THE NEWSLETTER OF FENNER NATURE CENTER & FENNER …mynaturecenter.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/web_FEN06_S… · TRUE OR FALSE: Fenner Nature Center’s Apple Butter Festival

AUTUMN 2016

THE NEWSLETTER OF

FENNER NATURE CENTER &

FENNER CONSERVANCY

COVER PHOTO | © David Marvin

OUR MISSION:

Fenner Conservancy connects people to nature in the heart of Lansing through conservation, education, and stewardship.

THE NEWSLETTER OF

FENNER NATURE CENTER &

FENNER CONSERVANCY

FENNER CONSERVANCY STAFF

Liz Roxberry Executive Director [email protected]

Jenny Mensch Program Manager [email protected]

Jessica Clark Volunteer Coordinator [email protected]

Gair TourtellotGift Shop Coordinator

Robert PhillipsBookkeeper

CITY OF LANSING – PARKS & RECREATION DEPT.

Emily Stevens City of Lansing Manager of Leisure Services

Brett Kaschinske City of Lansing Parks & Recreation Director

EDITORS

Amy Moore [email protected]

Liz Roxberry [email protected]

Bobby Jereb [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHY

David MarvinJenny MenschJason MeyerLiz Roxberry

PRINTING

Seasons is published four times per year and is received by all Fenner Conservancy members. It is generously printed by Jackson National Life Insurance Company.

CONTACT US

Fenner Nature Center 2020 East Mount Hope Ave. Lansing, Michigan 48910

Phone: (517) 483-4224

Web: mynaturecenter.org

Visitor Center Hours: Au gust 8-October 31

Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm Saturday-Sunday, 12pm-4pm

Visitor Center Hours for November-March: Wednesday–Friday, 10am–4pm Saturday & Sunday, 12pm–4pm Explore Store Hours: Tuesday-Friday open by request; Saturday-Sunday, 12pm-4pm

Trails are open daily from 8am to dusk.

In This I s sue

01 LETTER FROM THE LEADERSHIP

02 43RD ANNUAL APPLE BUTTER FESTIVAL

04 CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

05 WELCOME TO JESSICA CLARK

06 ANNUAL VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION POTLUCK

07 TAKE A WALK DOWN THE SENSORY TRAIL

08 WAVES OF CHANGE

10 DONORS & SUPPORTERS

12 PROGRAMS & EVENTS CALENDAR

IT IS THE FIRST week after camp has ended and it is noticeably quiet around here. The space that was once filled with camp songs , giggles, and games, is now filled with counselors stealthily tucking camp materials back in place, not to be seen for another year. Forgotten water bottles are collected, cleaned, and sentenced to live forever in lost and found, and the last of the pond dipping equipment is laid out to dry in the sun.

This year, we served more children through our summer programs than ever before and it really is impressive how far this organization has come in the last eight years.

For close to a decade the City of Lansing and Fenner Conservancy have worked hand in hand in a unique partnership to provide an essential and cherished community service to close to a half million visitors. More than 80,000 youth have participated in environmental literacy education during this time through programs, camps, tours and field trips. It is undeniable that when we united to weather the storm of the economic recession of 2008, we were able to not just survive, but thrive. What a testament to non-profit and municipality partnerships. So as we head into the upcoming year, we are encouraging our membership to reach out to the City of Lansing and thank them for being such a wonderful partner in conservation, education, and stewardship because together, we are so much stronger than we are apart.

Brett Kaschinske200 N Foster Street

2nd Floor Lansing, MI 48933

LETTER FROM THE LEADERSHIP

Virg Bernero, Mayor

L i z R ox b e R R y , e x e c u t i v e D i R e c t o R

P e g g y R o b e Rt s , P R e s i D e n t o f t h e b o a R D

BY LIZ ROXBERRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FENNER CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Peggy Roberts, PresidentStacie Longwell Sadowski, Vice-PresidentKristin Arnett, TreasurerVeronica Gracia-Wing, SecretaryAmy Bond-Nelson Moore Nathan DickinsonSara Frank-HepferJenina Halitsky Melanie HarrisRaymond HarrisScott McPhail IIChris StewartGerald Westlund

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Communications:

Amy Bond-Nelson Moore, ChairBrendan DwyerVeronica Gracia-WingMeghan MartinDave MartinGerald Westund

