Chippewa Nature Center Calendar

Visitor Center Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5, Saturdays 9-5, Sundays and Holidays 1-5 Trails open every day from dawn to dark 2009: August \| September \| October \| November \| December Download a Registration Form to sign up for fee-related programs

July 2009

1/1/09-12/31/09 Member: $5 Non-member: $7 All Ages	Walk 100 Miles Register at the temporary visitor center to walk 100 miles on Chippewa Nature Center Trails and you will receive a logbook in which to keep track of the dates and mileage you have traveled. To achieve your goal, travel along any of the nature center trails by walking, skiing or snowshoeing. Take in the beautiful views along the Pine and Chippewa Rivers, investigate the fields, forests and wetlands, see how things change throughout the seasons, look for and enjoy the bountiful wildlife and join the many guided hikes throughout the year. Travel 100, 200 or 500 miles in 2009 and receive a t-shirt to mark your achievement! Three additional prizes will be awarded to the three people who have logged the most miles. Registration: 989-631-0830 or scheduler@chippewanaturecenter.org

6/30/09 Tuesday - 7/3/09 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/4/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/5/09 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages, under 18 w/adult	Sensational Summer Days - Water, Water Everywhere Add a special element to your visit this summer by exploring Sensational Summer Days! This indoor program includes a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities you'll find. The activities change weekly, so feel free to come back again and again!

7/2/09 Thursday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Bird Banding Don’t miss this opportunity to see resident and migratory birds up close! After being caught in mist nets, birds are banded for the purpose of research and released. Drop in at the east wetlands parking lot off Grey Road (the gate will be open during banding hours) and learn from Michigan Bird Banding Association president Mike Bishop and Chippewa Nature Center staff. If it is raining or windy, banding will not take place. If conditions are questionable, please call the front office after 8 am at 989-631-0830 to confirm. Other 2009 bird banding dates include June 4, 11 & 24, July 16 & 23 and August 6.

7/2/09 Thursday 6:00 - 9:00 pm Registration Deadline: 6/26/09 Members: $12 Non-members: $15 Ages: 14+	F09-17 Adventures for Women: Kayaking the Chippewa River Enjoy a quiet paddling trip down the Chippewa River, a wide, slow-moving river perfect for either beginners or experts who want to relax. We'll drive to CNC's Chippewa Cabin (about seven river miles upstream), put the kayaks in the river and float down to our main canoe launch just downstream of the Pine/Chippewa River confluence. Along the way, we'll watch for herons, eagles, map turtles, orioles, flycatchers, muskrat, mink, fish and other wildlife who call the river "home."

7/4/09 Saturday 8:00 - 11:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Members Only - The Cabin, A Campfire and Some Fireworks Enjoy the evening around this special members-only campfire listening to stories and singing a few songs and best of all, eating smores! CNC members are invited to join Cathy Devendorf at the Homestead for our annual 4th of July event. Members can make a craft in the cabin and then spend a little time around the campfire. Around 9:30 we will gather up our blankets and lawn chairs and move towards the fence (by the cows) to watch the Midland city fireworks. Please note: fireworks and sparklers are not permitted at CNC.

7/5/09 Sunday 1:30 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Homestead Sunday Stop by the log cabin and chat with volunteers as they cook on the woodstove and help kids dig into a trunk of old-time games. Visit the sheep, pigs, chickens, cow and twin calves. Visit often and watch the chicks grow up and see heirloom varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs mature in our gardens throughout the summer. And don't miss fun, interactive lessons from days-gone-by in CNC’s one-room log schoolhouse. Open up a McGuffy’s Reader, scratch your name on a slate board and enjoy recess with some 19th century schoolyard games. The Homestead and Schoolhouse are open Sundays, May 24 - Sept. 6 from 1:30-5:00 pm, free of charge.

7/7/09 Tuesday 9:00 - 11:00 pm Free Admission Ages: 9+, under 18 w/adult	Full Moon Stroll Enjoy a beautiful summer night by the light of the full moon. Fireflies generally hit their peak in June, but there should be enough left for a good show! Senior Naturalist Janea Little will lead a casual stroll to look and listen for these and other nocturnal wildlife along CNC's trails. While we enjoy the view of the "Thunder Moon" we'll practice walking without flashlights to see how well our own "night eyes" work.

