Name: Preschool Explorers
Start: 2026-06-30
End: 2026-06-30
Location: Kalamazoo Nature Center

Calendar of Events

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 discounts on programs all year! Learn more about Membership here >

Financial assistance is available; please email Register@NatureCenter.org for details

Calendar Key:

Pre-Registration Required

Pre-Register or Drop In

Program included with regular KNC admission

Free Program includes free KNC admission

Holiday/Special Hours

June

July 2026

August

SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT

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30 Preschool Explorers Preschool Explorers 10:00 am - 11:00 am 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 ch , ...
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2 Summer Exploration Series Summer Exploration Series 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Looking for ways to keep your brain going all summer long? The Summer Exploration series is a great way for elementary and middle school scientists to get involved in ecology alongside their grown-ups. Register for June 4– Slime and Scales: Learn about salamanders, snakes, turtles, and all things cold-bloo , ...
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4 Free Admission Day Free Admission Day All Day The Kalamazoo Nature Center is offering free admission today. We hope to see you on the trails! Other free admission days in 2026 – please note, some dates trails are open but Visitor Center is closed: New Year’s Day: January 1, 2026 (Trails open, Visitor Center is closed) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: J , ...

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7 Preschool Explorers Preschool Explorers 10:00 am - 11:00 am 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 ch , ...
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11 Forage Cattail Abundance Forage Cattail Abundance 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Dive into a deeper level of foraging and learn how to enjoy the abundance of cattails. This advanced level foraging program will take a deep look at cattails, how to harvest an abundance of them and enjoy their edible parts. Participants will join conservationist and foraging leader, Shaina, in a hike out to source pon , ... Insect Pinning Workshop Insect Pinning Workshop 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Insect pinning exists at the intersection of science and beauty, an art form with a rich history in the sciences. We’ll learn to pin spotted lanternflies, a beautiful yet damaging invasive species spreading across North America, and take home vibrant pinned insects. Saturday, July 11, 10:00 – 12:00PM Meet: Visi , ... Terry Todd International Speaker Series: Night Magic Terry Todd International Speaker Series: Night Magic 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm KNC is proud to present New York Times Bestselling Author Leigh Ann Henion as part of 2026’s Terry Todd Speaker Series! Henion’s book, Night Magic, is an exploration of the nocturnal life happening all around us. From bioluminescent insects to migratory salamanders, Henion will talk about her studies of the night, and , ... Night Magic Hike Night Magic Hike 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm Join acclaimed science author Leigh Ann Henion for an exploration of KNC’s nocturnal habitats! We’ll hike by red light flashlight to see and hear how the trails come to life after dark, and experience firsthand the magic that can only happen after dark. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 9:00-10:30 pm Meet: Visitor Center Classr , ...

12 Soil Life Exploration Soil Life Exploration 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Who lives in our dirt? We’ll examine the soil at our Delano Farms to investigate just how much life finds home in the ground beneath our feet and talk about how the bugs in our soil help us and our ecosystems thrive. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2-3 pm Meet: DeLano Farm, 555 W. E Avenue Fee: Included in regular KNC a , ...
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14 Preschool Explorers Preschool Explorers 10:00 am - 11:00 am 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 ch , ...
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16 Silver Maples: The Truth About Earthworms Silver Maples: The Truth About Earthworms 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Earthworms are more than garden helpers — they shape soil, ecosystems, and even forests in surprising ways. Our guest lecturer Ellen, a scientist and interpreter with EnviroSpeak, will uncover their biology, origins, benefits, invasive counterparts, and their hidden impacts. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 11 am-1 pm , ... Summer Foraging Summer Foraging 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Join KNC staff to learn some foraging basics of summer. 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. Registration is recommended as these popular programs often reach capacity; drop-ins welcome if space is available , ... Summer Exploration Series Summer Exploration Series 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Looking for ways to keep your brain going all summer long? The Summer Exploration series is a great way for elementary and middle school scientists to get involved in ecology alongside their grown-ups. Register for June 4– Slime and Scales: Learn about salamanders, snakes, turtles, and all things cold-bloo , ...
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18 Saturday Story Time Saturday Story Time 10:00 am - 11:00 am Join us once a month for a picture book story time, featuring a selection of nature-themed books perfect for little explorers. We’ll follow our book with a gentle hike if weather permits, so be sure to bundle up! June 13– Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer by Kenard Pak July 18– Cicada Symphony by Sue Fl , ... Summer Foraging Summer Foraging 10:00 am - 11:30 am Join KNC staff to learn some foraging basics of summer. 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. Registration is recommended as these popular programs often reach capacity; drop-ins welcome if space is available , ... Across Michigan and Mexico: Green Leap Cricket Farm Across Michigan and Mexico: Green Leap Cricket Farm 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm “Being First in Michigan Doesn’t Mean We Were the First” Montserrat Rosales Osoria has built Green Leap Cricket Farm from the ground-up as a local sustainable protein source, but her culinary legacy has far deeper roots, connecting to a long lineage of Mexican insect cuisine. Learn the story of Green , ... Bugs Beneath the Water Bugs Beneath the Water 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm While we might think of fish, birds, or mammals when we think about our aquatic ecosystems, really these habitats rely on bugs! We’ll head to the creek and see what life thrives in the stream bed, learning how to identify the many aquatic invertebrates we have here at KNC. If you’d like to step in the stream, wear wat , ...

