Click here to view the program calendar
Pre-registration is required for all programs (including free programs).
Photo Walks by TNS Photo Club
Saturdays, Dec 7, Jan 4, Feb 1, Mar 1, 8-10 am
Ages: All
TNS Member: Free, Non-Member: $2 (No refunds for these programs)
Guided hikes through the SNC. Meet in the parking lot by 8 am. Bring your camera. Dress for the weather.
Click here to register for Dec 7
Click here to register for Jan 4
Click here to register for Feb 1
Click here to register for Mar 1
Winter Toddler Time
Wednesdays, Jan 8 – Feb 26, 10-11:30 am
Fee: $4/child
Registration required
A weekly gathering of parents/caring adults and children for some relaxed winter fun! Each themed session includes indoor activities for toddlers with games, crafts, puzzles, books, and children’s music. Take a self-guided hike on the SNC trails. Tea for parents & hot chocolate for the toddlers. Children must be pre-registered. Only 1 adult per registered child is requested to attend.
Click here to register for Jan 8 – Snow
Click here to register for Jan 15 – The Sun
Click here to register for Jan 22 – Owls
Click here to register for Jan 29 – Dinosaurs
Click here to register for Feb 5 – Groundhogs
Click here to register for Feb 12 – Bees
Click here to register for Feb 19 – Apples
Click here to register for Feb 26 – Seeds
Knee-high Naturalists
10-11:30 am
Ages: 2-4
TNS Member: $12, Non-Member: $15
Children with a free adult partner, can attend one or more of the following programs. Each session includes a nature story, hike, activities, craft, and a snack. Find out how nature is getting ready for winter in December. Learn about winter wildlife in January. Discover wildlife at the feeders in February.
Click here to register for Ready for Winter on Thur, Dec 12
Click here to register for Ready for Winter on Fri, Dec 13
Click here to register for Winter Wildlife on Thur, Jan 16
Click here to register for Winter Wildlife on Fri, Jan 17
Click here to register for Wildlife at the Feeders on Thur, Feb 13
Click here to register for Wildlife at the Feeders on Fri, Feb 14
The bookmobile is free to the public.
Little Acorns
Sat, Jan 4 & Tues, Feb 4, 11 am – 12 pm
Ages: 2-4
TNS Member: $4, Non-Member: $6
Let your child explore the sights and sounds of nature through outdoor activities. This program will take place outside, except in the event of inclement weather. You may choose to bring children in strollers or sleds that are sturdy enough for a wood chipped trail. The adult partner is free and must accompany the child throughout the program.
Click here to register for Sat, Jan 4
Click here to register for Tues, Feb 4
Nature Explorers: Winter Survival
Sat, Jan 11, 1:30 – 3 pm
Ages: All (best for 5 & up)
TNS Member: $5, Non-Member: $7
Enjoy some screen-free time while exploring the natural world! Together we will participate in hands-on, outdoor experiences to investigate different nature-related topics. Join us in January as we discover the winter wonderland on the trails of our nature preserve. Even in freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, life still goes on! We will explore life in the winter and how animals adapt to survive. Dress for the weather. Adults must register and remain with their children.
Walk with a Naturalist
Saturdays, Jan 18 & Feb 1, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Ages: 3-Adult
Fee: $3 (No refunds for this program)
Take a relaxing walk on the SNC trails through various natural communities. Get answers to your nature questions. Pre-register online. Adults should remain with their children. Each person participating should enroll and pay the fee.
Click here to register for Jan 18
Click here to register for Feb 1
Owl Prowl – Meet a Live Owl
Sat, Dec 7, 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Fri, Jan 10, 5 – 7 pm
Ages: 5-Adult
TNS Member: $10, Non-Member: $12
Have you heard the trill and whinny of the Eastern Screech-Owl or the deep, soft hoot of the Great Horned Owl? On each Prowl, we will immerse ourselves into the nighttime world of the owl and discover what makes them so unique. We will first meet one of our resident owls up close and personal. Then we will brave the cold and prowl the trails to listen and look for these elusive raptors that call the grounds of the Stage Nature Center home. This is a family program; children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Each person participating must enroll and pay the fee. There are two prowl times.
Click here to register for Dec 7
Click here to register for Jan 10
Owl Encounters
Sat, Jan 11, 11 am – 12 pm
Sat, Feb 15, 3 – 4 pm
Ages: 5-Adult
Fee: $5
Join us on one of these tours to visit the rehabilitated owls that call the Stage Nature Center home. This tour gives you a chance to learn more about the different owl species, reasons why they each live in captivity, explore their different personalities, and get your owl questions answered. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Space is limited. Registrations may fill before the day of the program.
Click here to register for Jan 11
Click here to register for Feb 15
Decorate for Wildlife with Santa!
Saturday, Dec 14, 10 am – 12 pm or 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Ages: 3-8
TNS Member: $13, Non-Member: $16
Santa enjoys watching wild animals. Do you like to watch animals? Here’s a great way to attract animals – put out edible decorations for them. Each child will make some ornaments to hang up outside. Join Santa Claus as he tells a few tales about animals he has observed. Everyone will talk with Santa and Mrs. Claus personally and receive a small gift from them. Bring your cameras and take pictures of your little ones with Santa. Please dress for the weather as a short hike is included. Each child participating in the program must be registered. Adults are free and need to remain with the child.
