Earn your BSA or Girl Scout badges with us!
Rates:
• Regular programs (90 min): $90 for ten (10) children. $7/additional child
• *Camping and **Fishing programs (2 hours): $130 for ten (10) children. $11/additional child
To request your date and time, please fill out an online request at least three weeks in advance of your desired date.
While the topics below were created with BSA and Girl Scout requirements in mind, our programs are open to any alternative scouting and youth development organizations.
BSA Programs
- Tigers in the Wild: Learn how to get ready for a hike and learn outdoor ethics. Get introduced to local animals and plants with the help of your Nature Center guide. Make trail mix for energy on your adventure.
- Backyard Jungle - Tiger: Take a closer look at local nature and learn how each of us has a role in taking care of wild animals and plants. Make the outdoors a better place by starting a native plant from seeds.
- *Call of the Wild (available May 1-October 15) - Wolf: Get ready for a camping trip! Learn about camping equipment and campfire safety. Put up a tent as a team and enjoy a campfire with roasted marshmallows. Basic knot tying will also be introduced.
- **Fishing (available May 1-October 15) - Bear: Learn to bait a hook, cast and fish safely in our stocked lake. Identify some common species of pond life and learn about Illinois fishing laws.
- Fur, Feathers and Ferns - Bear: Discuss wildlife conservation status (like extinction and endangerment), and a scout’s responsibility in the outdoors. Learn about local animals through the evidence they leave behind. Take a closer look at local plants and start a seed with compost.
- Webelos Into the Wild: Hone your observation skills with our large collection of local and exotic animals. You will even get to meet one of them up close. Learn about their native ecosystems and their place in the food chain. With observation skills refreshed, take a guided birdwatching hike.
Girl Scout Programs
- Clover Petal: Use resources wisely - Daisy: What is a resource? Observe and learn how our collection of animals uses natural resources and be inspired to find ways for you and your family to wisely use resources too. Learn how to recycle and make cards out of recycled materials for special people in your life.
- Bugs - Brownie: Bugs are the most likely wild animal that we will meet most every day. Learn about types of bugs from plain to beautiful, and ordinary to amazing. Discover more about their lifecycle and homes, and make a bug themed craft to help you remember all you have learned.
- Hiker - Brownie: Learn how to get ready for a hike and learn outdoor ethics. Get introduced to local animals and plants with the help of your Nature Center guide. Make trail mix for energy for your journey.
- Pets - Brownie: Meet some interesting “pets” that call the Nature Center home. Learn what it takes to keep an animal healthy, safe, comfy, and loved. Some of the hands-on activities will have you helping us take care of the Nature Center animals.
- Flowers - Junior: Discover botany (the science of flowers) with close up investigation of the parts of a flower. Find out how people use flowers, and how flowers help people. Make a craft in “flower code” to remember what you learned and explored.
- Animal Habitats - Junior: Learn more about animals and the places they live. Observe our live animals and create a habitat for an animal. Discover how you can help endangered habitats, and take a guided hike to learn more about our suburban animal homes.
- *Camping Fun (available May 1-October 15) - Junior: Get ready for a camping trip! Learn about camping equipment and campfire safety. Put up a tent as a team and enjoy a campfire with roasted marshmallows. Basic knot tying will also be introduced.