Programs

The Belle Isle Nature Center is offering a variety of programs for the summer.

 

Plan Your Visit

  • Hikes

    Hikes

    Children on a woodland hike

      • Family Nature Hike  Get ready for adventure and explore Belle Isle’s natural wonders. This facilitated hike is a great introductory hike for you and your family to discover the wonders of this urban gem. There are endless possibilities to what you might discover!
        • Wednesday through Saturday, program times vary:
          • Wednesdays at 3 p.m., Thursdays at 4 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at noon
  • Nature Tots

    Nature Tots 

    What shapes can you find in the clouds? What’s the recipe for the perfect mud pie? Can you paint without a paintbrush? Important questions like these and more will be answered in Nature Tots, a sensory-rich exploration of the natural world for children 2-4 years old and their caregivers. Each session is designed to support early learning with stories, movement, adventures in nature and crafts. Themes and activities will change monthly. 

     Program will take place outdoors and each group is limited to 20 total participants including children, siblings, and adult caregivers.

        • June: Flowers and Friends Let’s explore the needs of living things. We will start with a story, discover what helps plants grow, take an adventure in nature to find flowers and their important pollinator friends, and plant some seeds to take home and care for.
          • Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m.
  • Neighborhood Nature Adventure

    Neighborhood Nature Adventure

    A collage of photos featuring kids enjoying camp activities, holding a caterpillar, looking at birds, and playing with flowers

     Let’s explore nearby nature. Each Neighborhood Nature Adventure program will focus on a natural theme and include a story, nature activities, a craft and a way to continue the learning and exploring at home. Themes and activities will change monthly.

        • June: Over and Under the Pond What lives Over and Under the Pond? With Kate Messner’s book as our guide, we’ll take a hike to the pond, use nets to carefully explore the animals who live there, create an art project and learn about ways to keep our waterways clean for everyone.
          • Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m., Fridays at 3 p.m.
  • Nature at Night

    Nature at Night

    Nature at Night is a celebration of animals who call Belle Isle home and become more active after dark. Take a hike and learn more about the island’s wildlife through crafts, activities and participatory science projects. In June, we’ll focus on cicadas and the incredible life and times of the 17-year emergence. 

        • Thursdays at 6 p.m.

    Nature at Night- Full Moon  Each month, we’ll have one special nature at night that focuses on the full moon. June’s full moon, the Strawberry Moon, happens on June 24.

        • Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m.
  • Nature Art

    Nature Art

     Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Andy Goldsworthy, we will be creating art from the natural world. By using natural materials like wood, rocks and soil to create something amazing, we are reminded of just how wonderful nature can be. These works of art will only last a short time, but your creativity will not. 

        • Thursdays at 3 p.m., Saturdays at 11 a.m.
  • Bee Friendly

    Bee Friendly 

    ""Come visit the honeybee hives at the Belle Isle Nature Center, where beekeepers will offer you an inside peek at our busy working hives. You will learn why we need bees, including diverse native species, and what we can do to help them survive. The visit includes a tour of our pollinator gardens with a stop at the pollinator hotel. The one-hour program will take place outdoors and each group is limited to 20 participants including children and their adults.  

        • Saturday, June 5, 11 a.m.