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Little Critter’s Day Out
(Ages 3-5) 9:00am - Noon
Your Little Critter will enjoy 3 hours of fun and education! We will have a snack, make a craft, play games, hike, and see an animal visitor each day! Sign up for just the Thursdays of your choosing or sign up for the monthly bundle! Children must be potty trained.
(Ages 2-6 with Adult) 10:30am
Join a park naturalist for animal stories and surprises geared toward preschool children. Come listen, learn, and meet a special animal friend each time. Program held indoors.
Advanced Registration Required.
Theme Tues. Barcode Weds. Barcode
Advanced Registration Required. 1-3 hr. class - $19/$21 nonresident 4-3 hr. classes (Feb., Apr. only) $65/$73 nonresident
Theme Date Barcode
Fairytales & Fables 2/4 7766
Nature’s Valentine 2/11 7767
My 5 Wild Senses 2/18 7768
Animal Hibernation 2/25 7769
Who Sings in Spring? 3/4 7770
Turtle Races Beaver 3/11 7771
Ice Age Exploration 4/1 7772
Forest Peek-A-Boo 4/15 7773
Spring Colors 4/22 7774
Light As A Feather 4/29 7775
B is for Birds 2/2 7786 2/3 7787 Teddy Bear Surprise 2/16 7788 2/17 7789 Who’s There? 3/2 7790 3/3 7791
Meet the Mammals 3/30 7792 3/31 7793 Itsy Bitsy Spider 4/13 7794 4/14 7795 Mother Nature 4/27 7796 4/28 7797
Tues. Barcode Weds. Barcode 2/9 7803 2/10 7804 2/23 7805 2/24 7806 3/9 7807 3/10 7808 4/20 7809 4/21 7810
Nature Time Yoga
(Ages 2-6 with Adult) 10:30am
Music, Movement, and Imagination!! These parent and child experiences are designed to encourage creativity, coordination, and enhance awareness of the natural world. See a live animal friend every time.
Walk with a Naturalist (Ages 18 & Older)
Take a hike with a naturalist. Join us for themed hikes. Hikes will be easy (E) to moderate (M) in difficulty. Dress for the weather and muddy conditions on the trail. 1-1 ½ hr. session - $7/$8 nonresidents • Prairie Prescription (M) 2/25 Th. 9:30am; Barcode 9091 Learn about the importance of prairie fire and prescribed burning. • TREEmendous (E) 3/11 Th. 9:30am; Barcode 9092 Discover the tree species in the park. • Bird Bonanza (M) 4/8 Th. 9:30am; Barcode 9093 Go on a search for migrating birds in the trees. • Spring Ephemerals (E) 4/22 Th. 9:30am; Barcode 9094 Discover emerging wildflowers in the park. • Down by the Bank (M) 5/6 Th. 9:30am; Barcode 9095 Dip your nets in the creek and catch some critters.
Family Night Hike
(Ages 6 & up with Adult)
Visit the habitats of Ernie Miller Park as the sun sets and the animals of the night explore the darkness on a guided hike. See live animals & biofacts up close indoors before our trek outside. Bring a flashlight or lantern and dare yourself to turn off the light for a portion of our walk. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Waterproof shoes are recommended for rain or mud.
Orienteering Egg Hunt (Ages 5 & up with Adult)
Bunnies don’t lay eggs! But ours has hidden some around the park! Meet our rabbit, Beatrice, and some egg laying animals before you learn how to use a compass. Beatrice has marked course coordinates for your team to find and test your skill. Find the eggs and return the compass to earn a sweet treat! 1-1 ½ hr. session - $7/$8 nonresidents (including adults) • 3/26 Fri. 7:00pm; Barcode 9194 • 4/9 Fri. 7:30pm; Barcode 9195
Advanced Registration Required.
1-2 hr. session - $7/$8 nonresident; including adults. • 4/3 Sat. 10:00am; Barcode 9196 Advanced Registration Required.
(min. 1 adult chaperone per group of 5) World Groove in Nature (Ages 18 & Older)
World Groove is a simple way to move and dance using many styles of music. It is playful and fun for all fitness levels. No fancy steps, no special equipment needed, come as you are! 1-1 hr. session - $8/$9 nonresidents • 3/13 Sat. 9:00am; Barcode 9096 Advanced Registration Required.