Development:

Peggy Roberts, ChairKris ArnettRaymond HarrisStacie Longwell HillScott McPhailChris Stewart

Personnel:

Lori BryceSarah Frank-HepferAndrea RadelMichelle Rutkowski, Chair

Programming:

Sara Frank-Hepfer, ChairPhil Rutkowski

Stewardship:

Ron Eggleston, Interim ChairLucas ElenitskyPhil RutkowskiJuly CassidyGabe ZawadzkiGreg Scovill

fenneR natuRe centeR & fenneR conseRvancy Autumn 2016 | SEASONS | 1

S MICHIGANDERS, the traditions of the fall season are a part of our heritage. Handed down to us is our history of making things by hand, supporting our communities during the fall harvest, and enjoying the

natural beauty that surrounds us. Our heritage is connection to the land and to each other.

This year marks the 43rd annual Apple Butter Festival at Fenner Nature Center, where we celebrate that heritage by connecting people to nature. Each year since the inaugural Apple Butter Festival in 1973, Fenner has practiced the traditional process of picking, peeling and preserving local apples into apple butter. In keeping with the handed-down recipe, our volunteers and visitors mix 10 pounds of apples at a time with sugar, apple cider, and our secret mix of spices into our huge copper kettle and stir it over the fire for hours.

The Apple Butter Festival is a time for our community to gather around the giant apple butter kettle, and enjoy live

music, old-time games, pumpkin carving, sweet treats and demonstrations of artisan crafts for all ages. Here, surrounded by the changing colors of autumn, visitors can learn about apple ecology during school tours, watch our local potters guild spin pottery in the visitor center, see the birch bark canoe the Indigenous Youth Empowerment Program is building, and try their hand at the cider press, cross-cut sawing or old-fashioned stilts.

We hope that you will join us as we celebrate our heritage and our ties to the land. Walk paths lined with trees raining down their stunning colors. Taste apple butter with its smoky, caramelized, spice flavor, and carve pumpkins pulled from local fields. Revel in time-honored traditions, the harvest and the season near and dear to Michigander hearts. This and much more awaits you this year at the Apple Butter Festival.

The festival is October 8 and 9 from 11am–5pm.

BY ALEXA WALKOWICZ, DEVELOPMENT AND EVENTS ASSISTANT

A

2015 APPLE BUTTER FESTIVAL | © David Marvin

2 | SEASONS | Autumn 2016 fenneR natuRe centeR & fenneR conseRvancy

APPLE BUTTERFESTIVAL



FENNER2016

OCTOBER 8+911AM-5PM

2016 APPLE BUTTER FESTIVAL SPONSORS

(COMMITTED AS OF AUGUST 29, 2016)

© David Marvin

TITLE SPONSOR

GOLDEN APPLE SPONSOR

COPPER KETTLE SPONSORS

Bond Creative, LLC

MSU Horticulture

CIDER PRESS SPONSORS

American Indian Studies Program

Munsell Farms


TRUE OR FALSE: Fenner Nature Center’s Apple Butter Festival requires more than 20 volunteers for each shift.

TRUE OR FALSE: Anyone can volunteer!

ANSWER: Both statements are true. We need lots of help to make our festivals fun and safe for the thousands of visitors who attend our annual Apple Butter Festival. Volunteer assignments come in all shapes and forms. Volunteers who prefer physical work provide the bulk of our setup and teardown for artisan and information booths, the music stage and signage, stirring the apple butter kettle through the festival, as well as during the week for hundreds of visiting school-age children. Volunteers with a creative streak are needed for the intensely popular face-painting booth and pumpkin carving station. Volunteers who like to take center stage are perfect candidates to help lead school tours from October 3–7 or to welcome visitors to the festival. Additional volunteer tasks include parking assistance, volunteer check-in, apple butter sales, and refreshments.

Shifts are generally 2 ½ hours between 8:30am and 7:30pm. Weekday stirring, peeling, and tour leading shifts are flexible in length, depending on your schedule between the hours of 8:30am and 3pm.

If you have an interest in volunteering for the Apple Butter Festival or would like to learn more about getting involved, return the form below by mail or in person to 2020 East Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing, MI 48910, or contact Jessica at [email protected].

