Children and teens are invited to participate in a county-wide Wildlife Art Contest this winter. Entries are due January 25!
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Wild and Wonderful Wolves
Are Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs really presenting an accurate story? Learn about the history of wolves and how people view these animals today.
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Totally Toads
Learn how to attract amphibians to your yard and why you might want to. View live frogs and toads, compare the homes they live in and create a toad house to take home.
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Mammals of Illinois
What do our local animals do during the winter? Learn this and more as we identify mounted specimens, learn about and feel real furs, and search for mammal tracks outside.
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Cold Moon Viewing
December’s full moon is called the ‘Cold’ moon, and for good reason! Wear warm clothes as we view the moon through our telescope and take a short hike to view the forest illuminated by our only natural satellite.
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Jingle Bells Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 explore winter past times and traditions involving mittens and snow through hands-on activities and songs.
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Dinos vs. Dragons: What’s the Difference?
Why have dragons existed in our imaginations for centuries? Compare fact with fiction as we discuss the difference between mythical dragons and prehistoric dinosaurs, using realistic dinosaur replicas to tell the tale.
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Jingle Bells Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 explore winter past times and traditions involving mittens and snow through hands-on activities and songs.
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Preschool Peepers: Holidays for the Birds
Join us as we learn about our over-wintering birds, take a hike, and then make peanut butter or Crisco pinecone bird feeders.
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Bird Feeding Basics
Learn which birds are here during the winter, what to feed them, and whether or not feeding is actually helpful.
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Winter Bird Hike
Join a naturalist as we walk through the woods and look for woodpeckers, sparrows, cardinals, and more.
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Shining Planets Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 discover worlds beyond our own as we use our senses to contrast and compare Earth to nearby planets.
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Shining Planets Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 discover worlds beyond our own as we use our senses to contrast and compare Earth to nearby planets.
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Eagle Viewing Trip at Starved Rock State Park
Take a trip to this popular state park to look for wintering eagles, check out the visitor’s center, and even visit the lock and dam museum.
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Preschool Peepers: Deer
How many species of deer do we have in Illinois? Learn about these resident mammals by touching their fur, viewing an antler, and making a craft.
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Pere Marquette State Park Eagle Trip
Visit this state park and venture through river bluffs and woods to get an up-close look at wintering bald eagles along the Mississippi River and lower Illinois River.
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Eagle Viewing Trip at Starved Rock State Park
Take a trip to this popular state park to look for wintering eagles, check out the visitor’s center, and even visit the lock and dam museum.
>> Read more & Register
Homeschool Program: Animals in Winter
Homeschoolers are invited to join a naturalist as we talk about what animals do in winter.
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Eagle Viewing Trip at Starved Rock State Park
Take a trip to this popular state park to look for wintering eagles, check out the visitor’s center, and even visit the lock and dam museum.
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Trip to Cahokia Mounds
Explore one of the greatest ancient civilizations in North America. >> Read more & register
Read MoreMaple Syrup Programs
Come out to Rock Springs Nature Center to learn how sap becomes syrup, why spring is the best time of year to harvest sap, and how people used sap throughout history. Program held hourly from 11 am to 1 pm.
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Pre-School Peepers: Stinky Skunks
February is the perfect time of the year for skunks to start making nests and preparing for babies. Learn all about these feisty mammals and make a skunk-themed craft to take home.
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Soaring Eagles Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 will learn about the National Bird that soars nearby and observe an eagle skull and egg.
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Soaring Eagles Mini Camp
Children ages 1-5 will learn about the National Bird that soars nearby and observe an eagle skull and egg.
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Twilight Hike
Did you know that some animals are most active during the times between day and night? Tag along on a hike during the dusky hours of the day to search for crepuscular animals as they begin to move around.
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