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Retzer Nature Center ....................pages 16
Retzer Nature Center’s OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
Select one-hour programs on Wednesdays in January, February, March and April Options available at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with two special evening programs at 6 p.m. $4 per student (free for adults and young siblings not yet in 4K) 20 children maximum; Ages: Elementary students 4K and up Pre-Registration is required at least 24-hours prior to program (no walk-ins)
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Families, caregivers, home school groups, scout troops, 4-H and more… supplement your elementary learner’s education experience with an environmental education program at Retzer Nature Center. Each program is 60 minutes in duration. All students must be accompanied by an adult. Programs will be largely outdoors, so dress for the weather. In case of inclement weather, the program will be moved indoors.
• January 5: Winter Night Hike, 6 p.m.
Join us for a fun night on the trail as we use our senses to discover the sounds, sights and smells of nature at night.
• January 27: All About Owls, 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Let’s take a close look at owl species that live at Retzer to learn about their amazing adaptations that help them survive Wisconsin’s winters, what they sound like and what they eat. During the 6:00 p.m. program will head outside to listen for wild owls. • February 16: Winter Wildlife Tracks, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Animals leave behind a number of clues for us to find as we explore our winter world. We’ll head out on snowshoes to hunt for animal track clues outside. Snowshoe use is weather/trail condition dependent. If snow cover is not adequate, we will hike instead.
• February 23: Hibernation - Under the Snow & Ice, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Let’s take a close look at animals that spend the winter under the snow and ice. Learn about their special adaptations and strategies that help them survive the cold.
• March 2: Hiking through the Water Cycle, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Become a water drop as you travel through the water cycle in an incredible journey.
Then, we will head out to hike and look for water in different places in the water cycle. • March 16: Signs of Spring, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Let’s hit the trails to look for signs of spring, including flowers, plants and animals, and we will use our sense of smell to investigate the new growth of the season.
• April 20: Spring Wildflowers, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Join us as we look for colorful signs of spring – flowers! We will focus on using our observation skills to look for new spring wildflowers, often called Spring Ephemerals. We’ll learn about these flowers cool adaptations that help them survive and grow.
• April 27: Animal Adaptations - Turtles, 10 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Enjoy a visit from the Retzer teaching animals! See how an animal’s physical and behavioral traits can help it to survive as we explore the concepts of habitat and adaptation. For the class, we will focus in on turtles!
Pair your outdoor education program with a planetarium show! See next page.
Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium WEDNESDAY PROGRAMS
Planetarium Wednesday Morning Public Shows
Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium (inside Retzer Nature Center) Wednesdays in January, February, March and April at 11 a.m. $4 per person (free for children ages 2 and under) 90 seat capacity, walk-ins welcome, space permitting
Families, caregivers, home school groups, scout troops, 4-H and more…supplement your learner’s education experience with a planetarium show at Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium. Each program is 45-60 minutes in duration. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Private show reservations are available for community groups, private parties, corporate events, or scout groups. For more information or to register a group, call 262-970-4139.
Program Offerings (Jan. - Apr.):
Show descriptions by title can be found online at: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/Page/2759 • Cosmix:
January 12 & March 9
• Amazing Planet:
January 19 & April 27
• Defying Gravity:
January 26 & March 16
• Did an Asteroid Really Kill
the Dinosaurs?:
February 2 & April 20
March 23
• It’s About Time- the Cosmic
Cycles We Live By: February 9 & March 30
• CapCom Go! The Apollo Story:
January 5 & February 16
• Space Quiz:
February 23 & April 6
• The Little Star That Could:
March 2 & April 13
Pair your planetarium show with an outdoor education program! See previous page. Book Now!
Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
All shows are held at the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium located inside Retzer Nature Center.
Private show reservations are available for community groups, private parties, corporate events, or scout groups. For more information or to register a group, call 262-970-4139. The Planetarium has a 90-seat capacity and is wheelchair accessible. Pre-purchase of tickets online is highly recommended, especially for special event shows and those with limited seating. If unsold seats are available, they can be purchased online or will be available at the door up to the time of the show.
Children’s Planetarium Shows
Our Place in Space
Saturdays: January 8, 22, 29 11 a.m., $5 per person
This award-winning children’s planetarium show introduces jungle animals and a space crossword puzzle to explore the wonders of the universe. This program will inspire your young astronomer to appreciate the beauty of the night sky. A family classic!
One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
Saturdays: February 5, 12, 19, 26 11 a.m., $5 per person
Explore the night sky with our friends from Sesame Street™. Join Big Bird, Elmo, and Hu Hu Zhu as they take a trip to the Moon. See how the Moon is different from the Earth and learn how to find the Big Dipper and North Star from your backyard.
Voyage to the Distant Worlds
Saturdays: March 5, 12, 19, 26 11 a.m., $5 per person
A science-rich show that includes the latest information from various observatories and robotic space probes all while you take a tour of the planets in our solar system. An original show produced by the Casper Planetarium, where you will discover facts you never knew about our neighboring worlds.
Little Draggy’s Adventure
Saturdays: April 2, 9, 16, 30 11 a.m., $5 per person
Do you know where the earth lives? What surrounds it? How far is it from the Earth to the Sun, and what makes our planet different from the others? Take a wonderful journey with a cheerful dragon Woody, who travels around the Universe in search of fantastic adventures. This time the dragon arrives on Earth where he meets a smart girl named Lena. Together Woody and Lena will introduce the children to the most interesting things about our planet and tell them about the wonders of the Solar System like bright nebulaes, galaxies, stars clusters, and wonderful comets.
