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Field Trips -- Outreach -- Workshops --
Community Groups -- Homeschool -- Scouts -- Educational Loan Boxes
Field Trips
FALL
The F.B.I.
(Click on a field trip for state standards fullfillments)
Fall
Harvest Home - This adorable program will immerse children into the lives of Native Americans by grinding corn, celebrating the first Thanksgiving, and many other age appropriate activities. (Pre – 1)
Falling Colors – Investigate all the busy work critters do in preparing for winter but also enjoy the beauty and science of the fall leaf transformation through an artful storytelling experience in folklore.
The Prairie State – Explore the plants and animals that make their home in the prairie and play a predator prey game while in the midst of this tallgrass. Investigate the natural history of this interdependent yet disappearing ecosystem through plant identification and uses.
Grow Garden, Grow Garden, Harvest! – We need to harvest our garden. Learn about the life cycle of plants, and help harvest and make a snack out our fruitful (and veggie) efforts!
Winter
Winter Storyland – That blanket of snow makes for a great picture story of all the animal activity in winter. The Story in the Snow makes for a great introduction prior to heading out onto the trails in search of wildlife signs such as tracks, scat and animal homes.
Spring
Wade into Wetlands - Take a trip to the pond to feed the fish and turtles then a trip through a story to discover all the wonderful critters living in wetlands. Children will also explore the growing pains of frogs through their life cycle. (Pre-1)
Wade Into Wetlands - Students will use dip nets to collect critters from the pond and study the interdependency of such an ecosystem by studying the specimens collected and releasing them. (2nd & up)
Grow Garden, Grow Garden, Grow! - Visit us in the spring to help plant our veggies in our garden. Come back in the fall to eat a meal from your hard work!
Baby Boom - Spring is a time of a fresh awakening and new life. Explore various habitats in search of our new arrivals and discuss the bursting busy work spring takes on critters. (Pre – 1)
Sap Tappin – This program is limited to March and April. Through hands on discoveries children will learn how maple syrup ends up on your breakfast.
Year Round
Birdie Basics - Learn the basics of bird identification through sight and song while “birding” with binoculars in the forest, prairie, and wetlands.
Alien Invasion - Students explore the impact of exotic species and assist our site manger in removal of such species. (2nd and up)
Curious About Critters and other Creepy Crawlies - Children will learn about the diversity of creatures that live in Illinois and use magnifying glasses to search high and low for the biggest and smallest of critters in our area.
Simply Sense-ational - Children will explore the wonders of nature through sensory awareness activities while on a short trail hike. (Pre – 1)
Tales of the Trails - This storytelling adventure allows participants to visualize our state history through a large 3-D floor map on how the land of Illinois changed over time with glaciers, settling of pioneers and the introduction of invasive species. This program concludes with a hike through the three dominant habitats of Illinois; wetlands, woodlands and the prairie and includes a small conservation project for your class. (2nd & up)
Terrific Trees - Learn about the importance of trees to humans and the environment through interactive games and activities.
The F.B.I. - Investigate Mother Nature’s Basement while learning about decomposition and the F. (fungus), B. (bacteria), and I. (insects) and their healthy benefits to our soil ecosystem.
Our educational specialist will bring nature to you. Presentations will provide interactive hands-on experiences. Groups are limited to 30 students. Programs typically last 45 minutes to one hour.
Topics Available:
A Look at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center – A PowerPoint presentation on the historic roots of the Douglas-Hart Nature Center and its progression moving forward through expansion, development, and mobilizing the green movement.
All About Owls – Hear the calls of local owls and discover what they eat by dissecting their pellets. A truly favorite program!
Animals In Winter – Where do all of our animals go in winter? Through a story, our naturalist will bring in signs of wildlife that helps show even in the coldest of winter, some animals are still active.
At Risk: A Look at Illinois Endangered Species - Learn how so many critters became endangered and specific animals in our area that are considered threatened or endangered.
Batty About Bats – Are bats really blind? Do they fly in your hair? Through engaging activities, groups will learn about echolocation, the enhanced senses of bats, and answer a few common misconceptions about bats.
Earth Day – Available year round, but most popular in April, this program will stress the importance of recycling and what you can do in your community to make a difference.
How I Got My Wings: Butterflies and Moths – Learn to identify local butterflies in our area and explore their life cycle from start to finish.
