Join forces with others from around the galaxy as you join the Lowry Bounty Guild. We've been entrusted with an item that must be delivered. Everyone wants what we have. Learn about plants and animals, practice survival skills, take aim and try archery, become an expert in camouflage, hunt down clues and explore uncharted territories all while keeping an eye out for friend and foe as we race to save the day and unravel a galaxy-wide mystery. Bikes and helmets required for one day of camp.

Explore the forest, pond and prairie habitats. Build a survival shelter with other campers, start a campfire using different techniques and make a s'more. Try canoeing in our nearby lake, meet our resident animals, and gain skills to navigate and overcome obstacles in the forest. Make friends and engage with others during safe, off-trail adventures away from the comforts of home. Participants must be able to demonstrate self-care skills, follow adult direction and safety rules, and show readiness for large group participation, including remaining with the group. Developed in partnership with Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM).

Explore the forest, pond and prairie habitats. Build a survival shelter with other campers. Start a campfire using different techniques and make a s'more. Meet our resident animals, and gain skills to navigate and overcome obstacles in the forest. Make friends and engage with others during safe, off-trail adventures away from the comforts of home. Participants must be able to demonstrate self-care skills, follow adult direction and safety rules, and show readiness for large group participation, including remaining with the group. Developed in partnership with Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM).

Join us for this Big Year of Rivers program where we explore how water cycles through our environment. Walk along one of our trails and play an interactive game where you become a drop of water. Gain a better understanding of how water moves and changes as you move through the game. Where will you start? Where will you end up? Every drop's journey is different!

See wild songbirds safely trapped, studied and banded with numbered rings. Find out what scientists learn from these banded birds.

Bushcraft is the set of outdoor skills that allow you to survive, thrive and enjoy being in the wild. In this camp we’ll learn skills including weaving, whittling, fire-building, foraging, projectile throwing and more! This is the camp where nature, art and survival come together. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Stop by Lowry any time between 1–4 p.m. to practice your observation skills on our camouflage trail. There will be wooden cutouts of animals hidden along the acorn trail. Stop by the front desk to pick up a checklist and see if you can find them all!

Would you like to be able to draw better? Learn how to see like an artist! With nature as our inspiration, try fun exercises to loosen up and techniques to help you draw more quickly and accurately. Take your skills outside and sketch from nature. See what you can create and leave with new skills to add to your drawing practice. We'll sketch in pencil, ink and charcoal. You're welcome to bring your own supplies or use ours.

Discover the hidden world of Lowry’s bugs! Learn about Minnesota insects large and small, explore wild places to see them up close and gain a new appreciation for why the world needs bugs.

Come join our Forest Fellowship of Adventurers, tasked with helping those in need in our many lands. Journey to a fantastical realm where you can talk to the trees, meet magical creatures like elves or dwarves, and maybe even stumble upon a quest.

Go on a hunt looking for the tastiest treasure of all, maple syrup. You'll learn how to use a GPS device and about the process to make maple syrup. The class involves walking roughly two miles on mostly flat terrain and tasting a small sample of Lowry's award winning maple syrup.

Young wizards and witches get ready to enter a world where things are not as they seem! Learn the secret arts of herbology, potions, mysterious creatures and more. Craft your own wand, play games and prepare for a wild ride of fantasy nature adventures while exploring our magical world. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Does your child have a special adult in their life like a grandparent, aunt or friend? Together they can spend time learning about nature, meeting our animal ambassadors and building special memories. Designed for youth and an older adult—parents get to hear stories later! Participants will travel over uneven ground in a variety of weather conditions. $128/pair. Ages 6-9 plus adult.

Step into the past to experience early Minnesota as we explore the historic lifeways of the Dakota people. Paddle a canoe across the water, practice archery skills and help raise a traditional style tipi. Try your hand at fire-starting and traditional Dakota games. Learn Dakota words connected to the natural world and discover the cultural significance of many plants and animals. This camp is based out of Lowry Nature Center but includes an off-site visit with bus transportation to Shakopee to visit The Landing (Three Rivers Park District) and Hocokata Ti Cultural Center (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.) Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Explore nature as an artist with drawing, painting and photography! Our art adventures will take us near and far as we gather inspiration from nature and meet animals up close. Each week we'll try a new artist technique. Equipment and supplies needed.

See if you have what it takes to be a voyager! Step into the past and learn about the early fur traders of Minnesota. Study the animals of the fur trade while you practice your animal tracking. Set out into the wilderness to check a geocaching "trapline." Meet up at the rendezvous to play games and sing voyager songs, then gather your furs and visit a trading post.

Many birds stay in Minnesota during the cold winters using various strategies to survive and forage for food. Learn about our tough, winter feathered friends, play games, meet our raptor ambassadors and make a bird feeder.

Each day’s adventures begins with a story by Eric Carle, including "The Lonely Firefly", "The Tiny Seed" and "The Very Clumsy Click Beetle". Stories are followed by nature exploration looking for plants and animals mentioned in the stories. Creative games, songs and an art project make an excellent time of fun and learning.

Hear about Laura's life in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and how she tapped maple trees. Tap a real maple tree and collect sap if it's running. Make pioneer maple sugar cakes and eat them with real maple syrup. Program is both indoors and out. Trails may be muddy, slushy or snowy. Wear boots.

