Learn how cardinals, chickadees, juncos and more survive the cold in Connecticut. We’ll use binoculars to go on a bird walk and make our bird feeders to bring home. Meets at DPNC.
Create a beautiful wreath, kissing ball or centerpiece for your home. At this winter workshop you’ll learn how to identify different evergreens and learn wreath-making techniques and other holiday decorations. We provide a variety of evergreen boughs, berries and vines from our woodland campus, along with cones, wire and ribbons for your project. For adults…
Boo! Head to the Nature Center for our annual Halloween festivities, Spooky Nature Trails, on Friday, October 20 & Saturday, October 21. Explore our woodland trails with glowing jack-o-lanterns lighting the way. Our nighttime autumn forest is filled with frightful and delightful, weird and wild animals, as well as fantastical ghosts, goblins, ghouls and other…
Boo! Head to the Nature Center for our annual Halloween festivities, Spooky Nature Trails, on Friday, October 20 & Saturday, October 21. Explore our woodland trails with glowing jack-o-lanterns lighting the way. Our nighttime autumn forest is filled with frightful and delightful, weird and wild animals, as well as fantastical ghosts, goblins, ghouls and other…
Celebrate Earth Day the DPNC way! Meet our resident animals, learn ways you can help to protect our planet, and spend time on the trails completing an Earth Day Scavenger hunt. Program for adults and families. Participants receive our limited-edition Earth Day 2022 water-bottle sticker! Free for members and non-members. More Info
Celebrate spring with our Woodland Egg Hunt! Stroll the trails of the Nature Center in search of eggs, and trade in your found eggs for wooden ones. Meet rabbits, birds, turtles and other animals as you explore the Nature Center and spend time at the Spring Creation Station decorating your wooden eggs to take home.…
It may be chilly outside, but things heat up for owls in late winter! Hunting owls are easier to spot when the leaves are down on the trees, and breeding begins in winter for many species, so owl sightings and sounds are much more common! Bring your family to learn more about Connecticut’s owls and…
On Monday, February 20 (President's Day), we'll be learning all about Connecticut’s incredible canines: the fox and coyote! Kids ages 6-10 are invited to come to DPNC from 1-3 pm to play games, identify scat and tracks and search the trails looking for signs of these amazing creatures.
Experience the peaceful wonder of a walk in the woods lit by the soft glow of more than 500 luminaria, then warm up by a festive fire with a hot apple cider or or hot chocolate at our trailside Winter Cafe. Snacks and adult holiday libations (including spiked peppermint hot chocolate and hot cider with…
Experience the peaceful wonder of a walk in the woods lit by the soft glow of more than 500 luminaria, then warm up by a festive fire with a hot apple cider or or hot chocolate at our trailside Winter Cafe. Snacks and adult holiday libations (including spiked peppermint hot chocolate and hot cider with…
Experience the peaceful wonder of a walk in the woods lit by the soft glow of more than 500 luminaria, then warm up by a festive fire with a hot apple cider or or hot chocolate at our trailside Winter Cafe. Snacks and adult holiday libations (including spiked peppermint hot chocolate and hot cider with…
Create a beautiful wreath, kissing ball or centerpiece for your home. At this winter workshop you’ll learn how to identify different evergreens and learn wreath-making techniques and other holiday decorations. We provide a variety of evergreen boughs, berries, vines from our woodland campus, along with cones, wire and ribbons for your project. Meets at DPNC.…
Create a beautiful wreath, kissing ball or centerpiece for your home. At this winter workshop you’ll learn how to identify different evergreens and learn wreath-making techniques and other holiday decorations. We provide a variety of evergreen boughs, berries, vines from our woodland campus, along with cones, wire and ribbons for your project. Meets at DPNC.…
Boo! Head to the Nature Center’s annual Halloween festivities, Spooky Nature Trails, on Friday, October 21 & Saturday, October 22. Explore our woodland trails with glowing jack-o-lanterns lighting the way. Our nighttime autumn forest is filled with frightful and delightful weird and wild animals, as well as fantastical ghosts, goblins, ghouls and other spooky surprises.…
Boo! Head to the Nature Center’s annual Halloween festivities, Spooky Nature Trails, on Friday, October 21 & Saturday, October 22. Explore our woodland trails with glowing jack-o-lanterns lighting the way. Our nighttime autumn forest is filled with frightful and delightful weird and wild animals, as well as fantastical ghosts, goblins, ghouls and other spooky surprises.…
In this workshop you will learn tools to be an explorer, creating an inner compass to live a life that fuels and ignites you, helping guide you on a journey of self-discovery. Learn how listening to Nature at a deep level will help to clarify your discovery as you take this guided journey with a…
Ages 2 to 6, with special needs, and a caregiver In this class geared towards preschool children with special needs and a caregiver, children explore nature every month. Activities, circle time, meeting live animals and lots of time outside give the students and caregivers plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the outdoor world! Masks…
May is the month of flowers! Bring your family to DPNC as we search the trails for our favorite spring blooms and learn more about our local pollinators. Preregistration is required. This program is suited for families. Meets at DPNC. Members and Nonmembers: FREE, funded through a grant from the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation
Everyone deserves a night out! Have an evening out while your kids, ages 5 to 12, spend the evening at the Nature Center. We will enjoy games, activities, meeting live animals and a night hike. We’ll have pizza for dinner and round out the evening with s’mores around the campfire. Please be dressed for the…
