Summer Nature Study Programs

Sugar Grove Nature Center

What better way to spend the summer than exploring, discovering, and learning about nature! With a diverse range of topics geared towards ages 3 and up, you are sure to find a program to fit your interests! Advanced registration is required. To register, please print off a Summer Nature Study Registration Form below and mail it in with your payment. If you do not have internet access, call 309.874.2174 and a form will be sent to you. Registrations must be received two weeks prior to the program start date. Programs may be cancelled if minimum participant numbers are not met.

Little Wonders
Ages 3-5

Wednesdays, June 9, 16, 23, 30, July 7, & 14;
10:00 - 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Three to five year-olds with an adult chaperone will explore a different nature topic each week through songs, stories, crafts, and games. This hands-on program will entertain and educate while building an appreciation for the world around us. Topics will include:

Sunshine; Giant Grasshoppers presented by the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University; Underground Tunnels; Fun on the Farm; Best Friends (Animals & Plants that Help Each Other); & Creek Critters.

Fee: $30/members, $42/non-members (Must sign up for entire session), Registration required. Minimum 8, maximum 15.

Nature Nuts
Ages 6-8

Animal Homes
Thursday, June 17, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Note: Date is different from the Newsletter. The website's date is correct.
       From a hole in the ground to a nest in a tree, animals are great home builders. Explore some of   their construction methods & learn how they make houses that are perfectly suited for them.
Fee: $16/members, $20/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Nature Journaling: Nature Nuts
Tuesday, June 29; Wednesday, June 30; & July 1, 10:00 a.m. - noon
       Express yourself while examining the natural world around you by starting a nature journal. Draw, write, and document what you see and how you feel. You’ll be amazed what you can create!
Fee: $32/members, $38/non-members, all supplies included; Registration required. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Best Friends: Animals & Plants that Help Each Other
Tuesday, July 13, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
       Examine relationships of the natural world. Even plants and animals have “friends” that they rely on! Bring a sack lunch and make some friends of your own!
Fee: $16/members, $20/non-members, Registration required. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Insects, Bugs, & Other Creepy Crawlers
Tuesday, August 3; Wednesday, August 4; & Thursday, August 5; 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Investigate bugs, insects, and other invertebrates up close. Plenty of time will be spent outside catching and studying what we can find. A guest presenter from the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University will lead us in interactive, hands-on activities involving the giant, poisonous, swamp lubber grasshoppers!
Fee: $48/members, $60/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

A Day in the Creek
Tuesday, August 17, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Spend a day looking for and learning about the plants and animals that live in the creek and Sugar Grove Nature Center!
Fee: $16/members, $20/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Eco Explorers
9-12 Year-Olds

Fishing Fun
Friday, June 11; 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
       Class will take place at Heartland Community College’s Birkey Pond. Meeting place will be sent upon registration. A limited number of fishing poles are available. Please indicate if you are able to bring your own. Learn about some of the fish of Illinois, then fish in the well-stocked pond at Heartland Community College. You’ll learn how to tie knots, cast, and reel them in. Participants will practice catch-and-release.
Fee: ~~$8/members, $10/non-members, Registration required.~~

Animal Architects
Tuesday, June 15, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
       From a tunnel in the ground to a nest in a tree, animals are great home builders. Explore some of their construction methods, and learn how they make houses that are perfectly suited for them. Bring a sack lunch.
Fee: $24/members, $30/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Nature Journaling: Eco Explorers
Tuesday, June 29; Wednesday, June 30; & Thursday, July 1, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
       Express yourself while examining the natural world around you by starting a nature journal. Draw, write, and document what you see and how you feel. You’ll be amazed what you can create!
Fee: $32/members, $38/non-members, all supplies included; Registration required. Minimum 8, maximum 20.

Self-Defense for Plants
Thursday, July 8, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
       You’ve seen how animals defend themselves, but what about plants? They are not as helpless as you might think! Learn some of the tricks they have developed to protect themselves and to warn other plants of potential danger.
Fee: ~~$24/members, $30/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 8, maximum 20.~~

Creek Adventure
Tuesday, July 20; Wednesday, July 21; & Thursday, July 22; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
       Study the aquatic life in Funks Grove! We’ll spend lots of time in the water turning over rocks and digging in mud! Some specimens will be brought back to the Nature Center for further observation and examination with the microscope. In addition, data will be collected and turned in to the Illinois RiverWatch Network to assist in monitoring Illinois’ waterways.
Fee: $72/members, $90/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum 5, maximum 12.

Eco Adventurers
13 - 15 Year-Olds

Walk on the Wild Side
Tuesday, August 10, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Spend the day hiking on and off the trails of Funks Grove! Discover the treasures of nature by turning over logs & rocks, and looking high and low. Participants will get the chance to use GPS, compasses, and even a sun dial, if weather permits.
Fee: $24/members, $30/non-members, Registration required. Bring a lunch. Minimum 5, maximum 15.

Adult Adventures
Ages 16+

Nature Play for Grown-Ups
Saturday, July 10, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
We didn’t forget the grown-ups who still like to play outside! Hike through the prairie & learn about these sun-loving plants. Explore the forest from fungus to trees. Tromp in the creek and discover mussels, crayfish, and more! We’ll do it all!
Fee: ~~$10/members, $15/non-members, Registration required. Bring a sack lunch. Snacks provided.~~

History Careers Day Camp
McLean County Museum of History

Session I: June 21 - 25; Session II: July 12 - 16; Session III: August 2 - 6; 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Open to students attending schools in McLean County and entering grades 4-6.

Fee: $100/child, includes lunch, snacks, t-shirts, & transportation to partner sites. (Free for students whose families make $30,000 or less.) Registration begins April 12 and ends May 28.

Sugar Grove Nature Center is excited to team up with the McLean County Museum of History for their History Careers Day Camp. During the week, students will get to explore the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, the McLean County Museum of History, and Sugar Grove Nature Center. This is a great opportunity for children to learn about the many career opportunities in the field of History, including Archaeology, Art and Architecture, Botany, and Environmental Science. Registration is being handled by the McLean County Museum of History.

Forms are available online at www.mchistory.org. For more information, please contact the Education Department at the Museum by phone at 309.827.0428 or by email at education@mchistory.org. Camp begins and ends each day at the McLean County Museum of History.