16 Dec

Trails Closed for Winter

Saturday December 16 - Monday April 01    
All Day
Each winter The Nature Institute closes the trails allowing for large scale trail maintenance. The closure of our trails also provides a less stressful winter [...]
Outdoor Edventure Day: April Fools Day Fun!

Outdoor Edventure Day: April Fools Day Fun!

Monday April 01    
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
This drop off program provides a single camp day for students when schools are closed. Morning snack is included in the program pricing. Spaces are [...]
Discovery Nature Club: Earth Day Celebration

Discovery Nature Club: Earth Day Celebration

Tuesday April 02    
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Discovery Nature Club is an after school drop-off program for elementary students (1st - 5th grade). This fall, students will meet bi-weekly to explore the [...]
Knee High Naturalists

Knee High Naturalists

Wednesday April 03    
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Put on some boots and bring your sense of exploration! This program is designed for children ages 2 - 5 accompanied by an adult. Participants [...]
Knee High Naturalists

Knee High Naturalists

Saturday April 06    
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Put on some boots and bring your sense of exploration! This program is designed for children ages 2 - 5 accompanied by an adult. Participants [...]
Nonsense Nature Hike

Nonsense Nature Hike

Saturday April 06    
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
This hike is not what it seems! This tricky, family friendly hike will have you identifying some interesting phenomena in nature. Bring your dad jokes [...]
Tiny Trekkers: Curious Collectors

Tiny Trekkers: Curious Collectors

Tuesday April 09    
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Tiny Trekkers is a once a week drop off program for ages 3 - 5. Registration is offered by the month only, single class registrations [...]
Heartland Prairie Hike

Heartland Prairie Hike

Tuesday April 09    
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Join us at Heartland Prairie at Gordon Moore Park in Alton for these bimonthly hikes, held on every second and fourth Tuesday April through October. [...]
Telescope Night

Telescope Night

Wednesday April 10    
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Have an old telescope laying around, but never use it?  Always wanted to look at the universe through a telescope, but don’t own one?  You [...]
Kids Night Out: Fantastic Fungi

Kids Night Out: Fantastic Fungi

Friday April 12    
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Need an evening off? Join us for a Kids Night Out! This 3 hour drop off program includes dinner and an evening of fun for [...]
Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy

Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy

Saturday April 13    
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join Jess Thenhaus, a certified Forest & Nature Therapy Guide, for a unique outdoor experience at The Nature Institute. Forest Bathing is a practice that [...]
ECO Homeschool Adventures: Bird Bonanza

ECO Homeschool Adventures: Bird Bonanza

Monday April 15    
10:00 am - 11:00 am
*NEW* Early Childhood (3 - 7 years old) This new session age group caters specifically to our early childhood learners. Our early childhood sessions use [...]
Roaming Naturalists

Roaming Naturalists

Tuesday April 16    
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Roaming Naturalists is a monthly hike designed for adults that want to learn more about the natural world. Topics will range from birds to plants [...]
Tiny Trekkers: Curious Collectors

Tiny Trekkers: Curious Collectors

Tuesday April 16    
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Tiny Trekkers is a once a week drop off program for ages 3 - 5. Registration is offered by the month only, single class registrations [...]
Discovery Nature Club: Earth Day Celebration

Discovery Nature Club: Earth Day Celebration

Tuesday April 16    
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Discovery Nature Club is an after school drop-off program for elementary students (1st - 5th grade). This fall, students will meet bi-weekly to explore the [...]
ECO Homeschool Adventure: Hyped for Herpetology

ECO Homeschool Adventure: Hyped for Herpetology

Wednesday April 17    
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Calling all homeschool families! This new program offering takes place the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 10 - 11:30 am. Lessons may include hikes, [...]
ECO Homeschool Adventures: Flower Power (6th - 12th)

ECO Homeschool Adventures: Flower Power (6th - 12th)

Wednesday April 17    
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
This program is geared towards students in 6th – 12th grade that are learning from home. Unlike the younger group of ECO Homeschool Adventures, this is [...]
Bird Banding Demonstration

Bird Banding Demonstration

Saturday April 20    
8:00 am - 11:00 am
Join Travis Wilcoxen, a biology professor at Millikin University and licensed bird bander for a morning of capturing, measuring, and banding resident and migratory birds [...]
Yoga + Hike

Yoga + Hike

Saturday April 20    
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Brick City Yoga is headed to the Nature Institute for a 60-minute hike in nature before connecting more in a 60-minute yoga practice with a [...]
Classic Flicks for Conservation: Metropolis

Classic Flicks for Conservation: Metropolis

Saturday April 20    
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Transformers, those robots in disguise,  turn 40 this year, so cozy up with a blanket for a movie on the lawn and celebrate these films [...]