Do you find Great Horned Owls fascinating? Join us for an afternoon at the Nature Center to learn about more about Great Horned Owls, meet one of our residents and hear from local author Jeanette Mayo-Upholz who was inspired to write a story about an owlet that she found in her yard that DPNC helped…
Discover the secrets of vernal pools from fairy shrimp to salamanders, vernal pools are teaming with life. After an introduction to vernal pools and the importance of these unique habitats, we’ll spend our time exploring them. Dress to get your feet in the water - wear rubber boots or old sneakers and bring a change…
Incredible creatures, turtles have survived eons with remarkably little change. Take a closer look at the turtles who live in the water and on land in Connecticut. Learn more about the threats they are facing due to habitat loss, climate change and the pet trade and what we can do to help. This program is…
Join us for a week of fun outdoors at DPNC for ages 6 to 10! Each day covers a different topic and includes hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC. Members: $17 per class, Nonmembers: $20 per class
Join us for fun outdoors at DPNC while kids ages 6 - 10 are out for school break! We’ll explore today’s topic “Nest Builders”. We will enjoy hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals as we learn about the different animals that create nests, including birds and mice! Discover more about unique nests and try…
Join us to explore the transitional habitats at the Nature Center with an educator as your guide. This is a moderate hike, suitable for adults and active children. Preregistration is required. We will meet at DPNC’s Main Campus at 109 Pequotsepos Rd, Mystic, CT Members and Nonmembers: FREE This is part of our Earth Week…
Join us for a week of fun outdoors at DPNC for ages 6 to 10! Each day covers a different topic and includes hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC. Members: $17 per class, Nonmembers: $20 per class
Join us for fun outdoors at DPNC while kids ages 6 - 10 are out for school break! We’ll explore today’s topic “Rabbits”. We will enjoy hikes, games, activities and meeting our resident rabbit as we play games and learn about rabbit habitats. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC.…
Join us for a week of fun outdoors at DPNC for ages 6 to 10! Each day covers a different topic and includes hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC. Members: $17 per class, Nonmembers: $20 per class
Join us for fun outdoors at DPNC while kids ages 6 - 10 are out for school break! We’ll explore today’s topic “Aquatic Invertebrates” with hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Using nets we will search the pond and pools for aquatic invertebrates and learn about their essential role in the ecosystem. Dress for…
Join us for a week of fun outdoors at DPNC for ages 6 to 10! Each day covers a different topic and includes hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC. Members: $17 per class, Nonmembers: $20 per class
Join us for fun outdoors at DPNC while kids ages 6 - 10 are out for school break! We’ll explore today’s topic “Go Nuts with Squirrels” with hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Learn to think like a squirrel as we learn all about squirrel adaptations by playing games and setting up a squirrel…
Join us for a week of fun outdoors at DPNC for ages 6 to 10! Each day covers a different topic and includes hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle! Meets at DPNC. Members: $17 per class, Nonmembers: $20 per class
Join us for fun outdoors at DPNC while kids ages 6 - 10 are out for school break! We’ll explore today’s topic “Awesome Amphibians” with hikes, games, activities and meeting live animals. Learn about frogs and salamanders as we search for them in the vernal pools and woods at DPNC. Dress for the weather and…
Stroll the trails of the Nature Center in search of eggs, and meet animal friends along the way. Trade in your found eggs for wooden ones and head over to the creation stations to use paint and more to decorate in your own unique way. Please bring your own basket to collect eggs. Participants are…
Ages 2 to 6, with special needs, and a caregiver In this class geared towards preschool children with special needs and a caregiver, children explore nature every month. Activities, circle time, meeting live animals and lots of time outside give the students and caregivers plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the outdoor world! Masks…
Join us in search of the elusive male American Woodcock, as the normally quiet, well-camouflaged, worm-eating bird transforms into a master of dazzling aerial displays for the sake of impressing the females. Meets at DPNC. Members: $8.50 per person, Nonmembers: $10 per person
Girl Scout Brownies and Juniors will have an opportunity to spend the afternoon at the Nature Center meeting live animals and learning outdoor skills. Fun will be had learning about fire building, hiking and exploring habitats. We will round out our afternoon making s’mores! All participating scouts will receive a DPNC patch. All scouts need…
Join us in search of the elusive male American Woodcock, as the normally quiet, well-camouflaged, worm-eating bird transforms into a master of dazzling aerial displays for the sake of impressing the females. Meets at DPNC. Members: $8.50 per person, Nonmembers: $10 per person
Ages 2 to 6, with special needs, and a caregiver In this class geared towards preschool children with special needs and a caregiver, children explore nature every month. Activities, circle time, meeting live animals and lots of time outside give the students and caregivers plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the outdoor world! Masks…
Have your children ages 8 to 13 join us for an afternoon of hands-on science! Using frozen squid, students will learn more about the anatomy of these unique sea creatures and their adaptations to marine ecosystems. Members: $12.75 Non-members: $15
