Nonformal nature educators looking for hands-on nature learning and inspiration, don’t miss next month’s Nature Center Summit in northern Michigan.
The one-day seminar – Friday, Feb. 9, at the DNR’s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon – brings together nature center interpreters, zoo staff, conservation district educators, higher education faculty and K-12 teachers interested in the latest updates and trends in Michigan natural resources management and environmental issues.
The summit generally welcomes about 100 people to learn from the state’s top authorities in their areas of expertise. Stay for the day (lunch included) or stay later and network with your education colleagues; the choice is yours. Find full event and registration details on the Nature Center Summit webpage.
Wildlife Weekend (open to everyone)
Sponsored by the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Wildlife Weekend takes off when the Nature Center Summit concludes. Beginning that Friday evening and running through noon Sunday, Feb. 11, Wildlife Weekend offers three course options:
Snowshoe Making: Learn the step-by-step process to lace your own Green Mountain snowshoes, and join a trail adventure at Hartwick Pines State Park.
Geology Potpourri: Explore a billion-year timeline, learn how Native Americans used and traded rocks and minerals, and make your own jewelry.
Finding Your Way: Learn about navigation with the use of maps, enjoy a navigational road trip and see how the Land Ordinance of 1785 shaped today’s world.
Wildlife Weekend is designed for anyone who wants to learn, so bring a friend or partner and enjoy the food, fires and ambience of a winter weekend at the RAM Center. For more information and to register, go to the Wildlife Weekend webpage.