7/7/09 Tuesday - 7/10/09 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/11/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/12/09 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages, under 18 w/adult	Sensational Summer Days - Butterflies Add a special element to your visit this summer by exploring Sensational Summer Days! This indoor program includes a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities you'll find. The activities change weekly, so feel free to come back again and again!

7/8/09 Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30 pm Free Admission All Ages	Arboretum Hike Are you thinking about adding trees or shrubs to your landscape or just want to brush up on your identification skills? Join Naturalist Karen Breternitz on this hike through the Garrett Arboretum to explore the native trees and shrubs of Michigan. This will be a slow easy hike.

7/9/09 Thursday 5:00 - 9:00 pm Registration Deadline: 7/2/09 Members: $15 Non-members: $20 Ages: 15+, under 18 w/adult	F09-18 Saginaw Bay by Voyageur Canoe Join Tom Lenon and Jackie Kelly for an exciting adventure as we paddle in the Saginaw Bay in a 29-foot Voyageur Canoe. The canoe is a fiberglass reproduction of the birchbark canoes used by voyageurs to haul loads of trade goods and valuable animal pelts in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the trip we'll explore the natural and cultural resources of the area and share stories of the past all while having a truly unique outdoor experience. We expect this program to fill up quickly, so sign up right away! If weather or water conditions are not favorable, this trip will be canceled (determined the afternoon of the trip at CNC's discretion) and participants will be refunded.

7/10/09 Friday 9:30 - 10:30 am Free Admission Ages: 6 months - 2 yrs w/adult	Wee Stroll This program is designed for parents to take a guided walk with their child, learn about the outdoors and learn ways to introduce children to the natural world around them.

7/11/09 Saturday 12:00 - 4:30 pm Free Admission All Ages	Butterfly Bonanza Come out for a fun afternoon to learn about the natural history, identification and conservation of Michigan butterflies! This year's Butterfly Bonanza will include outdoor guided hikes plus crafts, exhibits of live butterflies and other activities in the temporary Visitor Center.

7/12/09 Sunday 1:30 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Homestead Sunday Stop by the log cabin and chat with volunteers as they cook on the woodstove and help kids dig into a trunk of old-time games. Visit the sheep, pigs, chickens, cow and twin calves. Visit often and watch the chicks grow up and see heirloom varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs mature in our gardens throughout the summer. And don't miss fun, interactive lessons from days-gone-by in CNC’s one-room log schoolhouse. Open up a McGuffy’s Reader, scratch your name on a slate board and enjoy recess with some 19th century schoolyard games. The Homestead and Schoolhouse are open Sundays, May 24 - Sept. 6 from 1:30-5:00 pm, free of charge.

7/14/09 Thursday 9:30 - 11:00 am Free Admission All Ages	Arboretum Hike Are you thinking about adding trees or shrubs to your landscape or just want to brush up on your identification skills? Join Naturalist Karen Breternitz on this hike through the Garrett Arboretum to explore the native trees and shrubs of Michigan. This will be a slow easy hike.

7/14/09 Tuesday - 7/17/09 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/18/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/19/09 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages, under 18 w/adult	Sensational Summer Days - Wonderful Wetlands! Add a special element to your visit this summer by exploring Sensational Summer Days! This indoor program includes a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities you'll find. The activities change weekly, so feel free to come back again and again!

7/16/09 Thursday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Bird Banding Don’t miss this opportunity to see resident and migratory birds up close! After being caught in mist nets, birds are banded for the purpose of research and released. Drop in at the east wetlands parking lot off Grey Road (the gate will be open during banding hours) and learn from Michigan Bird Banding Association president Mike Bishop and Chippewa Nature Center staff. If it is raining or windy, banding will not take place. If conditions are questionable, please call the front office after 8 am at 989-631-0830 to confirm. Other 2009 bird banding dates include June 11 & 24, July 2 & 23 and August 6.

