Coming Up Next

Whether it’s an annual event like Maple Sugar Festival, a special exhibit at the Visitor Center, or a hike with the Preschool Explorers, there’s something for everyone at KNC. You may register in advance or at the KNC Visitor Center or Welcome Station when you arrive for a number of programs. In some cases, such as workshops like Returning & Reskilling, registration is required so we can plan for materials.

Monthly Weekly Daily List
May 2026
foraging kalamazoo nature center michigan

Foraging the Edible Wilderness 

Foraging the Edible Wilderness Thursday 5/14 5:00-6:30pm; Saturday 5/16 10:00-11:30am Meet: Visitor Center Main Parking Lot Sundial  Join KNC staff to learn some foraging basics of spring. Grab your basket and enjoy finding the edible treasures around us on a guided hike. Dress for the weather as this program will be entirely outdoors.  Register for…
14 May
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
poetry steve brown kalamazoo nature center

The Poetry of Steve Brown 

Saturday, May 16, 10 am – Noon Meet: Auditorium  Steve Brown of Kalamazoo is a poet who writes with “the eye of a reporter, the touch of a painter and the heart of a storyteller.”    Steve will be reading from his latest book, News of Need (2025), capturing more than 40 portraits of people and…
16 May
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
foraging kalamazoo nature center michigan

Foraging the Edible Wilderness 

Foraging the Edible Wilderness Thursday 5/14 5:00-6:30pm; Saturday 5/16 10:00-11:30am Meet: Visitor Center Main Parking Lot Sundial  Join KNC staff to learn some foraging basics of spring. Grab your basket and enjoy finding the edible treasures around us on a guided hike. Dress for the weather as this program will be entirely outdoors.  Register for…
16 May
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Wild onion

Science Speaks: Science and Art Collaborations to Foster Environmental Engagement

Saturday, May 16, 2-3 pm Meet: Auditorium  Join WMU professors Jacklyn Brickman and Sharon Gill for a discussion of the ways that art and science overlap and strengthen one another. We’ll talk about ecology, expression, and the ways we can use art to connect with our ecosystems.   Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Drop in program.
16 May
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
young children walking in forest on a nature program

Preschool Explorers

Come dressed to explore the outdoors while developing early childhood readiness skills. Each week participants will enjoy a nature inspired program based on a monthly theme with a story, a movement activity and a craft. Learn more about this popular program and register here > Fee: $8/Member child, $10/Non-Member child, 1 adult included in price.…
19 May
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center

Homeschool: Wander and Wonder

Thursdays, March 19, April 16, & May 21, 1:30-3:30 pm  Homeschool students will dive into a new theme through guided hikes, engaging storytelling, hands-on nature observation, and creative journaling. With a blend of writing and artwork, students will sharpen their observation skills while building a deeper connection to the natural world.  Participants should have foundational reading and…
21 May
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
soapmaking kalamazoo nature center

SOLD OUT: Soap Making Workshop 

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT Saturday, May 23, 10 am – Noon  Meet: Classroom  Audience: Adults Fan favorite Molly Appeldoorn is back with a beginner’s lesson on crafting simple soaps from raw ingredients. Learn the traditional ways of soapmaking and get expert advice on how to tune your soap to your needs.  Fee: Members $16, Non-Members $20 Please register.
23 May
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
discover KNC guided hike

Discover KNC Guided Hike

Discover KNC Guided Hikes  Saturdays, February 28, April 25 and May 23, 2-3 pm  Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free! Drop-in program. Audience: All Ages  Explore KNC on a guided hike through some of our favorite areas. Each month will feature a different trail, taking you through our greatest hits and best…
23 May
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
young children walking in forest on a nature program

Preschool Explorers

Come dressed to explore the outdoors while developing early childhood readiness skills. Each week participants will enjoy a nature inspired program based on a monthly theme with a story, a movement activity and a craft. Learn more about this popular program and register here > Fee: $8/Member child, $10/Non-Member child, 1 adult included in price.…
26 May
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Pesticide training garlic mustard kalamazoo nature center

Certified Pesticide Applicators – Continuing Education Workshop

Thursday, May 28, 8:00am-5:00pm in-person (8:30am-12:30pm virtual option)  Audience: This workshop is intended for private and commercial licensed pesticide applicators in need of continuing education credits (MDARD Pesticide CEU)  Meet: Cooper’s Glen Auditorium and MS Teams Virtual option (morning only)  Join KNC’s professional licensed pesticide applicators to review topics related to the MDARD Commercial Core and Category 6 Right…
28 May
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
River Guardians

Kalamazoo River Guardians

Are you looking for an opportunity to better understand your local watershed? Become a Kalamazoo River Guardian! Working with a team of experts, participants will help sample parts of the Kalamazoo River watershed and its local tributaries for macroinvertebrates (water bugs). Samples will be brought back to the lab to be identified under microscopes as…
30 May
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Merrill Park
5845 Comstock Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Music mornings Kalamazoo nature center

Music Mornings w/ Sara

Saturday, May 30 10-11 am  Audience: All Ages  Connect your family with nature through music! Opera singer Sara Emerson will lead a whimsical sing along, perfect for young ears and voices. After our musical journey, we’ll go on a brief walk and say hello to nature!    Fee: Member Family $12, Non-Member Family $15. Please register.  
30 May
10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
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Registration is now open for:

kid running in fall

Raptor Run 5K & Kids Run

Saturday, October 18, 2025
Registration required

Learn More >

Tricks & Trails

Friday, October 31, 2025

Learn More >

Sponsor an Event!

Whether your business operates locally, nationally, or globally, a sponsorship places you in front of our 5,600+ membership base and the greater Kalamazoo community. Read more >

Save the date for these annual events:

Raptor Run 5K & Kids Run

October 18, 2025
Learn More >

Tricks & Trails

Friday, October 31, 2025

Learn More >

Buy Local Art & Gift Fair

Buy Local Art & Gift Fair

December 6, 2025

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Maple Sugaring

Maple Sugar Festival

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Learn More >

Earth Day Celebration

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Learn More >

firefly

Firefly Night Hike

June 27, 2026
Learn More >

Terry Todd International Speaker Series

Terry Todd was an avid nature lover and longtime supporter of the Kalamazoo Nature Center and many other community organizations. She was an advocate for education and believed that people of all ages should never stop learning. The Terry Todd International Speaker Series was created by her family as a memorial to her and in recognition of her commitment to these ideals. This endowment fund invites dynamic individuals in the fields of nature and the environment to Kalamazoo to share their knowledge and passion with the community Terry loved.

Read more about upcoming and past Series events >