How does nature survive the winter? Join us as we discover amazing plant and animal adaptations that help them be warriors of winter! Examine animal artifacts, search for winter hideouts, get cozy inside by building burrows and maybe even meet some winter warriors in person!

Junior Explorer is a free family-friendly event at The Parklands that is open to all ages, that focuses on a special nature topic each time. Drop in at any time during the event for themed activities and check back closer to the event date to get a full list of scheduled happenings you won’t want to miss. Join the Parklands’ education team, community partners, and special vendors to explore our natural world with themed activities, games, hikes, crafts, and more!  

This event is free and open to everyone, with activities geared toward pre-k and elementary-aged kids. No registration is required unless otherwise stated.

Event Schedule:

• 10:30 – 11am: Make your own Bird Suet Feeder – Suet Feeders are a must for feeding birds in the winter. Suet feeders contain fat, which is a high-energy food source especially important to birds trying to keep warm in the winter. Go home with a suet feeder you can hang in your own yard! 

• 11:15 – 11:45am: The Winter Layering game – some animals may grow a winter coat, but humans put on coats. See how many layers you can put on in this bundling-up challenge! 

• 12 – 1pm: Raptor Rehab Bird Presentation – Raptor Rehab’s experienced educators will present with live birds and talk about their adaptations for how they thrive in cold temperatures.* Pre-registration is required for this activity– please sign up using the registration link below.

• 1-2pm: Ranger-led Winter Hike – Bundle up and head outside to find places animals hideout in the winter, then explore making your own debris structure!   

*Please note that the Raptor Rehab Presentation is weather-dependent. While this presentation is indoors the outside temperature may drop too low to safely bring the birds inside, the temperature change would be extremely stressful on the birds. If this is the case we will cancel the presentation and replace it with a turtle presentation, please check your email for any updates closer to the event.

Stick around for other drop-in style activities including –

• Over and Under the Snow StoryWalk®
• Hibernaculum Fort Building area
• Beeswax Candle Making (while supplies last)
• Exploring indoor animal burrows
• Investigating real animal fur
• discovering how insects overwinter in cocoons
• learning about bird migration with our interactive migration game
• Pre-k winter sensory bins
• and much more!

Are you an organization or vendor who would like to join the fun? Please contact Olivia Hardin at ohardin@theparklands.org for more information on how you can be involved!