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

I would like to volunteer for Fenner’s 2016 Apple Butter Festival!

Name____________________________________________________________________________________

Contact me by email/phone:__________________________________________________________________

I would like to volunteer on: Weekdays (October 3–7) Festival weekend (October 8–9)

2015 APPLE BUTTER VOLUNTEERS | © David Marvin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


HELLO, my name is Jessica Clark, and I would like to introduce myself as the new volunteer coordinator for Fenner Nature Center. I will be working closely with Jenny Mensch throughout this transition and I couldn’t be more excited to get to know all of you.

I am a Lansing native who has been enjoying Fenner Nature Center since I was a small child. When not at Fenner, I can be found hiking, fishing, taking wildflowers pictures, rock collecting, and traveling to many lakeside destinations. I received my bachelor’s degree from Michigan State in Fisheries and Wildlife and still continue to be fascinated by our natural world to this day.

I began volunteering at Fenner myself about a year ago because I wanted to give back to my community and I instantly fell in love with all of the wonderful people who make up this incredible organization. Whether it be other volunteers, members, or visitors, everyone is so welcoming and it is such a positive place to be. I knew right away that when the opportunity arose to join the Fenner team, that this was the place for me. Volunteering within my community has been a very rewarding experience for me personally and I am confident that it is for others out there as well.

If you have ever considered volunteering, we do have many great opportunities coming up this fall. Our Apple Butter Festival is October 8–9 this year and we are always looking for people to peel and stir the apples, help with festival logistics, or even lead one of our many educational tours through the apple orchard. Stewardship is another

great way to become involved. Workdays are usually on Saturday mornings and there is no greater feeling than getting outside on a beautiful fall day to meet new friends and assist with keeping the park enjoyable for all users. We often work on trail maintenance, habitat improvements, and removal of invasive species like oriental bittersweet and honeysuckle. In fact, this fall we will be working bit by bit to remove the successional growth of ornamental cattails and swamp willow around the perimeter of the pond.

Fenner has a long history of volunteerism and I am excited meet those of you who are part of that history, as well as those who have yet to discover the joys of volunteering. I am certain that together we will be able to do great things in the Capital City for conservation, education, and stewardship. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can answer any questions at [email protected] and I will be reaching out to you as well in the near future. Thank you and see you on the trail!

BY JESSICA CLARK, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

© David Marvin

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORWelcome to Jessica Clark

Meet Our Newest Staff Member

J e s s i c a c L a R k v o Lu n t e e R c o o R D i n a t o R


2016 ANNUAL MEETIN G AND VOLUN TEER RECOGNITION POTLUCK

BY JENNY MENSCH, PROGRAM MANAGER

Carl G Fenner Outstanding Service Award Recipient: Ron Eggleston

This year, Ron Eggleston was awarded the Carl G Fenner Outstanding Service Award for the major role in which he has played in our organization. Ron Eggleston has shared of his time, institutional knowledge, passion, friendship, diplomacy, council, and patience since 1997, and we could not be more thrilled to have him on team Fenner. Over the years, Ron has peeled, sliced and stirred apple butter; served as our fearless leader as the president of the board during the transition with the city; written policies, provisions, procedures, insurances, and contracts; and raised countless dollars to further our mission and preserve our history so that our children may also know nature as intimately as we do. All of this is just scratching the surface of Ron’s contributions and legacy here at Fenner Nature Center. Thank you, Ron Eggleston, for all you have done and continue to do as a valued volunteer of our organization.

100+ HOURS Melanie HarrisJennifer OlsonLeanne ParksXavier PerezJon PruittChris Stewart

200+ HOURS Ross HelmickSariah MartineauPeggy Roberts

400+ HOURS Haley Preadmore

500+ HOURS Gair Tourtellot

Nature Center Support Volunteer of the Year: Melanie Harris and Leanne Parks

Leanne has been volunteering at Fenner for 3 years in the front office. Leanne is at the center every week, to help out with general office projects, keep the center clean, and greet visitors, and a whole lot more. Leanne supports the center’s daily operations, acts as a sounding board, and keeps our spirits up.

Melanie is a member of our Board of Directors. Melanie has volunteered many hours over the past year, not only with board work and volunteering for our festivals, but with graphic design and support. Melanie expertly designed many of the graphic components and signs for the new displays in the visitor center, and installed and painted walls alongside staff.

