MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER ADULT & FAMILY NATURE PROGRAMS SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2018 2659 East Seventh Street Maplewood, MN 55119 651.249.2170
CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE: AUGUST 2 - A Trip Through Time 4- Dazzling Dragonflies & Damselflies, Activity #16060 10 – Phenology Walk, Activity #16045 11 - Super Spiders, Activity #16061 18 – Magnificent Monarchs, Activity #16062 25 – S’more Fun in the Sum, Activity #16063 SEPTEMBER 8 - Buckthorn Removal Demonstration and Removal at Applewood Preserve, Activity #16144 15 - Sneaky Squirrel Mystery, Activity #16145 18 - Crafty Bees and Butterflies, Activity #16146 22 - Home for a Bunny: Nature Family Fun With ECFE
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COME AND EXPLORE! Grounds and trails: Open daily, dawn to dusk. Visitor Center: Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30-4:30 The Visitor Center will be closed: Nov 22-24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
OCTOBER 2 - Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) - Ask the Forester, Activity #16150 6 - Fall Native Shrub and Tree Hike, Activity #16152 13 - Wings, Paws & Claws, Nature Family Fun With ECFE 20 - Adults VS Kids - Survival of the Fittest, Activity #16157 23 - Walk When the Moon is Full, Activity #16158 27 - Bruentrup Boo Bash 29 - Buckthorn curb-side pickup, Activity #16222 NOVEMBER 3 - Snakes Alive! Activity #16159 10 - Chickadee Club: Winter Backyard Birds, Nature Family Fun With ECFE 15 - Wonderfall Puppet Show, Activity #16161 DECEMBER 1 - Winter Wisdom, Activity #16162 15 - December BRRRD-Count, Activity #16163 18 - Holiday Pollinator Felting Craft, Activity #16164 22 - Nature Hangout, Activity #16165 29 - S’more Nature Fun, Activity #16166
HOW TO REGISTER FOR A NATURE CENTER PROGRAM: Register online for paid or free programs www.maplewoodnaturecenter.com then click on the Register Online-Go! button. You can also register in person, phone, 651-249-2170, or mail with credit card, cash or check by the date indicated. Program sizes are limited, register early. No need to register for Drop-in programs. Most programs are held at the Maplewood Nature Center unless otherwise noted in program description.
AUGUST A TRIP THROUGH TIME: CELEBRATE GLADSTONE SAVANNA AT GLADSTONE SAVANNA, SW CORNER OF FROST AND ENGLISH THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 6:00-7:30PM What do a bumblebee and the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad have in common? Gladstone Savanna! Once the site of railroad repair shops, the savanna is now one of Maplewood’s most unique preserves. · Fun for families and all: Ribbon cutting and treats! Scavenger hunt along the paved trail loop! Channel your inner historian! Try your hand at sweep netting for insects in the prairie! Hike the trails. And More! Free! Street parking on Frost Avenue, west of English Street or in parking lot at Flicek Park. Sponsored by the City of Maplewood and Maplewood Area Historical Society.
