Take your art materials outside! Immerse yourself in nature while using hike-able art mediums such as watercolor or drawing. Practice nature journaling and learn new art techniques such as printmaking. This camp includes lots of reflection time, outdoor time and hiking. We recommend this camp for kids who already have a high interest in art and that want to learn some unique art mediums in nature.

Birds are migrating from their winter home to their summer home. Join us on a hike as we use binoculars and our ears to identify the birds we only see once or twice a year. Bird friendly coffee will be provided!

See, smell and touch beaver biofacts. Learn the difference between beavers and muskrats. Go on a self guided hike to look for beavers and beaver-chewed trees. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime, no registration required. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime, no registration required. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime, no registration required. Free.

Watch some kooky animal puppets as they stop Trasher the Trash Can from trashing nature. Performance begins promptly at 1 p.m. After the show, try your hand at making an art project related to the show until 3 p.m. Join the Walk with a Naturalist at 2 p.m. for a longer nature hike or stay and make art throughout the afternoon. All ages welcome. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic, with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime, no registration required. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime. No registration required. Free.

Learn about nature at your own pace through free, hands-on experiences. Each week features a different topic with a naturalist available to share insights and answer questions. Activities change weekly and may include self-guided activities such as a short hike, exhibit discovery or using an exploration kit. Designed for individuals, families and learners of all ages. Drop in anytime, no registration required.

Come experience Eastman Nature Center in the dark! This version of our firefly hike is adapted for people who need physical accommodations. Listen to a presentation inside about how and why fireflies glow. Then load up in your vehicle and drive up to our upper parking lot which has a handicap accessible entrance to the paved trail. Move along the paved trail or take a seat on a bench and watch the fireflies glow in the prairie. Special flashlights provided, if needed. Reservations required. Program geared for ages 5+. Please call 763-694-7700 for more information on all the accommodations this program can offer. $6/person.

Experience the joy of summer camp and spending family time together in nature. Learn all about the animals that call Minnesota home. Hike the trails to search for animal homes, hideouts and clues they have left behind. Get up close, touch and help feed the animal ambassadors living at Richardson Nature Center. $36/person.

Experience the joy of summer camp and spending family time together in nature. Explore the three major habitats of Richardson Nature Center within Hyland Lake Park Reserve. Hike the oak forest and search for signs of animals. Sweep the tallgrass prairie with nets to catch and identify insects. Paddle a canoe on Turtle Basking Pond for a closer look at wildlife. Spend the day outside together exploring all parts of this beautiful park. $36/person.

Explore the barn and beyond with hands-on activities, hikes and games. Each day we’ll trek to visit the animals, harvest from the gardens and uncover a new secret of life on the farm.

Come experience Eastman Nature Center in the dark! Linger at a few firefly stations, look at preserved fireflies, and learn how and why they glow. Take a hike in our forest as the night begins to darken and finish the evening at the prairie to safely catch and release fireflies. The hiking trail is uneven with occasional exposed roots. Special flashlights provided, if needed. Nets will be provided. Reservations required. Program geared for ages 5+. $6/person.

Join a naturalist for a walk along the trails. Observe seasonal changes happening across the habitats and landscapes. Bring binoculars if you have them or some will be available to borrow at the park. Drop-ins welcome. Hike departs shortly after 2 p.m. from in front of the visitor center. All ages welcome. Free.

Experience the whole-body benefits that pole hiking provides while also experiencing the social benefits of the club. Outdoor Recreation School instructors provide direction about Nordic walking and lead a weekly hike. Explore trails, meet new friends and feel the health benefits of exercising in nature. Most of the hikes will be on unpaved dirt trails. Park locations will vary each week of club. You will be emailed a schedule from your Lead Instructor prior to the first week of club. $60/person.

Explore trails, meet new friends and feel the health and wellness benefits of exercising in nature. Instructors from the Outdoor Recreation School provide instruction and technique for using Nordic walking poles and will lead a weekly hike. Most of the hikes will be on unpaved dirt trails of Three Rivers parks within the South Metro. Experience the whole-body benefits that Nordic pole hiking provides while also experiencing the social benefits of the club. Nordic walking poles are provided for use during the program. Be sure to have sturdy shoes or lightweight hiking boots to hike on unpaved, possibly muddy trails with hilly terrain. Meets every Monday from April 27th to June 8th at 5:45pm-7pm. Class does not meet May 25th. $36/six sessions.

