Woodland Dunes Nature Center & Preserve

Summer Star Parties
2025-06-21 22:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
View night sky constellations with astronomers Al and Ben, along with the moon and other celestial objects through the big telescope in the Sky Shed. You can even bring your own telescope if you need help figuring out how to set it up. Weather and sky conditions permitting. Program takes place outside the Nature Center. Registration required by the Thursday before each session. Sponsored by The Winston Group. Email Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Adult Summer Camps - Wetlands
2025-06-26 13:00 - 15:30
New! Why should kids have all the fun? Calling all adults that are kids at heart, come attend a short summer camp and explore various nature topics through hands-on activities, games, crafts, and hikes! Learn, laugh, and meet like-minded individuals that are excited to spend time outdoors. Camps will take place mostly outdoors. Space is limited – registration required. Sliding scale $5-$25
Wonderful, Wild, Wacky, Wetlands! Explore what makes a wetland so special and see who lives there through activities like pond dipping, a pollution demonstration, and a wetland wander hike!
Registration required by Friday, June 20th. Email Jessica at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Family Program: Pond Dipping
2025-06-27 10:00 - 11:00
Use nets to dip in the pond and see what lives below the surface. Registration required by Wednesday, June 25th. To register, email Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Write-Ins At Woodland Dunes
2025-06-27 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-07-22 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-08-20 12:00 - 13:00
Join writers Peggy Turnbull and Tara Huck of Fresh Water Press for time dedicated to creativity. We’ll look at a poem or two by Jean Biegun from her book, Waking Up at Woodland Dunes, then walk outside to discover what the Dunes landscape has to say to us. We’ll write for most of the session and share our work with each other at the end (only if you want). Bring paper, a notebook or sketch pad, and your favorite writing implement.
Peggy Turnbull is the author of Where Sweetness Falls with the Rain and The Joy of Their Holiness. Tara Huck is the author of Just a Stop Along the Way and Stress Fracture. Along with Tracey Koach, they are the co-founders and editors of the Fresh Water Press.
Registration required Monday before the event. Call 920-793-4007 or email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org.

Slow Down Saturdays
2025-06-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-26 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-02 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-23 10:00 - 11:00
Slow down, stop by, and say hi to Jess or Kennedy! Each session will have fun information and activities about nature. Visit the front desk to find out where the session will take place. Stop in anytime during the hour. Fun for all ages, no registration required. Watch our Facebook page for more information as the date approaches.

Little Wings Play Days - Bubble Play
2025-07-08 13:00 - 14:30
Bubble Play – blow bubbles and try a bubble science activity!
Gather in the outdoor Little Wings Nature Play Area for these special play days. Families can play together, have fun and maybe get a little messy too! Activities for ages 2-10, but open to all. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free, no registration required. In the event of poor weather, an indoor activity will be available in the education room.

Raising a Wild Child - Nature Observation Session 1
2025-07-10 09:00 - 10:15
Members: $2/child
Non-members: $3/child
Experience the wonders of nature with your 2-5 year old through nature hikes, play and guided activities. Help your child notice the natural world and ignite their curiosity! Children must be accompanied by an adult, older siblings welcome in summer. Dress for the weather, majority of the program takes place outdoors. Registration required by the Monday before each session, space is limited. Call 920-793-4007 or email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org.

Raising A Wild Child - Nature Observation Session 2
2025-07-10 10:45 - 12:00

Guided Walks - The Morning Prairie
2025-07-11 07:00 - 08:00
Wander amongst the prairie wildflowers at their peak down Willow Trail.
Members: Free
Non-members: Sliding scale $3-$10/person
Join a staff member on a guided hike along one of our trails. Some hikes will have a specific topic while others will be about whatever nature presents to us that day. Registration is required the Monday before the hike takes place, as space is limited and meeting locations may vary. Hikes will be under a mile long unless specified. Register by emailing jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Flutter & Buzz Storytime on the Road with Manitowoc Public Library
2025-07-11 10:00 - 10:30
Wriggle your way to Woodland Dunes Nature Center and join library staff as we explore the wonderful world of insects through stories, rhymes, and songs. Stick around after storytime for an un-bee-leivably fun activity with the Woodland Dunes Staff. Storytime is recommended for developmental ages 2-5 and siblings are always welcome. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held inside the Nature Center. Registration appreciated by Wednesday, July 9th, but walk-ins welcome.