DAZZLING DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES! (FOR ADULTS & CHILDREN AGES 3-8, WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 10:00AM-11:00AM Dazzling colors and zippy flights – Do YOU have what it takes? Catch and release dragonflies and damselflies in the gardens and prairie. Use nets and magnifying lenses to help you catch and observe these amazing creatures. FREE! Register online by Friday, Aug 3. (Event registration #16060)
PHENOLOGY WALK (ADULTS, & CHILDREN 10+ WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER FRIDAY, August 10, 9:00AM–10:30AM Help the Nature Center study and record wildlife observations during the current season. Option to bring your own camera, smartphone or tablet and download the iNaturalist app ahead of time. If rainy, program will be cancelled. Free! Register by Thursday, August 9. (Event registration #16045)
SUPER SPIDERS (AGES 4-10, WITH ADULT, 11+) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 10:00AM – 11:30AM Spiders are nature’s bug zappers! Meet live spiders and learn about webs and spider silk. Put together a spider identification book to take home. Hike to look for orb, funnel, jumping and crab spiders. Wear shoes suitable for hiking. Prepay $5/child by Thursday, August 9. (Event registration #16061)
MAGNIFICENT MONARCHS (FOR ALL AGES) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1:00PM-2:30PM Love Monarchs, and want to work to try to protect them? Find out why and how monarchs are tagged. Learn about their magnificent migration. See monarchs in their life cycle stages. Make a monarch seed bomb for native seed packets to sow that will help these beautiful butterflies survive. Prepay $5/person by Thursday, August 16. (Event registration #16062)
S’MORE FUN IN THE SUN (FOR CHILDREN AGES 8+, WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1:00PM-3:00PM Build solar ovens to cook tasty treats, power fans with real solar cells, meet an animal that uses the sun to power its movement, go on a hike around the pond, and finish up with fun activities in the nature play yard! We’ll learn a lot about how nature and people use the sun to survive. Prepay $4/ person by Thursday August 23. (Event registration #16063)
SEPTEMBER BUCKTHORN REMOVAL DEMONSTRATION AND REMOVAL AT APPLEWOOD PRESERVE (For Adults) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 10:00AM–12:00PM Learn how to identify common and glossy buckthorn and the beneficial look-alikes you should protect. We’ll discuss updated best management practices, weed establishment vs native regrowth after removal. Learn how to safely use buckthorn herbicides. Try out your new skills by cutting and treating buckthorn to earn a Buckthorn Blaster to take home! Participants must wear personal protection equipment: long pants, long sleeved shirt, shoes plus long socks; and chemical resistant gloves (only butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber or viton. No cloth, leather or household latex). We will supply eye protection. FREE! Registration required by Wednesday, September 5. (Event registration #16144)
SNEAKY SQUIRREL MYSTERY (FOR CHILDREN, AGES 8+ WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1:00PM-2:30PM Stella the Squirrel has done it again! She’s rummaged through your belongings and now your precious magnifying glass is missing. Where can it be? Track down clues using a GPS unit to piece together where she’s hidden it. Closed-toed shoes and long pants recommended. Prepay $5/person by Wednesday, September 12. (Event registration #16145)
CRAFTY BEES AND BUTTERFLIES (FOR ADULTS, AND KIDS AGES 10 AND OLDER WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 4:00PM-5:30 PM Search colorful asters and goldenrod flowers for our helpful pollinators. After meeting a few; we go inside to create some through the craft of needle felting. We’ll use cookie cutters, wool roving and needles to make a bumble bee, green sweat bee, monarch or swallowtail butterfly. Snack provided! $5 per person prepaid by Sunday Sept 16. (Event registration #16146)
HOME FOR A BUNNY: NATURE FAMILY FUN WITH ECFE (FOR CHILDREN BIRTH-5 YEARS, BEFORE KINDERGARTEN) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, SEPT 22, 2018, 10:00AM-11:30AM Make nature discoveries, and meet new friends! This class is offered at the Maplewood Nature Center in collaboration with Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) staff. Parents stay with their children during the entire class. Preregistration is required. Fee is $5 per child per class. To register contact ECFE: 651-702-8411 or register online at www.isd622.org/ecfe.
OCTOBER EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB) – ASK THE FORESTER (FOR ADULTS) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 6:30PM-8:00PM EAB is spreading in Maplewood. Join us for an EAB open house. Stations will be set up to help you identify ash trees, learn the signs and symptoms of EAB, and figure out what to do. Our City Forester will be on hand to answer your EAB questions. Free. Register online by Saturday, Sept. 29. (Event registration #16150)https://apm.activecommunities.com/maplewoodmn/Activity_Search/fall-native-shrub-andtree-hike/6145
FALL NATIVE SHRUB AND TREE HIKE (Adults) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1:00PM-2:30PM Explore the nature center yard and hike the trails. Meet native trees and shrubs that provide food and shelter for wildlife along with fall color and winter interest. Learn which common nursery shrubs are invasive and should be avoided. Drop off your 2018 Maplewood Tree Rebate if you haven’t already done so (due October 15th). Dress for the weather and wear shoes suitable for hiking! FREE, register by Oct 5. (Event registration #16152)
WINGS, PAWS & CLAWS, NATURE FAMILY FUN WITH ECFE (For children birth-5 yrs, before kindergarten) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2018 10:00AM-11:30AM Make nature discoveries, and meet new friends! This class is offered at the Maplewood Nature Center in collaboration with Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) staff. Parents stay with their children during the entire class. Preregistration is required. To register contact ECFE: 651-702-8411 or register online at www.isd622.org/ecfe. Fee is $5 per child per class.
