Coming Up Next

Here are just a few of the many programs coming up at KNC! We are grateful to a KNC donor community that believes everyone should have the chance to enjoy and learn from outdoor experiences. Our donors make it possible for KNC to minimize financial barriers that would otherwise limit access to KNC programs. Apply for financial assistance during program or event registration or email .

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.

KNC Members receive 30% off programs, and 15% off program series! Learn more about Membership here >

Youth Programs

Preschool Explorers

Tuesdays at 10 am
Audience: Youth 5 and under
Fee: Member $4.20/child, Non-Member $6/child, 1 adult free. Register or drop in.

Come dressed to explore the outdoors while developing early childhood readiness skills. Read more >

Amazing Animal Ambassadors

Tuesdays, October 10, & November 14, 4 pm
Audience: Kids & Families
Fee: Member $7, Non-Member $10. Register or drop in.

Head to KNC to visit with animal care staff and meet the animal ambassadors for feeding time!

October: Snakes >
November: Birds of Prey >

All Ages Programs

Stewardship Walk & Talk: Beaver Hike

Saturday, September 23, 7:30-9:30 am
Fee: Included in regular KNC admission | Audience: All ages
Meet: Market Barn, 357 W E Avenue

Head out on an early morning hike with KNC Stewardship Director, Ryan Koziatek, to learn how KNC is choosing to live with beavers on the landscape.

Read more >

Monarch Tagging

Tuesdays, September 19 & 26
Saturdays, September 16 & 23, 1-3 pm
Fee: $7/Member, $10/Non-Member
Audience: All ages/Families

Join KNC researchers for our beginner-friendly monarch tagging days and help in this vital effort to conserve the species!

Read more >

Music Mornings

Saturday, September 30 at 11 am
Audience: All Ages
Fee: Included in regular KNC admission

Carolyn Koebel and guests will bring in the morning with beats at the KNC Camp Amphitheater. Read more >

Returning & Reskilling at DeLano Homestead

September 30, October 28, & November 25, 10-11:30 am
Fee: $7/Member, $10/Non-Member. Register or drop in.
Audience: Adults and youth ages 8+. | Meet: DeLano Homestead

This series aims to return land-based living skills to our community and reskill a new generation to live with the land. Returning & Reskilling focuses on a different topic each session:

September 30: Whiskbroom Making with Morgan Pell >
October 28: So, you want to be a beekeeper? With Brian Walters of the Kalamazoo Bee Club >

November 25: Indian Corn Soup with Shannon and George Martin and Family from the Gun Lake Tribe >

Adult Programs

Artists & Authors: Creative Wilderness

Thursdays, September 14 and November 1-3 pm
Audience: Geared for Adults, kids 12+ w/an adult are welcome to join
Fee: $7/Member, $10/Non-Member. Register or drop in.

Guest artists and authors meet to share their work, talk about their process and help guide artmaking.

September 14: Tom Springer: Nature, Essays and the Power of I. The author of Looking for Hickories and The Star in the Sycamore discusses how to turn personal experiences into stories that sell. Register here >
October 14: Photography Walk with Jim Triezenberg Enjoy the fall colors along the Beech Maple Trail and pick up some pointers for using your smartphone and DSLR cameras. Photo, above: Jim Triezenberg
November 9: Renae Baumgart, Rip Studio Learn how this local artist creates unique pieces by freehand ripping repurposed wallpaper.

Read more >

Local Lands Series

Thursday, September 21 & Wednesdays, October 18 & November 1, 5:30-7 pm

Connecting deeply to the natural world in the place we live in is a guiding principle for KNC. This new series will be a place to learn from local experts about our local ecology, landscapes, environmental issues, flora and fauna, and our human interactions with the world we are part of. Click on each program to learn more:

September 21: Foraging in the Forest with Shaina Alvesteffer

October 18: Prescribed Fire & Conservation with Kyle Martin

November 1: Discovering Trees & Forests with Jessica Simons