Join Master Beekeeper, Naomi Gilbert, in celebrating World Bee Day (observed May 20th). Learn all about bees and beekeeping and explore the world of hive dynamics. Discover the important role that bees play as pollinators. As the primary beekeeper at Mercer Botanical Gardens, Naomi will share with you what it takes to keep and maintain…

Did you know that what we consider a “buzzard” is not actually a buzzard? How skilled are you at telling our local vultures apart? Join Martin DeVore to learn about some of the team members on nature’s cleaning crew – vultures and their kin! Afterwards, take a self-guided hike through the park. Keep your eyes…

Any season is a great season to learn about trees! Jim McKee, a Master Naturalist, tree lover, and bird watcher will be leading more walks throughout the year at the Nature Discover Center to teach us how to identify the trees that live here in Russ Pitman Park. You’ll learn how to use leaf, bark,…

Shelli Ellerbe will do a refresh on VMS and other Master Naturalist topics

Free: Workshop by leading milkweed expert Nancy Denmark and native plant grower and owner of Morning Star Prairie Plants Mark Morgenstern. Tour of Morning Star Prairie Plants  Tour of Nash-Prairie, one of the best coastal prairie remnants  BBSP entry for participants Registration required.  See attached flyer.

It’s a trap! Big Thicket’s carnivorous plants use deception to trick and trap insects in order to get the nutrients they need. Explore a natural garden of carnivorous plants with a ranger. This 1-mile, hour-long walk on the Pitcher Plant Trail will give you an up-close look at these unusual plants. The Pitcher Plant Trail…

Free Experience the park after dark! Join a ranger to walk the new Longleaf Pine Trail at sunset and observe the wonders of the night sky through a telescope as the sky gets dark. The hike is 1 mile roundtrip. Please bring a flashlight for the return hike in the darkness. Reservations required; call 409-951-6700…

$60 for 3 day session Best Practices for Pollinators Summit March 3-5, 2025 Tuesday, March 4th, 10 AM to 2 PM (Central Standard Time) 10:00 AM: Identifying and Caring for Oak Woodlands. Dan Carter, PhD, Ecologist, The Prairie Enthusiasts. Wisconsin Historical Aerial ImageryMinnesota Historical Aerial ImageryWisconsin Original Land Survey Field NotesMinnesota Original Land Survey Field…

$60 for 3 day session Best Practices for Pollinators Summit March 3-5, 2025 Wednesday, March 5th, 10 AM to 2 PM (Central Standard Time) 10:00 AM: Fire: Management and Pollinators. Lauren Ponisio, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Oregon. 11:00 AM: Leveraging Community Interest to Drive Policy and Practice Around Pollinators. Steve Armstead,…

Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR March 1 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 am First Saturday Van Tours The first Saturday of each month, a guided van tour of the refuge will take visitors on a 11/2 hour trip through the prairie. Join one of our staff for drive through the refuge to learn about the native coastal prairie, history of…