ADULTS VS KIDS - SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST (FOR CHILDREN AGES 9-13 WITH ADULTS) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1:00PM–3:00PM Who has the better skills to survive in the wilderness? Adults or kids? Adults and kids go head to head in teams to build a shelter, make a fire, and identify plants. Light snack provided. Closed-toed shoes and long pants recommended. Prepay $5/person by Wednesday, October 17. (Event registration #16157)
WALK WHEN THE MOON IS FULL (AGES 7 AND UP WITH ADULT, SMALL SCOUT TROOPS WELCOME!) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 6:30PM–8:00PM Hike by the light of the moon, learn some fun facts about the moon, and c’mon outside as we enjoy the moonshadows of the trees and breathe the brisk air! Back at the nature center enjoy a cup of hot cider as we listen to stories from Ojibwe, Dakota and other cultures! Dress for the weather, and bring a mug! Fee $4.00/person Register by Sunday, October 21. (Event registration #16158)
2018 Buckthorn Curb-Side Pick-up and Disposal Information (Maplewood Residents) Week of October 29. Register by 3:00 pm, Thursday, October 25. (Event registration #16222) BRUENTRUP BOO BASH (FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT FOR ALL AGES) AT BRUENTRUP FARM, 2170 COUNTY ROAD D EAST SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1:00PM - 3:00 PM •Live Animals from the MN Raptor Center •Puppet Show •Wagon Rides •Sensory Scavenger Hunt • Concessions available for purchase. Join us at the farm for a FREE family friendly event for all ages! We’ll have activities, crafts, and games. Costumes are encouraged but not required. This event will be held outside, please dress for the weather. Free, Drop-in.
NOVEMBER SNAKES ALIVE (All ages) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 10:00AM-11:30AM Meet a live western hognose snake, boa constrictor, egg-eating snake, and lots of other visiting snakes from ‘Snake Discovery’! You’ll get to see them up close, touch, hold, and watch them eat! Snakes play an important role in the ecosystem; discover how to help them, so they can help us. $5.00 Register by Thursday, Nov 1. (Event registration #16159)
CHICKADEE CLUB: WINTER BACKYARD BIRDS, NATURE FAMILY FUN WITH ECFE (FOR CHILDREN BIRTH - 5 YEARS, BEFORE KINDERGARTEN) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2018, 10:00AM-11:30AM. Make nature discoveries, and meet new friends! This class is offered at the Maplewood Nature Center in collaboration with Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) staff. Parents stay with their children during the entire class. Preregistration is required. To register contact ECFE: 651-702-8411 or register online at www.isd622.org/ecfe. Fee is $5 per child per class.
WONDERFALL PUPPET SHOW (All Ages) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 10:30AM-11:45AM Celebrate America Recycles Day with our wild animal puppets. Skunk, eagle and more will teach us about migration, hibernation & recycling! Play the Recycle Fishing game then make a recycle craft and have a snack. Take a self-guided hike afterward. Fee: Prepay $4 per child by Tuesday, November 13. (Event registration #16161)
DECEMBER WINTER WISDOM (AGES 6 + WITH AN ADULT, + 14 AND UP) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1:00PM-3:00PM New to Minnesota or want to enjoy winter outdoors? If dressed properly, you will stay warm and enjoy winter, even on the coldest day! Learn how to avoid frostbite, hypothermia and sunburn. Test insulating properties of different materials, learn how to calculate wind-chill, make a winter emergency kit for your car and a solar bead zipper pull for your jacket. We’ll try snowshoeing if we have snow, then warm up with hot apple cider. Enter our drawing for a winter-wise prize! Free, registration required by Thursday, November 29. (Event registration #16162)
DECEMBER BRRRD-COUNT (AGES 14 AND OLDER) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 9:30AM – 11:00AM Drop in to watch and record winter birds on our trails or at our feeders. Enter your sightings into eBird or hand-write a list for the naturalist. Double the fun by renting a pair of snowshoes for $5/pair (if 6” snow on ground)! FREE! Drop-in Program.