7/16/09 Thursday 2:00 - 5:00 pm Registration Deadline: 7/9/09 Members: $12 Non-members: $15 Ages: 9+, under 18 w/adult	F09-19 Local Family Kayak Trip Here's an opportunity to get your kids or grandkids out to enjoy a trip kayaking down the Chippewa River. CNC's Kyle Bagnall and Jackie Kelly will spend time teaching the basic skills of paddling kayaks and will help everyone navigate down the river. The kayaks used are excellent for beginners and are quite stable and fairly easy to learn how to paddle. Paddling a kayak gives you a totally different perspective on the landscape and the rivers around you. Throughout the trip you'll have a chance to learn how rivers work, discover some of the rarely seen critters of this aquatic environment and learn how to safely avoid common hazards on a river.

7/16/09 Thursday 9:30 - 10:30 am Free Admission Ages: 3-5	Preschool Story Hour: Quick as a Cricket Come spend an hour learning about nature! The hour will include a story and may include songs, art, rhymes and other age-appropriate activities.

7/18/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 1:30 pm Registration Deadline: 7/11/09 Free Admission Ages: 15+, under 18 w/adult	River Cleanup Workday Here's your chance to help keep our local rivers clean. In past years, we've pulled out old tires, bottles, a car engine and a motorcycle! Bit by bit, the river appears to be getting cleaner. We'll use a combination of wading and canoeing. If you are interested in helping clean a section of the Pine or Chippewa River, contact Curt Holsinger by July 11 at 989-631-0830 or cholsinger@chippewanaturercenter.org.

7/18/09 Saturday Start time is weather dependent Free Admission Ages: 9+, under 18 w/adult	Butterfly Count Chippewa Nature Center has hosted a Butterfly Count each July since 1988. Over 60 species have been found on the counts, thanks to the help of dozens of participants over the years. No experience is needed to participate, just enough enthusiasm to spend a few hours outside and off-trail, looking for, counting and identifying (and learning to identify!) butterflies. Start time is weather dependent; please call Senior Naturalist Janea Little ahead of time (631-0830) to be put on the list of participants.

7/19/09 Sunday 1:30 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Homestead Sunday Stop by the log cabin and chat with volunteers as they cook on the woodstove and help kids dig into a trunk of old-time games. Visit the sheep, pigs, chickens, cow and twin calves. Visit often and watch the chicks grow up and see heirloom varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs mature in our gardens throughout the summer. And don't miss fun, interactive lessons from days-gone-by in CNC’s one-room log schoolhouse. Open up a McGuffy’s Reader, scratch your name on a slate board and enjoy recess with some 19th century schoolyard games. The Homestead and Schoolhouse are open Sundays, May 24 - Sept. 6 from 1:30-5:00 pm, free of charge.

7/19/09 Sunday 3:05 pm Parking Admission: $3 (Game ticket sold separately) All Ages	Cause Park at McKay Press Come watch the Great Lakes Loons take on the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Dow Diamond. Park your car at McKay Press for a $3 donation to Chippewa Nature Center! Tickets to the game are sold separately and are available at www.loons.com.

7/21/09 Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 pm Free Admission Ages: 9+, under 18 w/adult	Homestead History Hike On this evening stroll through history, participants will enjoy a walk from the Wigwam to the Homestead Farm. Along the way, you'll get to know past settlers of current CNC lands, especially the Charles Sinclair family, who owned a farm here from 1874-1916. From Maine to Michigan, you'll be amazed at the tale of this Civil War veteran and the life his family made here! Meet at the temporary Visitor Center where we'll begin our hike.

7/21/09 Tuesday - 7/24/09 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/25/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 7/26/09 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages, under 18 w/adult	Sensational Summer Days - Beavers & Muskrats Add a special element to your visit this summer by exploring Sensational Summer Days! This indoor program includes a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities you'll find. The activities change weekly, so feel free to come back again and again!

7/22/09 Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30 pm Registration Deadline: 7/19/09 Members: $15 Non-members: $20 Ages: 14+, under 18 w/adult	W09-03 Adventures for Women: Compass and Orienteering Workshop Using a compass to find your way in the woods or fields off trail is a fun and valuable skill. Learn the basics of using a compass, then follow a compass course to arrive at a new destination. Meet at the temporary Visitor Center first. Wear comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing and bring a water bottle. Compasses will be provided.