Family Fridays Series - Fireflies
2025-07-11 21:00 - 22:00
Members: Free
Non-members: $15/family
Learn a few firefly basics, make a craft and then carefully catch and observe these amazing insects. Be prepared for mosquitoes. Registration required by Wednesday, July 9th.
Summer Fridays are made for fun! This new series is for children and their adults to engage with
nature through exciting hands-on activities. Each program will explore a new topic and will be
packed with fun. Best for ages 4-12, but all ages welcome. To register – email Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Adult Learning Series - Branching Out: An Exploration of Arboreal Stories
2025-07-12 09:00 - 11:00
All programs in this series have a sliding scale fee of $3-$10 per person. This will be collected at check-in, cash is preferred. Sponsored by the Winston Group and Next Era.
The arboreal humanities is an emerging field of study that seeks to explore the relationship between humans and trees through literature, art, and other forms of expression.
Join Emma Knickelbine, a PhD student in literature at UW-Milwaukee, as she discusses her ongoing research in the arboreal humanities and explores the significance behind the language we use to describe trees, and ourselves in relation to them. We’ll talk about trees in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (no prior reading is required), explore contemporary arboreal literature, and venture outside to investigate our own relationships with arboreal life. Registration appreciated by Thursday, July 10th. Email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Summer Star Parties
2025-07-19 22:00 - 23:00
View night sky constellations with astronomers Al and Ben, along with the moon and other celestial objects through the big telescope in the Sky Shed. You can even bring your own telescope if you need help figuring out how to set it up. Weather and sky conditions permitting. Program takes place outside the Nature Center. Registration required by the Thursday before each session. Sponsored by The Winston Group. Email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Adult Summer Camps - Wildflowers
2025-07-23 13:00 - 15:00
Learn about the beautiful flowers that fill our prairies! See flowers in a whole new way while looking at flower parts under a microscope, learn about pollinators and why they are important, and take a stroll through the prairie to learn some flower ID. Registration required by Friday, July 18th
Sliding scale $5-$25
New! Why should kids have all the fun? Calling all adults that are kids at heart, come attend a short summer camp and explore various nature topics through hands-on activities, games, crafts, and hikes! Learn, laugh, and meet like-minded individuals that are excited to spend time outdoors. Camps will take place mostly outdoors. Space is limited – registration required.

Family Fridays Series - Pollinators
2025-07-25 10:00 - 11:00
Members: Free
Non-members: $15/family
Explore the world of pollinators through hands-on activities and a short pollinator walk. Registration required by Wednesday, July 23rd.
Summer Fridays are made for fun! This new series is for children and their adults to engage with
nature through exciting hands-on activities. Each program will explore a new topic and will be
packed with fun. Best for ages 4-12, but all ages welcome. Registration required by emailing Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Guided Walks - Wake Up Your Senses
2025-07-30 07:30 - 08:30
Tune into your senses – listen to the calls, observe different smells and textures, and the enjoy the rich gifts of the morning. Trail to TBD.
Members: Free
Non-members: Sliding scale $3-$10/person
Join a staff member on a guided hike along one of our trails. Some hikes will have a specific topic while others will be about whatever nature presents to us that day. Registration is required the Monday before the hike takes place, as space is limited and meeting locations may vary. Hikes will be under a mile long unless specified. Register: email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