19 Guided Butterfly Hikes Guided Butterfly Hikes 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Join KNC staff this summer for guided butterfly walks around the Emma Pitcher Prairie. Participants will have the opportunity to search for butterflies, observe them up close, and learn more about what makes each species unique. This will be a great opportunity to see different butterfly species become active as the su , ... Water Bear Microscope Hunt Water Bear Microscope Hunt 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Tardigrades, also called water bears, are tiny organisms capable of incredible resilience. But when these cute critters aren’t busy withstanding scorching temperatures, intense radiation, or the vacuum of outer space, they’re living right here in our native ecosystems! We’ll try to track down these incredible survival , ... Yoga and Forest Bathing Yoga and Forest Bathing 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Reconnect with yourself and with nature by joining us for a mindful session of yoga and shinrin yoku, the art and practice of forest bathing. Yoga will be gentle and perfect for all experience levels, followed by a guided meditative walk led by an experienced shinrin yoku instructor. Bring a yoga mat and be ready to c , ...
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21 Preschool Explorers Preschool Explorers 10:00 am - 11:00 am 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 ch , ...
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23 Golf Cart Tour Golf Cart Tour 10:00 am - 11:00 am Enjoy KNC at a whole new speed! Hop on the golf cart as we take a binocular tour of some of our most beautiful habitats. Binoculars will be provided. Register for June 18, 10:00 – 11:00AM Register for June 18, 12:00 – 1:00PM Register for July 23, 10:00 – 11:00AM Register for July 23, 12:00 R , ... Golf Cart Tour Golf Cart Tour 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Enjoy KNC at a whole new speed! Hop on the golf cart as we take a binocular tour of some of our most beautiful habitats. Binoculars will be provided. Register for June 18, 10:00 – 11:00AM Register for June 18, 12:00 – 1:00PM Register for July 23, 10:00 – 11:00AM Register for July 23, 12:00 R , ... Bug Month Trivia Night Bug Month Trivia Night 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Do you think you know your bugs? Put your arthropod knowledge to the test and meet your local nature nerds at nature trivia night! Special guest MC Chef Yoon will provide buggy snacks as brain food and challenge your knowledge of insect eats, all while you compete for prizes and the title of 2026 Bug Champ. This is , ...
24 Insect Canapés and Conversation with Chef Yoon Insect Canapés and Conversation with Chef Yoon 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm “Intimate. Considered. Delicious. An evening you will not stop talking about — long after the last bite is gone.” This is not a lecture. This is not a demonstration. This is a gathering — the kind where conversation deepens alongside each passing bite, where a cricket or cicada canápé becomes the opening line of a l , ...
25 Insect ID Hike Insect ID Hike 10:00 am - 11:00 am Celebrate Bug Month by hitting the trails with one of our naturalists to identify the beautiful insects of our native landscapes! We’ll use field equipment to track down our six-legged neighbors and take a look at the diversity of one of the most successful groups of life on the planet. Saturday, July 25, 2026, , ... Terry Todd Lecture and Tasting: Can Eating Insects Save the Planet? Terry Todd Lecture and Tasting: Can Eating Insects Save the Planet? 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm As our population grows and our climate shifts, more and more we as a species have to ask the question: how can we keep us all fed? Chef Joseph Yoon is the founder of Brooklyn Bugs, and for the last eight years he’s been making the case — deliciously — for why edible insects represent one of the most compelling food , ...

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28 Preschool Explorers Preschool Explorers 10:00 am - 11:00 am 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 ch , ...
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1 Nature Journaling Nature Journaling 10:00 am - 11:30 am Immerse yourself in the art of slowing down, looking closely, and connecting more deeply with the natural world. These nature journaling workshops are designed for anyone—who wants to cultivate a mindful, creative practice that blends observation, writing, and sketching. These workshops invite you to step outdoors (or , ... Tai Chi with Ed Kehoe Tai Chi with Ed Kehoe 10:00 am - 11:00 am Start your morning with a relaxing Tai Chi program ideal for participants of all skill levels. Tai Chi is a great way to relax, recenter, and connect yourself with your body. Wear clothes for gentle movement! Saturday, August 1, 2026, 10-11 am Meet: Vista Deck on the Visitor Center Fee: KNC Members $12; Non-Me , ... Cultivating Urban Gardens and Community Cultivating Urban Gardens and Community 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Special guest Katie Pearson from Tabitha Farm is here to talk about regenerative land stewardship here in our local communities! Learn about how urban farming can bring people together while bringing us closer to our food. Saturday, August 1, 2026, 2-3 pm Meet: Cooper’s Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor , ...