvertebrates from a pond. We will use a dichotomous key to identify critters and complete a biological index to determine water quality. $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.

A wellness offering for teachers, administrators and community care professionals looking for respite in a challenging time. Each session will include a short walk to immerse in nature and a wellness practice such as a meditation trail, solo sit, qigong practice, etc. Each session is a standalone offering, but participants can join as many sessions as they like. Scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays throughout the summer. Alternating morning and evening. Come rain or shine. Drop-ins are welcome. Free

Las libélulas son insectos que se mueven rápidamente y vuelan sobre la hierba. Aprende qué hace que estos animales sean tan fascinantes y por qué son importantes para el ecosistema antes de salir a intentar atraparlas tú mismo. Un educador profesional te mostrará dónde encontrarlas, cómo capturarlas e incluso cómo sostener una en tu mano. ¡Prepárate para correr, estos insectos son veloces! Este programa se desarrollará en español.

Celebrate dragonflies and their life cycles. Visit the dragonfly tent, catch adults and nymphs, test water quality at the pond using invertebrates and learn how your actions affect their health. Take a photo with a giant dragonfly on a green screen. Explore with microscopes and see dragonfly nymphs up close. Talk to the Minnesota Dragonfly Society about what they do around the state. Drop in anytime. 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.

Celebrate National Moth week. Meet live caterpillars, learn what makes them unique and leave with a new appreciation of North America's biggest moth.Drop in anytime. 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.

Journey through the water cycle in a unique hands on game. Turn yourself into a water droplet and become part of the adventure as you collect beads that tell your personal water droplet story. Drop in anytime. All ages welcome. Free.

Join us in our front yard as our turtle ambassadors get some sunshine. Learn what makes Blanding's and painted turtles special, and discover where they live and what they eat. 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.

Explore one of summertime's coolest habitats, the pond! Meet a naturalist at the dock to scoop with a net, identify aquatic invertebrates and plants, and get a closer look with a magnifier. 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.

Join us for a quiet, creative activity at the pond or along the creek. Make your own watercolor painting to take home. 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.

Take a stroll through the woods and fields and search for tiny creatures that live in secret places. Scatter seeds that will grow into new flowers in the prairie. Listen to the story "Fairy Houses" by Tracy Kane and create a fairy house to take home. $6/person.

Frolic in the enchanted forest and hunt for your sparkling wand. Search for dazzling damselflies, water nymphs and other fairy-sized creatures in the pond. Chase dragonflies, butterflies and moths in the prairie, leave a message in a magical mailbox to reveal fairy mysteries and create a fairy house.

Are you new to the idea of summer camp? Have you ever wondered how to introduce your child to summer camp? Focus will be to have first time campers all together, building new friendships and exploring parks to increase confidence outdoors. We will experience some classic camp activities like building forts, meeting nature center animals and playing games to make new friends. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Discover how to survive in the woods. Practice keeping a fire lit and build an emergency shelter. Learn to overcome obstacles in your path and hone your skills in off-trail games. Find your way through the woods with the Geocaching Challenge. This is a great sibling camp that can be divided into smaller groups by age. Extended care available for an additional $60; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

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.

Does your child have a special adult in their life like a grandparent, aunt or friend? Together, they can share time in the woods learning about nature, meeting our animal ambassadors and building special memories. This is designed for youth and an older adult. Parents get to hear the stories later! $131/pair. Ages 6-9 plus adult. NOTE: There is no additional child rate for this camp; all registrations are priced per pair.

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 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.

Learn about spiders during an inside presentation, we will cover what time of year we see spiders the most, where to find their webs and different types found here in Minnesota. After the presentation, head out to the prairie to do insect sweeping and catch some spiders. $6/person.