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This hiking series is an opportunity for you to build your mental and physical health. The hikes wills tart easier and flatter, gradually adding mileage and hills. During the hike you will also be relaxing your mind with silent walks, sensory activities, poetry, and reflection.Join us for one hike or all! Each hike will be...
The Little Learners program includes hands-on outdoor engagement with the natural world in a safe learning environment. Each lesson will include storytime, and activity, and something to take home. This program is age appropriate for PreK through 2nd grade. Children must be accompanied by an adult.Adults, please register as a family when you sign up!...
Designed for kids in grades K to 5, the winter EXPLORE! programs will run on six Tuesdays, January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 11, 18. All program activities are outside, and each week features a different theme. Taught by educators from Buttonwood Nature Center, home of The Institute, programs include educational activities related to the...
This community science project collects data on birds visiting feeders in the winter. Enjoy hot cocoa, tea, or coffee while we spend some time in the warm Education Building watching our birdfeeders and collecting count data. No experience necessary - beginners and experienced birders welcome!
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of synthetic chemicals that are resistant to heat, water, and oil. They have been used in a variety of products since the 1940s, including nonstick cookware, stain- and water-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foam. PFAS chemicals are long lasting and persistent, accumulating in the environment and organisms over...
This winter we are offering a series of six new Wee Wonders sessions. Each session is 75 minutes of educational FUN for our youngest naturalists! Taught by educators from Buttonwood Nature Center (formerly The Institute), age-appropriate program activities make learning fun, and include exploring the outdoors, hikes, theme-related and nature stories, crafts, rhymes, songs, finger...
This hiking series is an opportunity to simultaneously build your mental and physical health. During the hike, we will also calm our minds with reflective walks, engaging with nature, and...
Explore and Play is an opportunity for families and community-members to enjoy access to free, play-based learning, and self-guided tabletop activities with a focus on environmental education, STEM, literacy, and local history. It’s a bridge between a nature center and classroom. Free & open to the public
Join the wintery fun! Ms. Ruth will lead our Pre-K friends and families on weekly hikes through the wonderful winter woods. Each hike will run about 50-minute and afterwards Ms. Ruth will host a craft or activity in the Nature Classroom. Register HERE.
Explore and Play is an opportunity for families and community-members to enjoy access to free, play-based learning, and self-guided tabletop activities with a focus on environmental education, STEM, literacy, and local history. It’s a bridge between a nature center and classroom. Free & open to the public
The American chestnut blight was one of the most devastating ecological disasters in American history. Poor Appalachian families of the day were ravaged by the loss of income, food, and livestock feed. The blight forever changed the landscape and indomitable spirit of Appalachian culture. Join us as we explore the vital role American chestnut played...
Buttonwood Nature Center is repeating its series of AT hikes on the last Sunday of the month from January through April, 2025. Hike with us along a portion of the legendary Appalachian Trail! Led by a Buttonwood naturalist, the hike will explore some of the wonders to be found in the woods and along the...