Click here to register for 10 am – 12 pm
Click here to register for 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Stargazing at Stage
Fri, Jan 17, 7 – 8:30 pm
Ages: 8-Adult
TNS Member: $6, Non-Member: $8
Join a member of the Oakland Astronomy Club to explore the winter night sky. We will search for winter constellations, deep space objects and other astronomical phenomena. Telescopes will be provided; however, you are welcome and encouraged to bring your own. This program will occur regardless of the sky conditions. This is a family program; children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Each person participating must enroll and pay the fee.
Fungi of Michigan
Sat, Feb 15, 10:30 am – 12 pm
Ages: 14-Adult
TNS Member: $10, Non-Member: $12
Join wild mushrooms foraging expert, Lorenzo Lo Piccolo, to discover the hidden world of the fungi kingdom. Lorenzo has been foraging and studying fungi since the early 2000s and holds a Wild Mushrooms Foraging Certification from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. In this dynamic presentation you will learn fungi identification, foraging safety and sustainability while exploring Lorenzo’s curated collection of Michigan mushrooms.
Creature Feature
Sat, Jan 18, 2 – 3 pm
Ages: All
TNS Member: $11, Non-Member: $13
Join Dan Briere of The Little Creatures Co. to meet and learn about a variety of wildlife from around the world. This educational and hands-on presentation will feature live animals such as snakes, frogs, parrots, tarantulas and more. Dan has been providing live animal programs since 1989 mainly with animals that have been adopted and/or rescued from local animal shelters, police departments and private citizens.
Scout It Out! Cub Scouts
Fee: $11/scout
Scouts: come and complete your nature-related badge or achievement! All or most requirements are met; however, the badge itself is not included. Register as an individual scout, den, pack or troop. Please dress for the weather. Leaders or chaperones are free and need to remain with their scouts. Program is subject to cancellation if minimum attendance requirements are not met.
Click here to register for Wolf: Digging in the Past on Sat, Apr 26, 9:30 am – 12 pm
Scout It Out! Girl Scouts
Fee: $11/scout
Scouts: come and complete your nature-related badge or achievement! All or most requirements are met; however, the badge itself is not included. Register as an individual scout, den, pack or troop. Please dress for the weather. Leaders or chaperones are free and need to remain with their scouts. Program is subject to cancellation if minimum attendance requirements are not met.
Click here to register for Brownie GS: Home Scientist on Sat, Dec 7, 9:30 am – 12 pm
Click here to register for Daisy GS: Clover Petal on Sat, May 17, 10 am – 12 pm
Homeschool Nature Classes
Ages: 5-10
10 am-12 pm
TNS Member: $7/child, Non-Member: $9/child
For homeschool children and a free parent partner. Participants should dress for the weather.
Animal Adaptations – Each animal has unique built-in tools or adaptations to help it survive. These adaptations allow wildlife to thrive in their niche or “get the job done.” Using mounts and some live animals, we will compare their adaptations with tools people have invented to help them survive. On the trail, we will look for animals and plants using their built-in adaptations.
Michigan Fossils – Discover plants and animals of Michigan’s past by investigating fossils formed by living things of the past. Explore ways that scientists use fossils to piece together information about Earth’s history.
Click here to register for Animal Adaptations on Wed, Jan 8
Click here to register for Michigan Fossils on Wed, Feb 12
Story Time at Stage
Saturdays, Jan 18 & Feb 1, 11 am
Ages: Recommended for ages 2-6
Fee: $2/child
Come join a naturalist and enjoy a nature-themed story time and craft. Program will run approximately 30 minutes to an hour. The adult partner is free and must accompany the child throughout the program.
Click here to register for Jan 18
Click here to register for Feb 1
Sustainable Livestock Farming
Saturday, Dec 7, 1 – 2 pm
Ages: Adult
Fee: Free
Join graduate student, Saadat Faiz, for an insightful presentation on rotational livestock farming and its vital role in enhancing soil health, biodiversity, and entire ecosystems. This talk will explore how rotational livestock farming supports a thriving soil ecosystem by promoting relationships between fungi, bacteria, and nutrient cycling, all while sequestering carbon from our atmosphere. Learn how this sustainable farming method is a healthier alternative to industrial livestock farming, and discover regenerative farming’s transformative potential for the future of food and conservation.
Rent-a-Maple
Tap into history and welcome spring with Stage Nature Center’s popular annual Rent-a-Maple event! Help support our sugar bush by “leasing” a maple tree. Your name will hang on a tree during the syrup season to acknowledge your generous support. Holiday gift leases must be purchased by December 11, 2024.
This year, a limited number of trees will be available for participants to tap themselves or to be tapped by staff members. You have the choice of “leasing” a maple tree that will be tapped by your group of up to 5 participants (at $60 per tree), a maple tree that will be tapped by staff members (at $50 per tree), or a maple tree that will not be tapped (at $45 per tree). All tree leases include a Rent-a-Maple package that will contain the following:
- A spile for tree tapping at home
- One pint of pure maple syrup
- Maple sugar candy
- Other special surprises
- A “certificate of appreciation”
Leases must be purchased by January 24, 2025. Our Rent-a-Maple packages will be available for pick-up at the SNC starting on February 22, 2025. Groups that are tapping their own trees will be scheduled to tap on February 22.
Maple Syrup Time
Saturdays, March 1, 8 and 15
Plan on taking a hike through the sugar bush of the Stage Nature Center on one of these three days! Discover how maple trees make sugar and people harvest it. This family-friendly program highlights the natural and local history of our region. Tour includes activities to learn more about syrup making.
Registration links to be announced soon
WATCH THIS SPACE – MORE NATURE EDUCATION PROGRAMS COMING SOON!