Stewardship Volunteer of the Year: John Krohn

John has been active within the stewardship committee and volunteer team for the past 3 years. As a member of the stewardship committee, John has put many hours into planning workdays and priorities for the direction of stewardship in the park. For our most recent Earth Day, John coordinated the purchase and planting of 400 trees to re-establish native plants to areas in which invasive brush had been removed.

Fenner 100 Award: Volunteers with recorded service of 100+ hours from Feb. 2015–Jan. 2016 were awarded the Fenner 100 award.

© Jenny MenschOne of my very favorite things about Fenner Conservancy is the sense of community and common purpose shared among our staff, board of directors, volunteers, and members. Every year, we gather together at our Annual Meeting and Volunteer Potluck to celebrate that very sense of community, along with the accomplishments made possible over the previous year by our collective efforts.

During the Annual Meeting, we learned that Fenner Conservancy had an outstanding financial year in 2015, accompanied by increases in program attendance and volunteer participation. Liz Roxberry, Executive Director, shared such notable accomplishments as ribbon cuttings for our native prairie and natural playscape, and congressional recognition from Debbie Stabenow for our work in conservation and stewardship. You can find more information on the successes of last year in our 2015 annual report, CULTIVATE, available at the front desk of the visitor center.

When we reflect on the accomplishments of 2015, we must acknowledge that it could not be possible without the continued, diligent work of our volunteers. Part of the Annual Meeting and Potluck was set aside to recognize these faithful supporters and thank them for the many hours they have contributed to our mission.

This year, the following individuals were recognized for their outstanding volunteer efforts:

© Peggy Roberts


© Katie Woodhams

TAKE A WALK DOWN THE SENSORY TRAIL

© Jenny Mensch

HE SENSORY TRAIL is an extension of our Universal Nature visitor center renovation that we hope will inspire visitors to the park to use their five senses in nature and become truly present. Unlike Turner, Tamarack, or Oak Ridge trails, the Sensory Trail will change and move with the seasons. Maps for the Sensory Trail will be available at the visitor center, which will help users of the Sensory Trail to identify where to go to touch,

taste, hear, see, or smell some of our favorite things in the park. Eight blue and green signs will dot the park’s existing trails to remind visitors to slow down and use their senses.

In the height of summer, you can expect to see a sign featuring a giant tongue placed next to a patch of black-capped raspberries or in the midst of the purple blooms of bee-balm, whose leaves have a peppery taste. In early spring, you may come across a sign with a giant ear, reminding you to stop and listen to the trickling of water through the culvert as the snow melts. Or maybe, you’ll see the sign with the giant hand, pointing out velvety moss or our favorite, the fuzzy-leafed mullein plant. The Sensory Trail is user friendly, and open to interpretation. While the map might indicate one reason to stop and look around when you reach the magnifying glass sign, you’ll likely see something wild and wonderful that isn’t on the map.

On your next visit to Fenner Nature Center, make sure to take the time to walk down our new Sensory Trail. Whatever the motivation for going on a walk, I will be challenging myself, and you, to be truly present in nature – to use your senses to better explore and understand this great, green planet that we call home.

BY JENNY MENSCH, PROGRAM MANAGER

T

“ This seems clear enough: When truly present in nature, we do use all our senses at the same time, which is the optimum state of learning.”

– Richard Louv


“GO WILD” DAY CAMP 2016

© Hannah Hazewinkel

N THE WEEK FOLLOWING the last day of camp the festive camp flags were taken down, the buckets of pond muck were rinsed, and the lingering, seemingly never-ending piles of goldfish cracker crumbs were vacuumed. These end-of-camp activities elicited feelings of nostalgia that remain with our camp counselors; and so too do the lessons learned from camp remain with our campers. Our weekly camp themes had campers digging in the muck and mud to learn about microorganisms and decomposers during our “Down by the Pond” and “Gross Nature” weeks. The “Up in the Clouds” and “Magnificent Mammals” weeks had campers looking to

the sky and trees to identify the signs of winged and terrestrial animals. Campers interacted with natural materials in entirely new ways to create art during the “Art of Nature” week and to build shelters and fire during our “Wilderness Rangers” week. Campers impressed themselves and counselors by creating jobs and working together to survive on the “Prairie Homestead”.