Learn how to sew with a needle and thread, and make an outdoor fire and cook over it. Help with pioneer chores, games and crafts. Spend your days exploring the big woods and prairies just like Laura. One day will be spent at the historic Grimm Farmhouse in Carver Park Reserve. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

It’s time to awaken as a hero! The Kingdom of Carver is becoming unbalanced and the king has requested your help to restore it. In order to protect the land, you must learn about it. Use a map and compass to find your way to find keys and open chests. You will need to explore the three regions of the kingdom and fill out your compendium with information for the king. You’ll need to board a canoe to investigate the water domain, use scientific tools in the land of grasses and be introduced to the hidden secrets of the forest. Play mini-games, follow side-quests and learn all about the environment you’re charged to protect. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Practice an age old tradition and create something beautiful and useful. Learn the basics of selecting and preparing materials, then use simple weaving techniques to finish a custom basket to take home. Please note, good hand strength and flexibility are required. Program is indoors.

Grab your favorite sled for an evening under the stars. Enjoy sledding down a hill lined with lanterns, then warm up next to a campfire and make s’mores. A limited amount of sleds are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. All ages welcome. No registration required.

Join us for one of Minnesota's oldest traditions, the making of maple sugar and syrup. The tradition of maple sugaring goes back hundreds of years. Learn about its beginnings, observe a tree being tapped along with different collection methods, and finish up with a stop at the Sugar Shack for a taste of the sweet, liquid gold.

Dig into nature and get messy, muddy and wet! Play games with water and explore aquatic habitats. Build with mud, sticks and leaves. Paint with your hands and feet, make gooey concoctions, and meet slimy worms and bugs.

Discover nature on the bookshelf with your preschooler. Join a Lowry Nature Center naturalist for a picture-book story time, followed by learning ways to explore and experience nature and the outdoors. Participants should dress for the weather and be prepared to be outside for 45 minutes. Feel free to bring a bag lunch or snack to eat at the building after the program. $6/person. Age 4-6 plus adult.

Discover nature with your preschooler through guided outdoor exploration of seasonal themes. Dress to be comfortable outdoors for the entire class. Bring a lunch and stay to eat with other participants after the program. This is not a drop-off program. $6/person. Ages 4-6 plus adult.

Join our puppet friends. Explore activities before the show and hike on your own afterward. Maximum of three children per adult. Program is a combination of indoor and outdoor activities. Please dress for the weather. Bring a bag lunch and eat with other participants after the program. $6/person. Ages 2-6 plus adult. Under 2 are free but must register.

Discover nature through art and photography. Explore habitats while creating sketches and seeking the perfect photo. Use a sketchbook to explore nature by drawing in pencil and charcoal and painting with ink and watercolor. Experiment with color, art materials made in nature and a camera to take great photos. Supplies and equipment provided. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Explore nature as an artist with drawing, painting and photography! Our art adventures will take us near and far: hike, canoe, gather inspiration and materials from nature. Try gesture sketches, and paint in watercolor and ink. Use a camera to create engaging photos, paint the outdoors and try your hand at land art. Make and take your own art tools, and canoe and be inspired by new scenes. Equipment and supplies provided.

Explore the outdoors, hike, bike, and canoe through the trails and waterways of Carver Park Reserve. Play games and solve challenges with other campers. Try swimming, tie-dye and solo hiking (just a little while). You’ll even spend a full day on the trail with adventures along the way. Bikes and helmets required for one day of camp.

Who runs the (natural) world? GIRLS! Join this all-girl camp to try new things and reinforce skills all while spending time outdoors. Make new connections with other campers, build independence, explore the nature center as well as the town of Victoria. Try your hand at projectiles, carving, weaving, alternative fire starting and more. Bikes and helmets required for one day. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.

Grab your nature journal, pencils and paints, and let's explore outdoors. Learn the process and tradition of maple syrup and sugar. Visit the sugarbush, check out tapped maples and the evaporator. Explore and sketch on your own. Wrap up with a taste of maple syrup and time to share our questions and journal discoveries! Students and adults welcome. The program includes outdoor and indoor activities, please dress to be outside for 45 minutes.

Finally, the captain has a boat! But there's a twist (because of course there is). Follow maps, start fires, pilot canoes, build shelters, search for wild edibles and practice using all of your senses and, of course, look for treasure. All while trying to figure out who is attempting to foil the plans of the captain and ruin his big boat reveal party.

Raptors have been a part of education at Lowry for many of our 50 years. Meet the current captive raptors, learn about these amazing birds of prey and how they help teach. Drop in anytime.

Ever wonder what a salamander eats? This is your chance to find out! Observe a Lowry naturalist as they feed a live turtle, salamanders, toads and a frog. See the animals up close and out of their enclosures and learn the answers to all of your animal care questions.

The forest is calling. Are you ready to explore? Create the perfect walking stick, hike meandering paths, and build forts for you and your friends. Try stick-based projectiles of the past, light a fire to cook a tasty treat and enjoy the summer woodland at its finest. Extended care available for an additional $48; drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5 p.m.