7/23/09 Thursday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Bird Banding Don’t miss this opportunity to see resident and migratory birds up close! After being caught in mist nets, birds are banded for the purpose of research and released. Drop in at the east wetlands parking lot off Grey Road (the gate will be open during banding hours) and learn from Michigan Bird Banding Association president Mike Bishop and Chippewa Nature Center staff. If it is raining or windy, banding will not take place. If conditions are questionable, please call the front office after 8 am at 989-631-0830 to confirm. Other 2009 bird banding dates include June 11 & 24, July 2 & 16 and August 6.

7/25/09 Saturday 7:00 - 9:00 am Free Admission Ages: 12+, under 18 w/adult	Short-N-Sweet Bird Walk Late July will probably bring us a few migrating shorebirds and lots of songbirds with either the beat-up appearance of adults finishing up the nesting season, or awkward immature birds who are just learning how to live outside the nest. Join CNC Senior Naturalist Janea Little for this guided walk. Loaner binoculars are available.

7/26/09 Sunday 1:30 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages	Homestead Sunday Stop by the log cabin and chat with volunteers as they cook on the woodstove and help kids dig into a trunk of old-time games. Visit the sheep, pigs, chickens, cow and twin calves. Visit often and watch the chicks grow up and see heirloom varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs mature in our gardens throughout the summer. And don't miss fun, interactive lessons from days-gone-by in CNC’s one-room log schoolhouse. Open up a McGuffy’s Reader, scratch your name on a slate board and enjoy recess with some 19th century schoolyard games. The Homestead and Schoolhouse are open Sundays, May 24 - Sept. 6 from 1:30-5:00 pm, free of charge.

7/27/09 Monday	Registration Deadline for F09-25 Backpacking at Isle Royale National Park (9/4 - 9/12/09) Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior is north woods, clear lakes, rocky ridges and wildlife in a wilderness setting. This backpacking trip is led by veteran backpacker and naturalist, Phil Stephens, who worked on the island's wolf ecology project in the 1970s and 80s. CNC's Kyle Bagnall, an Isle Royale alumnus, is a wonderful co-leader. Though wilderness backpacking is tough work, the rewards can be enormous. Participants must be able to carry 30 to 40 pounds as far as 10 miles in a day. To help prepare, you must take Phil's June 13* Introduction to Backpacking workshop (included in trip fee), as well as the free session on August 15 (9:30 am - 2:30 pm). Road and boat transportation, lodging (including double-occupancy for 2 motel nights) and camping fees are included in the trip fee; meals are not. You may borrow some of the Nature Center's backpacking equipment, such as tents (double occupancy), at no charge. If you have scheduling difficulties with pre-trip classes, please discuss them with Phil before you register. A $250 deposit is due with your registration by July 27, with the remainder by August 23. * If you have scheduling difficulties with pre-trip classes, please contact Phil directly before registering.

7/28/09 Tuesday - 7/31/09 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 8/1/09 Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 8/2/09 Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Free Admission All Ages, under 18 w/adult	Sensational Summer Days - Seeds! Add a special element to your visit this summer by exploring Sensational Summer Days! This indoor program includes a variety of self-guided, hands-on exploration stations. Experiments, fun facts, crafts and scavenger hunts are just a few of the types of activities you'll find. The activities change weekly, so feel free to come back again and again!

7/30/09 Thursday 6:00 - 9:00 pm Registration Deadline: 7/23/09 Members: $12 Non-members: $15 Ages: 15+, under 18 w/adult	F09-20 Local Kayak Trip Join Kyle Bagnall in a leisure kayak trip traveling down the river. Interesting facts about the natural and cultural history found along the way will be pointed out. This trip is an easy way to relieve the pressures of the week and get a little exercise and is a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors! If weather or water conditions are not favorable, this trip will be canceled (determined the afternoon of the trip at CNC's discretion) and participants will be refunded.

2009: August \| September \| October \| November \| December
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