Step into the quiet embrace of the forest and let nature wash over you. Shinrin-Yoku, or “forest bathing”, is more than a walk—it’s an immersion of the senses, a return to the wisdom of the trees. Feel the cool whisper of the breeze against your skin. Breathe in the earthy scent of moss and pine, and the sweetness of damp leaves. Hear the rhythmic rustle of branches, the distant call of a bird, the gentle trickle of water over smooth stone. With each step, the weight of the world softens, your mind quiets, your body unwinds. Guided by a certified Forest Bathing practitioner, you’ll be invited to slow down and engage deeply with your surroundings—touching bark craggy as time, watching sunlight dance through shifting canopies, tasting the crispness of the air itself. Through gentle prompts and mindful reflection, you’ll rediscover the innate connection between yourself and the living world. This is not a hike, nor a destination—it is an experience of presence, a practice of simply being. Benefits of Shinrin-Yoku: Reduces stress and anxiety, boosts mood and mental clarity, supports immune function, enhances mindfulness and connection. Come, step into the forest. Let it restore you. $32/person.

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

The weather is getting warmer and snakes are out sunning themselves. What should you do if you see a snake? Are they safe to be around? This presentation on snakes in your neighborhood will answer these questions and more. Afterwards, head out on a hike to look for where you are likely to see snakes around the nature center and meet one of our education ambassador snakes. $6/person.

Take a closer look at the hidden worlds around us! Each day, campers will explore a new level of magnification using different types of microscopes to reveal the tiny details that make up our natural world. From hand lenses to dissecting scopes to high-powered compound microscopes, we’ll journey deeper and deeper into the micro world taking micro hikes around the park to collect fascinating samples along the way. Campers will even have the chance to view their own cells up close. Inspired by these incredible discoveries, we’ll create artwork that celebrates light, color and the often unseen patterns of nature. For a full day of adventure, combine with Nature's Protectors Camp in the afternoon. Includes a monitored lunch hour between camp sessions.

Go on a hike with a naturalist looking for milkweed and monarch caterpillars. You'll learn how to identify milkweed plants and the many different stages of the monarch butterflies life cycle. Lightweight long sleeves and pants recommended for hiking off-trail in tall grasses. Free.

Join naturalist Kirk and others on this popular series of four Monday morning hikes to look for birds. All levels of birders welcome. Beginners will learn a lot from more experienced birders on the hike and everyone will learn along the way. If you need binoculars, you will be able to borrow a pair from the nature center. This is a great opportunity to learn the trails and find out where various species are seen in the park.

Celebrate the Big Year of Rivers with a creek adventure. Join us for a parent-child event with a local author of the children's book "Me and You in the Big Green Canoe." Design your own mini canoe paddle and sit in a canoe for a photo opp. Listen to the story as it's read and acted out by the author. Hike to the creek to make a nature boat and watch it float down the creek. Ages 4-8 with an adult only, no younger siblings. $6/person.

Learn about the frogs and toads that live in our area through hands-on activities. Make an art project, do the frog jump, and meet a toad. Hike to the forest to search for toads and dig for worms in the dirt. Bring a picnic blanket to sit on. This is not a drop-off program; both the adult and child must register and pay. $6/person.

Learn about the dragonflies that live in our area through hands-on activities. Explore their life cycle and special adaptations, and hike to the prairie to try catching them with a net. Bring a picnic blanket to sit on. $6/person

Join us for a once monthly program exploring the creative arts and natural world. Cozy up for a story or song, head on a hike to observe the wild surroundings and create an art project inspired by what you find. This program will occur primarily outdoors with access to the indoors for restroom breaks and when necessary for some artmaking activities. $7/person. Ages: 2-6 plus adult. Siblings under age 2 are free but must register.

Spend your summer days exploring the outdoors through hands-on adventures and nature discoveries! Team up with the Outdoor Recreation School and Richardson Nature Center to uncover the critters and creatures that call Minnesota home. From nature hikes and creek or lake explorations, to log rolling, geocaching and more, every day brings a new adventure. All equipment is provided.

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.

Join naturalists for a twilight hike to learn about crepuscular wildlife, animals that are most active at dawn and dusk. We'll look and listen for signs of deer, rabbits, beavers and owls. The hike will be moderately paced along rolling turf and woodchip trails. All ages welcome. $6/person.

Did you know that Minnesota is home to hundreds of moth species? Discover what makes these winged insects so unique and learn the important role they play in our ecosystem. Enjoy an evening hike through the forest and prairie, then see what moths and other late-night critters are attracted to a “light tent”. The hike will be moderately paced along rolling turf and non-paved trails. All ages welcome. $6/person.

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.

Discover the history of the Noerenberg family on a guided walk through the property. From their home "Wilkommen" to the eye-catching boat house to the historic barn, learn about the family connections to the lake and the land during the Gilded Age. $9/person.