The specific themes and facts may be lost over time but campers take more than these with them after the last Afternoon Flagpole goofy counselor challenge and camp song. The “Nature Detectives” week was the only camp week devoted, in name, to learning how to think like scientists, yet throughout the summer campers were challenged to ask questions about nature, to choose the best tools to examine these questions, and how to use the answers. While campers were eagerly discovering new games and developing new areas of interest they were also learning less tangible skills. These skills can benefit children long after they have forgotten how to sing the “Bog Song” or how to differentiate an insect from a spider. Counselors challenged campers of all ages to develop and use communication skills, teamwork, and determination in the course of problem-solving. These challenges were often frustrating for campers and counselors alike but I was continually impressed by the patience of my fellow counselors, interns, and junior counselors in encouraging these skills and more importantly, the increased confidence and self-efficacy campers demonstrated when stepping up to face these challenges.

Nostalgia for the laughter, fun and youthful joy associated with Fenner “Go Wild” Nature Camps lingers and it is the sincere hope of those at Fenner that campers learned about how to “Go Wild” in nature and developed skills to benefit them long after their time at Fenner camp.

BY ABBY FEDER, CAMP COUNSELOR

I

A tremendous thank you goes out to the Fenner volunteers and staff for making Fenner Nature Center such a hospitable location in the center of Lansing; the financial support from donors and contributors to the Norris Ingells Fund for providing opportunities for campers to attend camp; the environmental, education, and animal care interns for sharing unique areas of knowledge to enhance the camp experience; the junior counselors from the Youth Leadership Program for assisting campers in finding their wild side and gaining confidence in nature; and the guest speaker, Julia Brokaw, from the Entomology Department at Michigan State University for bringing her impressive knowledge about the importance of bees.


HE SMALLEST OF ACTIONS, when done together, can have the largest of impacts. The Waves of Change Campaign launched in July, and already we are seeing the impact.

So far, donors like you have raised around $2,100 with the Waves of Change Campaign. When supporters give to Waves of Change, their gifts are being matched dollar for dollar by a generous local donor.

The goal of the campaign is to raise a lofty $20,000 to conserve and restore the more than 134 acres that compose Fenner Nature Center. It will also support the ongoing environmental education programs offered within the park.

Fenner Nature Center is committed to making waves of change in our community through conservation, education and stewardship. This campaign is an invitation for our community to use their pocket change to cause waves of change with us, in order to have the largest impact possible. Because every dollar donated is being matched, now is the opportune time to make a difference that will last a lifetime.

Thanks to our dedicated supporters, Fenner Nature Center is able to care for 134 acres of rolling glacial eskers, towering maple groves and native prairies. This provides an oasis for wildlife that can only be found in areas conserved for nature. Your support has also enabled Fenner to deliver education programs to more than 12,000 students, promoting environmental literacy in our community. Fenner is also able to train valuable volunteers to identify and remove invasive species, restore native habitats, and maintain more than four miles of trails.

The success Fenner has seen in recent years is due to the community’s desire to see a conservation ethic grow as part of our culture here in Lansing. Please consider giving to Waves of Change to come together and have the largest impact possible.

The campaign runs through October 31. In the meantime, we will be uploading posts featuring how supporters like you and your donations can have an impact on your local watershed. We’ll also be posting fun facts and turtle puns, featuring the campaign’s mascot, Bowser. RSVP to our event page and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to see all of our posts. To donate today, visit our website www.mynaturecenter.org and click the Donate Now button on our homepage.

BY ALEXA WALKOWICZ, DEVELOPMENT AND EVENTS ASSISTANT

T


f e n n e R c o n s e R va n c y D o n o R s & s u P P o Rt e R s

M a Rc h 30–J u Ly 30, 2015

Thank you donors and supporters for your generosity!