HOLIDAY HOLIDAY FELTING CRAFT
(ADULTS, AGES 10+ WITH ADULT) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 3:00PM - 4:30PM Change to: Use cookie cutters and wool to needlefelt a holiday tree ornament. Great for homeschoolers! Fee: Prepay $5/person by Friday, December 14. (Event registration #16164)
NATURE HANGOUT (AGES 7-11) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1:00PM-3:30PM Drop-off program for youth only! Parents can get some holiday preparation work done while we go outdoors all together for a treasure hunt with the Naturalist, then back inside to meet live animals, and a craft too! Dress for the weather. Snowshoeing if snow. Pre-registration required by Thursday, December 20th. $25.00/youth (Event registration #16165)
S’MORE NATURE FUN (ALL AGES) AT MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1:30PM-3:00PM It is FUN to be outside in the wintertime! Take a hike or snowshoe down to the pond for a fun exploration then make S’mores. Fee: $5/person. Register by Thursday, Dec 28. (Event registration #16166)
NATURE CENTER WILD BIRTHDAY PARTIES! Live Animal Birthday parties are available for kids ages 4 & up. Reserve the party room for treats; Possible animal themes may include a visit with a snake, turtle, toad, or salamander!
Outdoor hikes & party favors included! Fee: $80.00 (up to 12 children) $100.00 (12-15 children) Call 651.249.2170 for additional information or go to: www.maplewoodnaturecenter.com & click on Programs & Events/Birthdays
Our mission is to enhance awareness and understanding of land, water and wildlife resources; to empower the community to become stewards of the environment
FRIENDS OF MAPLEWOOD NATURE The Friends is a non-profit organization supporting the mission of Maplewood Nature Center & Neighborhood Preserves. Check out the Friends on the web: http://www.maplewoodmn.gov/981/Friends-Group or https://friendsofmaplewoodnature.wordpress.com/ Did You Know-- that you can directly support Maplewood Nature Center and Neighborhood Preserve special programs and projects by donating online? The Friends of Maplewood Nature is a 501 C3 non-profit group that promotes awareness of and fundraises for the nature center and preserves. It’s simple and easy- simply go to the Friends website https://friendsofmaplewoodnature.wordpress.com and click on “donate”. This will take you to the GIVEMN.org website where you will have several options for amounts. You may also mail in a donation by sending a check written out to the Friends to the Maplewood Nature Center, 2659 E 7th St., Maplewood, MN 55119. If you are interested in becoming a Friends of Maplewood Nature board member call 651-249-2170. Friends have supported the nature center by co-sponsoring speakers for programs, such as live raptors for the Outstanding Owls event; special events such as the Outdoor Expo; exhibits such as the Solar Display and the Energy Bike; the new entrance sign; items for the play yard, and much more.
SNOWSHOE RENTAL Explore Maplewood Nature Center by snowshoe! When we get 4-6” fresh snow come out and enjoy it! Ages 4—Adult sizes * Wooden or aluminum snowshoes available for use on site for $5.00 per pair of snowshoes. * You may also bring your own snowshoes. * Call 651-249-2170 to reserve a time & check conditions.
Fall 2018 NATURE CENTER ALERT Local access to the nature center will be affected by the E 7th and Mayhill street reconstruction this fall. Construction is scheduled to begin sometime in October. New pavement, and utilities will be installed. There should always be a lane open; and closures will be posted on our webpage. Depending on what is happening we may schedule some programs to start at different entrances throughout the park. Please call the nature center at 651-249-2170 or e-mail info.nc@maplewoodmn.gov if you have any questions about access. Thank you for your patience during this time.