Stroller Stroll
Tuesday, July 1 at 10 am
**Meet: Interpretive Center Parking Lot by the Sundial
Interactive, Parent to Child (3 and under) learning w/a naturalist guide
Bring your little one to explore the wonders of nature in a safe, hands-on environment. Great time to meet and talk with other parents, too!
Wednesday Morning at the Barn: Cow Tails
Wednesday, July 2 from 10 -11:30 am
*Fee: $2/participating child in addition to regular admission, if applicable
**Meet: Barnyard, upper level
Indoor/outdoor, hands-on, and exploratory activities for children w/an adult
Ice cream, cheese, yogurt and milk! Where do we get all these yummy things? Enjoy a tasty craft, a milking activity and time with our animals.
Meet the Animals
Sunday, July 6 at 2 pm
**Meet: Barnyard, lower level
Indoor/Outdoor program for all ages
Come to the barn to meet our family of animals. Get close to our domestic animals to learn about the characteristics of mammals and birds.
Wednesday Morning at the Barn: Rabbit Romp
Wednesday, July 9, 10 -11:30 am
*Fee: $2/participating child (in addition to regular admission, if applicable)
**Meet: Barnyard, upper level
Indoor/outdoor, hands-on, and exploratory activities for children w/an adult
Why do rabbits have such large ears, eyes and feet? Learn about different types of rabbits, their homes and their predators. Play games and make a craft. Visit our rabbits and other barnyard animals.
Prairie Walk
Saturday, July 12 at 10 am OR Sunday, July 13 at 2 pm
Outdoor trail walk for Families and Adults
Prairies once covered a large portion of the United States, even parts of Michigan. These prairies were flat areas filled with grasses and flowers and few trees. Perfect for grazing wild animals but also perfect for the farmland of European settlers! KNC has restored old farmland to beautiful prairie. Join Naturalist Kara Haas to learn about the flowers and animals that call prairies home.
Wednesday Morning at the Barn: From Sheep to Sweater
Wednesday, July 16, 10 -11:30 am
*Fee: $2/participating child (in addition to regular admission, if applicable)
**Meet: Barnyard, upper level
Indoor/outdoor, hands-on, and exploratory activities for children w/an adult
Do you know how sheep’s fleece turns into a sweater? Investigate the plants and animals that provide us with natural fibers. Visit with weavers and spinners, make a yarn toy and a visit with our ewe and her lambs.
Wednesday Morning at the Barn: Wild Visitors
Wednesday, July 30, 10 -11:30 am
*Fee: $2/participating child (in addition to regular admission, if applicable)
**Meet: Barnyard, upper level
Indoor/outdoor, hands-on, and exploratory activities for children w/an adult
The barn is not only home to our friendly domestic animals but is also utilized by an interesting bunch of wild critters. Learn about wild visitors such as bats, raccoons, and the occasional nesting barn swallow
Portage Park Discovery Programs
Sponsored by the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. Join us for a natural connection to your parks! Call Dan Keto at (269) 381-1574, ext. 25 with questions or to register. Adults $5 / Children $3 Pay at the program.
Pre-registration is not required.
The Private Life of Birds
June 17,2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Westlake Nature Preserve
Explore the Life of Birds with Dan Keto as we follow the lives of our feathered neighbors. Migration, life cycles and identification will be discussed as we stroll through the park.
Lost in Space
June 24, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Lakeview Park
Take a journey through time and space. We will walk through the galaxy, without leaving the parks trails. Dan Keto will boldly go to the far reaches of our solar system. So all you Trekkies, Star Wars fans even the fireflies cruising the park come dressed to impress.
Tree Talk and Walk
July 15, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Westlake Nature Preserve
Dan Keto the Interpretive Naturalist speaks for the trees because the trees have no tongues. Hear what they could say about themselves if they could talk.
Reptiles and Amphibians
July 22, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Westlake Nature Preserve
Hop, slither and scurry over to Westlake Nature Preserve for a “Ribbit-ing” investigation of the cold-blooded individuals that live in our neighborhood.
Nature Games
July 29, 2008 at 7-8:30p.m.
Oakland Park
Bring the family, a compass, bandanas for blindfolds and a sense of adventure as we play a variety of nature games. Take a trail of discovery; navigate the park in a fun way.
Summer Discovery Hike
August 5, 2008 at 7-8:30pm
Westlake Nature Preserve
Explore West Lake Nature Preserve with a Naturalist. Search and observe for the living things that call each habitat home. What changes are happening as summer moves to fall. Bring comfortable shoes and some bug protection. Binoculars and cameras are always welcome.
Wildflower Walk
August 12, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Bishop’s Bog
You are invited to a wildflower wander, join Dan Keto Lead Interpretive Naturalist at the Kalamazoo Nature Center as we explore the bog’s botanical beauties.
I Spy Insects
August 19, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Schrier Park
The place is bugged. You heard me . . . we need to talk outside. Join Interpretive Naturalist Dan Keto as we investigate the secrets they are hiding along the fringes and hear about the underground.
Soggy Bog
August 26, 2008 at 7-8:30 p.m.
Bishop’s Bog
Get to know a unique wetland found in Michigan, join Interpretive Naturalist Dan Keto as we take a walk looking for the specialized forms of life that make a soggy bog a place of beauty.
Fontana Festival Returns to the Nature Center
Beginning in June, Fontana Chamber Arts’ Summer Music Festival returns to Cooper’s Glen Auditorium at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. As part of this annual chamber music festival presented in Kalamazoo, South Haven, and Three Rivers, the Nature Center will once again host a variety of world-class musicians and chamber ensembles this summer.
Plan to attend performances at the Nature Center on June 25, July 2, 9, 11, 18, and 23. Artists include the Daedalus Quartet, Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio (jazz), Peter Soave’s Tango Sensations, Pacifica Quartet, Early Music Michigan, and the Silver Medalist of the Stulberg String Competition. On select dates, enjoy catered Dinners-on-the-Deck with other audience members before the concert. And don’t forget… It wouldn’t quite be summer without Fontana’s famous Ice Cream Intermissions!
KNC Members Get a Discount—Purchase tickets to any Fontana Chamber Arts Summer Festival concert at the Nature Center for the special rate of $15 per adult and $5 per student/child. Just show your membership card at the time of purchase to receive this special discount.
For more information about the 2008 Summer Music Festival, contact Fontana Chamber Arts (269) 382-7774 or visit www.fontanachamberarts.org.
Jr. Audubon: Woodland Bird Walk
Saturday, July 26, 8 – 10 am
Meet at West Lake Nature Preserve off S. Westnedge about 1 mile south of Center
St. on the east side of the road. The park entrance is off S. Shore Dr. about 200 feet east of Westnedge Ave.
In southern Michigan, July is about the end of the nesting season. We’ll walk through the woods and maybe go out to the marsh and bog (on the boardwalk) to see what birds we can find. Depending on the water levels, the boardwalk can have ankle deep water so please dress appropriately. We should hear Indigo Buntings singing from the treetops as well as Eastern Wood Pewees.