Circle of Stewards Legacy Society

Doris Bauer (Deceased)

Phoebe Clark (Deceased)

Ron & Sue Eggleston

Arlene Eskes (Deceased)

Grace Hoffer

Mary Monaghan

Jack & Peggy Roberts

David Young (Deceased)

Raymond Ziarno

$10,000 and Above

Thomas Giddings

$5,000-$9,999

Doris Bauer

Jackson National Community Fund

$1,000-$1,999

Charles & Susan Millar

$500 Commemorative Brick

Brenna DeVaney

$250 Commemorative Brick

Melanie Harris – Harris & Co. LLC

DONOR PATIO

Thanks to the generous support of Susan and Jack Davis, we now have a patio behind our building that not only enhances the fire pit area, but also gives you a chance to show your permanent support of Fenner! Bricks are available in two sizes: 8” x 8” ($500) and 4” x 8” ($250). They can be purchased and engraved with your name, the names of loved ones, or your favorite nature-related quote. Help us continue to grow by purchasing a brick today! For more information or to purchase a brick, call 517-483-4224 or e-mail [email protected].

© Jason Meyer


f e n n e R c o n s e R va n c y D o n o R s & s u P P o Rt e R s

M a Rc h 30–J u Ly 30, 2015

Thank you donors and supporters for your generosity!

In-Kind Contributions

Leanne Parks Gerry Stathowiak Daniel Parrell

$100–$499

Ron & Sue Eggleston

Ronald & Donna Granger

Jenina & Kevin Halitsky

Max & Mary Hoffman Jr.

Duane & Maureen Mayhew

Kathleen Obenour

Mary Rhodes

Barbara Lowes Garden Club of Greater Lansing

Up Through $99

Manish Amlathe

Jessica Baker

Cori Barkman

Samantha Beck

Gladys Beckwith

Kristen Bullard

Barb Byrum

Robin Celeski

Jessica Clark

April Cognato

Emily Crockett

Nathan Dickinson

Lori Dorsey

Andria Downes

Enrique Eno

Charlotte Freeman

Brittany Guilford

Abby Jackson

Lindsey Johnson

Cassandra Kallin

Brittney Keyton

Julie Kilmer & Cheryl Burke

Deborah Lawrence

Sarah Lecato

Marilyn Lee

Heather & Kevin Lezan

Chris Lum

Deborah Margolis & Anne Houghes

Ann McCall

Valeree Miller

Joshua Mireles

Betty Moore

Damir Morris

Deana Newman

Carl & Linda Nichols

April Nickols

Courtney Peek

Jenna Pfennighaus

Lucinda Pickell

Alan Platt

Jack Rotman & Susan MacFadden

Ellen Salgado

Samantha Scaramellino

Marcie Schlak

Eve Silva

Heather Spitzley

Sue St. Charles

Chad & Emily Stevens

Bernadette Terranova

Tami Theobald

Candice Torres

Samantha Treloar

Jamie Wagner

Sherry Walters

Join the “Circle of Stewards Legacy Society” with an Estate Gift to Fenner Conservancy.

A bequest is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to support Fenner Conservancy.

These thoughtful gifts help ensure that Fenner Conservancy will continue to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation for future generations of greater Lansing’s residents and visitors.

If you have already made provisions for Fenner Conservancy in your estate planning, please let us know so that we can recognize you as a member of the Circle of Stewards Legacy Society.

For more information on including Fenner Conservancy in your estate plan, please contact your financial advisor and call Liz Roxberry at 517-483-4224.


APPLE BUTTER FESTIVAL

10/8–10/9 | SATURDAY–SUNDAY | 11 AM–5 PM

Join us as we celebrate the fall harvest with our annual Apple Butter Festival. This event gives visitors a chance to reconnect with nature through an exploration of heritage arts, crafts, games and of course, to help cook authentic apple butter over an open fire. This year’s festival promises to be fun for the whole family and includes live music, great food and will feature “celebrity stirrers” on site to help stir the apple butter.

Cost: Free / Suggested Donation for Parking $5

NATURE STORY HOUR (Ages 4-6)

FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH | 9/3, 10/1, 11/5, 12/3 | 1–2 PM

Our resident librarian will be leading a nature story hour in the visitor center that is geared towards children between the ages of 4 and 6. After the story, participate in a craft and watch a family friendly nature video.

Cost: Free

NATURE’S TRADING POST (All Ages)

9/11, 10/16, 11/20, 12/18 | SUNDAYS | 12-4 PM

Calling all backyard naturalists! Have you found something intriguing, unusual, or just plain cool in nature? Drop in to Nature’s Trading Post! Fenner Naturalists will open up the Trading Post monthly to help you identify and learn more about the amazing things you can find in nature.