CANCELED Family Fridays Series - Flowers
2025-08-01 10:00 - 11:00
This program was canceled due to lack of registration
Members: Free
Non-members: $15/family
Red, purple, yellow, oh my! Enjoy the pollinator garden in full bloom and learn about flowers. Registration required by Wednesday, July 30th.
Summer Fridays are made for fun! This new series is for children and their adults to engage with
nature through exciting hands-on activities. Each program will explore a new topic and will be
packed with fun. Best for ages 4-12, but all ages welcome. Register by emailing jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Little Wings Play Days - Stuffie Storytime
2025-08-12 13:00 - 14:30
Read a nature book to your favorite Stuffie, then tuck them in for a nap while you play.
Gather in the outdoor Little Wings Nature Play Area for these special play days. Families can play together, have fun and maybe get a little messy too! Activities for ages 2-10, but open to all. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free, no registration required. In the event of poor weather, an indoor activity will be available in the education room.

Adult Learning Series - Ecological Contributions of Wetlands
2025-08-13 09:00 - 10:30
All programs in this series have a sliding scale fee of $3-$10 per person. This will be collected at check-in, cash is preferred. Sponsored by the Winston Group and Next Era.
The aquatic plant and invertebrate communities of constructed wetlands, like those use to catch and treat urban and agricultural runoff, influence nutrient movement and support biodiversity. Learn about Dr. Jessica Warwick’s interdisciplinary work that investigates how novel combinations of native wetland plants interact with the calico crayfish, a Wisconsin native, to influence phosphorus uptake. Afterward, you will sample from a wetland pond at Woodland dunes to learn some basic wetland invertebrate identification. Registration required by Monday, August 11th. Email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

CANCELLED: Raising a Wild Child - Butterflies Session 1
2025-08-14 09:00 - 10:15
CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF REGISTRATION
Members: $2/child
Non-members: $3/child
Experience the wonders of nature with your 2-5 year old through nature hikes, play and guided activities. Help your child notice the natural world and ignite their curiosity! Children must be accompanied by an adult, older siblings welcome in summer. Dress for the weather, majority of the program takes place outdoors. Registration required by the Monday before each session, space is limited. Call 920-793-4007 or email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org.

Raising a Wild Child - Butterflies Session 2
2025-08-14 10:45 - 12:00

Guided Walks - Henry Wetland Hike
2025-08-14 13:00 - 14:00
Walk through the Henry Wetland Preserve while we look at what flowers, pollinators, and birds are out there on this day!
Members: Free
Non-members: Sliding scale $3-$10/person
Join a staff member on a guided hike along one of our trails. Some hikes will have a specific topic while others will be about whatever nature presents to us that day. Registration is required the Monday before the hike takes place, as space is limited and meeting locations may vary. Hikes will be under a mile long unless specified. Register by emailing jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

CANCELED: Family Fridays Series - Trees
2025-08-15 18:00 - 19:00
Members: Free
Non-members: $15/family
Walk through the forest and meet some of the trees in the preserve. Registration required by Wednesday August 13th.
Summer Fridays are made for fun! This new series is for children and their adults to engage with
nature through exciting hands-on activities. Each program will explore a new topic and will be
packed with fun. Best for ages 4-12, but all ages welcome. Register by emailing Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

POSTPONED to Aug 23rd: Summer Star Parties
2025-08-16 21:30 - 22:30
View night sky constellations with astronomers Al and Ben, along with the moon and other celestial objects through the big telescope in the Sky Shed. You can even bring your own telescope if you need help figuring out how to set it up. Weather and sky conditions permitting. Program takes place outside the Nature Center. Registration required by the Thursday before each session. Sponsored by The Winston Group. To register, email jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Adult Summer Camps - Mammals
2025-08-21 13:00 - 15:30
Explore the marvelous world of mammals! Learn about what makes an animal a mammal, what adaptations they have, and discover which mammals call Woodland Dunes home. Take a short hike through the forest to search for mammal signs. Registration required by Friday, August 15th.
Sliding scale $5-$25
New! Why should kids have all the fun? Calling all adults that are kids at heart, come attend a short summer camp and explore various nature topics through hands-on activities, games, crafts, and hikes! Learn, laugh, and meet like-minded individuals that are excited to spend time outdoors. Camps will take place mostly outdoors. Space is limited. Register by emailing jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.