H20 On the Go - Let's explore the water cycle! NEW!
Reptiles & Amphibians – Learn about our common Illinois reptiles and amphibians as we compare and contrast the major similarities and differences through interactive demonstrations.
Spiders – Their creepy and crawly and they make some of us nervous. Let’s learn the characteristics of spiders that make then so fascinating - like building a giant web! NEW!
Wiggle Worms – Meet the worms up close for a scientific investigation of our earthly friends who making our soil rich and ground dark.
Wiggles and Giggles (Up to Age 4) – This program is just for our little ones. Singing, dancing, fingerplays and puppet shows all about nature!
Teacher Workshops
Teacher workshops are offered throughout the year on a variety of topics. Some past workshop topics include: Illinois ENTICE programs, Batty About Bats, Wonderful Prairies, Exploring Nature, Seasons of the Salamander, Bird Basics, and Project WILD. All workshops include hands-on experience and curriculum materials containing a wealth of ideas. See our Calendar of Events page for more details on our upcoming professional development opportunities. |
Community Groups
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Douglas Hart Nature Center offers a variety of programs for scout groups. Schedule visits to fulfill requirements for wildlife/nature achievements and badges. Group size 10 minimum, 25 maximum. Cost is $2 per scout and does not include the patch.
Boy Scout Programs
Bird Study -- Environmental Science -- Fish and Wildlife Management -- Forestry -- Insect Study -- Mammal Study -- Nature -- Reptile and Amphibian Study -- Soil and Water Conservation -- Weather
Daisy Girl Scouts
Green Petal for using resources wisely -- Rose Petal for making the world a better place -- Daisy Girl Scouts in Action
Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its
Animals -- Earth and Sky -- Earth is Our Home -- Eco Explorer -- Me and My Shadow -- Outdoor Adventurer --
Outdoor Fun -- Outdoor Happenings -- Plants -- Water Everywhere
Junior Girl Scout Badges
Earthly Connections -- Eco-Action -- Finding Your Way -- Frosty Fun -- Outdoor Creativity --
Outdoor Fun -- Plants and Animals -- Rocks Rock -- Science Discovery -- Science in Everyday Life --
Sky Research -- Weather Watch -- Wildlife -- Your Outdoor Surroundings
Girl Scout Interest Project Awards
All About Birds -- Eco-Action -- Outdoor Survival -- Plant Life -- From Shore to Sea -- Wildlife
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Expand your classroom resources by checking out one of our boxes packed with specimens, puppets, videos, posters, equipment, field guides and much more! A curriculum guide comes with each loan box. Borrowers must sign an agreement assuming full responsibility for the box and its contents. The price for each box is $5 and check out time is two weeks. Teachers provide pickup and delivery of boxes. Choose from the following box topics: |
Bat Box - This box contains mounted speciments, audiotapes, field guides, storybooks, posters, puppets, and activity lessons.
Bird Box - This box contains study skins, feathers, bones, nest, video & audiotapes, field guides, storybooks, posters, binoculars and puppets.
Butterflies and Moths Box - This box contains specimens, videos, nets, field guides, posters, books, puppets and a butterfly garden container for your specimens.
Endangered Species Box - This box contains study skins, feathers, bones, nest, video & audiotapes, field guides, storybooks, posters, binoculars and puppets.
Ladybugs, Praying Mantids, and Bee’s – Thanks For Helping Me! - Packed with videos, books and curriculum guide, students will learn how these insects help humans.
Mammal Box - Discover the diversity of mammals living in Illinois with fur pelts, bones, track and scat samples. Animal track molds are available with this kit by request.
Wiggles and Giggles Box - This box includes books, videos, puppets and hands-on materials.
Springtime Discoveries - Learn about this busy season with books, videos, puppets and more!
Tree Box - Seeds, rubber stamps, books, videos and lots of Tree-rific stuff.
Worm Box - Everything you need to know about worms, decomposition and composting, plus a giant 5 foot worm that shows the internal and external composition of worms.
| The Douglas-Hart Nature Center offers quality programs for students of all ages. These programs offer unforgettable and valuable experiences with nature. Each program is designed to meet your specific educational objectives. All Douglas-Hart Nature Center naturalists are certified as Interpretive Guides through the National Association for Interpretation. |  |