Big Astronomy- People, Places and Big Discoveries!
NEW
Saturdays: January 8, 22, 29 1 p.m., $5 per person
This planetarium show will take audiences to cutting-edge telescopes in the remote mountains of Chile and introduce the people who make sure these instruments operate day and night, unlocking the secrets of the universe. Explore ALMA, VLT, and the new Vera Rubin Observatory (formerly LSST) and how these incredible facilities are changing our view of the cosmos.
Stargazers of Africa
Saturdays: February 5, 12, 19, 26 1 p.m., $5 per person
From the dawn of time, African people have looked to the skies above for inspiration and guidance. Stargazers of Africa is a journey connecting the stars, moon, and planets to the people across this great continent- from long ago to the stargazers of today.
Unveiling the Invisible Universe
Saturdays: March 5, 12, 19, 26 1 p.m., $5 per person
For thousands of years the humans observed the light coming from the night sky with their eyes. In the beginning of the 17th century, the invention of the telescope by Galileo revolutionized our knowledge of the Universe. Finally, in the 20th century with the advent of rockets, it became possible to go above the earth’s atmosphere and observe X-ray and gamma ray radiation which are the marks of the hot and violent Universe. But it is not only light that can give us information about the cosmos. Neutrinos and cosmic rays also provide vital information. Finally, the detection by the LIGO experiment of gravitational waves from two merging black holes opened a new window in astrophysics. This video presents images of the cosmos as revealed by all these different messengers.
Satelix
Saturdays, April 2, 9, 16, 30 1 p.m., $5 per person
They are with us all day. When we wake up, go to school, to work or for a trip, and when we spend time with our families in the evening, too. And at night? In the darkness of the night, they guard us while we sleep. Without them, we would not have navigation in our cars or mobile phones, accurate weather forecasts, and in fact many everyday items, either. Do you ask who they are? None other than artificial satellites! Satellite technologies help us every day. They are the symbol of international cooperation across the continents. And they might enable us to live on this planet for another millennium.
MESMERICA is coming back! Watch for details on our website.
Advance online registration for all events is
highly recommended: https://hdplanetarium.ticketleap.com
JanBoree Show 1: Mayan Archaeoastronomy- Observers of the Universe
Saturday, January 15, Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium Choose your time slot: 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., Noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. Free admission, Recommended for ages 5+ Pre-Registration is recommended at https://hdplanetarium.ticketleap.com. Tickets will be handed out on the day of the event on a space available, first-come, first-served basis.
Learn how the Mayan temples were actually observatories that were critical to the lives of the Mayan civilization. The stars and planets became their calendar for floods, feasts and wars. The messages they read in the stars guided all aspects of their lives. The show takes viewers on a tour of six Mayan temples – San Gervasio, Chichen Itzá, Uxmal, Edzná, Palenque and Bonampak.
JanBoree Show 2: The Sun and Su Familia
Monday, January 17, 6:30 - 7:15 p.m., Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium Free admission, Recommended for families with younger children ages 4 - 10, limited to 60 seats Pre-Registration is recommended at https://hdplanetarium.ticketleap.com. Tickets will be handed out on the day of the event on a space available, first-come, first-served basis.
Our bilingual solar system program is sure to spice up children’s vocabulary. Students take part in an interactive bilingual expedition through the solar system. Show is offered in English with a supplemental Spanish component. During this program, children will learn the English and Spanish words for our neighboring celestial bodies! In addition, each child will have a fun activity to create and take home to enjoy.
Romance Under the Stars Fundraiser Events
Y
Fri. & Sat., February 11 & 12, 6 & 7 p.m.; Mon., Feb. 14, 6 & 7 p.m.
Recommended for ages 18+ Y
$30 per couple (only need to purchase ONE ticket per couple) Seating is limited: 42 tickets will be sold per show time) (If all shows sell out, additional shows will be added)
This Valentine’s Day, treat your special someone to a romantic tour of the universe at the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium. Bring out your romantic side by exploring beauty of the current night sky with your Valentine in the comfort of the planetarium. Couples will enjoy chocolates and a flower.
Wild Winter Night Show: Constellations- Adventures Connecting Earth & Sky
Thursday, February 17- Choose your time: 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 7 p.m., and 7:45 p.m. Recommended for ages 5+ Fee is included in the cost of Wild Winter Night admission
This program will circle the globe and bring these rich and engaging sky legends to life. It will explore how constellations helped organize the sky and tell time. Audiences will depart the Earth—witnessing how constellations change when traveling through the galaxy. Visitors will also marvel at how we also create wild pictures from the Moon and distant nebulae. Discover all the inspiring imaginations in the constellations!
Recommended for ages 10 and up
Register online at www.waukeshacountyparks.com. Registration ends 24 hours prior to each program date.
$10 per person, Limited to 60 registrants
Wednesdays: April 6 & 20; 7:30 p.m.- Sunset Meditation Planetarium Show 8 - 8:45 p.m.- Retzer Night Hike
Come unwind under the dome of the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium and meditate for your mental health! View a planetarium show of an amazing sunset as you travel from the Grand Canyon to the North Pole, then relax under a night sky filled with stars with glimpses of the Northern Lights. After the show, take a quiet hike with a naturalist and discover tranquil sights and sounds of Retzer Nature Center.