Cost: Free to trade/ $5 participate in monthly project

COME AND PLAY DAYS AT THE PLAYSCAPE (Kids; Ages 4–12)

9/25 |SUNDAY | 2–4 PM 10/23 |SUNDAY | 2–4 PM

Join Fenner’s Youth Leaders for a play day in our natural playscape! The leaders will teach children about the fundamental needs of life while guiding them in fun activities in the playscape’s food, water, shelter, and space stations. You can come for a few minutes or stay and play for the whole program! Parents must remain with their children.

Free

TWILIGHT TREKS (All Ages)

9/9, 9/23, 10/14 | FRIDAYS | 7–8:30 PM

Interested in exploring Fenner at night? Come join one of our naturalists for a guided hike as the sun is setting. Learn how certain animals are adapted to function during twilight and nighttime, and what animals are hunting, walking, or flying around while we are getting ready for bed! This family-friendly program concludes with a bonfire and marshmallow roast.

Cost: $5 Non-Members; Members FREE

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CEMETERY STROLL (All Ages)

10/28 | FRIDAY |6–8 PM

Fenner Nature Center and the Friends of Lansing’s Historic Cemeteries are teaming up for a guided tour through Mount Hope Cemetery to investigate the signs and symbols of nature that surround life and death. We will delve into the folklore of ravens, owls, and other animals that can be found on the tombstones on our walk before heading back to Fenner for a campfire and marshmallow roast.

Cost: $5 Non-Members; Members FREE

PROGRAMS & EVENTS CALENDAR

CALL 517-483-4224 TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION!

© Jenny Mensch

© David Marvin


BEGINNING BASKET WEAVING CLASS (ADULT)

9/18 & 10/16 | SUNDAYS | 12:30-4:30 PM

Work with Sharon and Juanita of the Crossroad Weavers Guild to learn this traditional skill. This class is suitable for complete beginners, and intermediate crafters who want to tackle a larger project. Your experienced teachers will walk you through the steps of making a basket from start to finish. This fall, we are making our basket over the course of two class periods. Part 1 includes making the base and setting the pattern. Part 2 includes rimming and shaping the basket. We recommend that you bring scissors, pencil, ruler, and a hand towel to class.

Cost: $70, includes instruction and materials

NATURAL VINE WREATH MAKING (Ages 12–Adult)

11/6 | SUNDAY | 2-4 PM 11/19 | SATURDAY | 2-4 PM

Learn how to create a natural vine wreath from harvest to completion. The workshop will begin with a short walk to locate and collect grapevine, bittersweet, and other useful vines. After we prep the vines, we will go step by step to construct the wreath and add other natural materials like berries, pinecones, and leaves to create a wreath that is perfect for your fall or winter décor. All materials are included.

Cost: $20 Non-Members; $15 Members

CALL 517-483-4224 TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION!

DECORATE A TREE FOR WILDLIFE (Ages 5-12)

12/10 & 12/17 | SATURDAYS | 11 AM–12 PM

It can be tough to be an animal in winter! Show your love for nature by decorating a tree for wildlife. Participants in this class will learn how animals find their food in winter and make a selection of tasty treats and ornaments that they can take home, or hang on the trees to help our furry and feathered friends get through the cold months ahead.

Cost: $7/child with Parent or $15/Family

NATURE EDUCATION TOURSGet your students out in nature and fulfill a variety of science, social studies, math and language arts while you’re at it! We offer programs for students in grades pre-K through 12, and general programs for homeschoolers and community groups, all of which can be viewed on our website: www.mynaturecenter.org. Please call to make a reservation.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMFenner’s Youth Leadership Program (YLP) meets monthly for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who want to be involved in volunteerism and leadership roles at Fenner. There is no cost for participants, however, interested youth must apply and be accepted to the program as well as meet mandatory participation hours each month. Interested youth may contact [email protected] or stop in to receive an application.

© Jessica Clark

© Jenny Mensch

© David Marvin


FENNER NATURE CENTER

FENNER CONSERVANCY

2020 EAST MOUNT HOPE AVE.

LANSING, MICHIGAN, 48910

Newsletter printing generously provided by:

© David Marvin

Would you like to go green and receive the newsletter via email? If so, please contact [email protected].