Flowing with Nature
(Ages 16 & older)
This award winning KRPA “Outstanding New or Innovative Wellness Program” will be sure to help you relax, discover, and awaken the mind and body. We will hike, journal, kayak and do yoga at TimberRidge Adventure Center’s lake front property. 1-3 ½ hr. class - $39/$43 nonresident • 4/17 Sat. 1pm; Barcode 9097 Advanced Registration Required.
(Supervision available from 7:30am-5:30pm daily. Scheduled activities begin at 9am) “Take an Adventure this Spring Break at Ernie Miller Nature Center!”
Spring Break Adventure Camps!
(Supervision available from 7:30am-5:30pm daily. Scheduled activities begin at 9am) “Join the adventure! Exploring, Canoeing, Fishing, Teambuilding, Zip lining, & more!”
TimberRidge Adventure Center Spring Break Adventures Camp - DeSoto School District (Ages 11-13)
• 3/24 W-F 3-7hr. sessions - $108/$118 nonresidents; TimberRidge Adventure Center - Barcode 7829
Out of School Days at Ernie Miller (Ages 6-12)
“While out of school, go wild with nature!”
(Supervision available from 7:30am-5:30pm daily. Scheduled activities begin at 9am) 1-7 hr. session - $37/$40 nonresidents
Date Barcode Date Barcode Date Barcode
Fri. 2/5 7815 Thu. 2/25 7818 Mon. 3/29 7821 Thu. 2/11 7816 Fri. 2/26 7819 Fri. 4/16 7822 Fri. 2/12 7817 Mon. 3/22 7820 Fri. 4/30 7823
909 N K-7 Highway Olathe, Kansas 66061 Phone: (913) 826-2800
www.erniemiller.com
Follow us on Twitter: @JCPRDemncnature Follow us on Facebook: Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center
Ernie Miller Nature Center Staff
Outdoor Education Manager - Bill McGowan Outdoor Education Specialist - Andrea Joslin Park Supervisor - Leon Gordon Interpretive Assistant - Amy Isenburg Senior Park Naturalist - Molly Postlewait Park Naturalist II - Regina Wasson Park Naturalist & Tracks Editor - Diana Bliss Animal Caretaker - Sabriya Samo & EMNC Volunteers Nancy grew up in Southern California, the daughter of teachers who loved being outdoors and traveling. With summers off, her family packed their Impala station wagon and visited every National Park between the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River on their way to visit family in South Dakota. She graduated from K-State with a BS degree in Agricultural Economics and moved to Johnson County in 1980. After 20 years of volunteering with the Boy Scouts she started volunteering with Johnson County Extension, first as an Extension Master Gardener and then a Master
Naturalist in 2015. Nancy delights in vegetable and fruit tree gardening donating produce to local food pantries. She joyfully assists EMNC with family and children's events. Watching parents take their kids outside and instill an appreciation of nature warms her heart.
Mudpies: Celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day, January 21st!
Nature Activities for children
Molly Postlewait Senior Park Naturalist
January 21st was “Squirrel Appreciation Day!” Do you like Squirrels? We certainly do at the Nature Center. Here in Kansas we have 3 kinds of tree squirrels (pictured above from right to left): Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, and Southern Flying Squirrel. Kansas is home to lots of wild creatures, big and small. Squirrels are one that we can see almost every day! Although they can be considered a pest for eating the bird seed at the feeders, they are delightful to watch. Acrobatic and agile, squirrels are a wonder of the forest, parks, and our backyards. Squirrels are also beneficial to the environment because they “plant” seeds. You could call them Nature’s Gardeners! Squirrels hide seeds and acorns by burying them in the ground. They are storing the seeds and acorns to eat later. But perhaps by accident, these seeds and acorns are forgotten and eventually grow into a tree. So, squirrels help to plant trees that grow into forest within our parks and help trees reproduce in our neighborhoods. Trees are important to a squirrel’s survival. Trees help them escape predators. Squirrels use trees to travel, by jumping, and scurrying up and down. They use trees as shelter, using cavities as well as building nests of leaves. Nuts and acorns from trees are food for these bushy tailed little mammals. Now that you know more about squirrels, try some of the squirrel activities mentioned next!
Pretend to be a Squirrel! Watch squirrels, and then set up a squirrel obstacle course. How will you move? Practice gathering food and scurrying around.
Squirrel Poem
(Read & Act Out)
The squirrel jumps from tree to tree. He hides from you; he hides from me. He looks and looks, and looks around. And picks up nuts from off the ground.
