Community Calendar

KNC holds the distinct privilege of working alongside two of the only three people in Michigan who are permitted to band Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. These small but mighty birds can tell an incredible story that leads researchers to better understand the species so that they can be properly protected. Banding and documenting body condition data contributes to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s story. For three days this fall, you can observe this process as part of our annual bird banding research with the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory banding team. A rare and incredible experience to see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds up close. We’d love to share this special project with you!

We have Bird Banding Up Close happening daily (except on Saturdays) all fall long!

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Friday, September 4, 2026

Friday, September 11, 2026

Weather permitting

Time: 8 -10 am

Meet: KNC’s Bird Banding Barn

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free!

Audience: All ages

Recipe for abundance is a grassroots community-building organization that organzies free community parties to encourage mutual aid between neighbors through music, art, & food.

This free live music event provided by local artists will also include community art, a community swap, free food, yoga, dance, bike servicing, a fermentation workshop, and more. All of which is provided for free!

Raptor Piñata Making
We love working with our birds of prey, and they need a lot of enrichment to keep their brains active. Help us keep our birds occupied by making bird piñatas!

Hiding food in shreddable containers is a great enrichment for our raptors, and it’s great to have unique exciting piñatas for them to destroy. Create a fun new toy for our birds and learn about the ways we keep our predators engaged and happy.

Saturday, September 5, 2026, 10 am-12 pm

Meet: Classroom inside the Visitor Center. This is a drop-in program.

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free!

Audience: All ages

Nature Journaling
Immerse yourself in the art of slowing down, looking closely, and connecting more deeply with the natural world. These nature journaling workshops are designed for anyone—who wants to cultivate a mindful, creative practice that blends observation, writing, and sketching.

These workshops invite you to step outdoors (or view nature from a window) and tune in to textures, colors, patterns, and stories unfolding around you. Along the way, you’ll explore topics such as seasonal change, nature-based mindfulness, basic field sketching techniques, and how to use your journal as a tool for wonder and awareness.

Please bring your own sketch or notebook. A limited amount of supplies will be available for those who may have misplaced their journal.

Meet: Glen Vista Gallery inside the Visitor Center
Fee: KNC Members are free; Non-Members $10
Audience: Teens, adults
Time: 10:00 – 11:30AM

Please join us the first Saturday of each month at 9 AM (barring special events or bad weather which will be announced on our Facebook page), for "Beginning Birding Walks," led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, just off SR 43. All skill levels are welcome.

We will enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early).

Conrad Kaufman

“A Collection of Regional Landscapes”
on view in KNC’s Glen Vista Gallery
September 1 – November 26
Reception Sunday, September 6, 2-4 pm

Self-described “regionalist landscaper” Conrad Kaufman has been observing and painting the area for nearly 30 years. Kaufman said his new collection on view at KNC is acrylic on canvas and represents a “collection of haunts” that he frequents, including the Nature Center, River Oaks, Gull Prairie Preserve, the Chipman Preserve and an area between Glendale and Bangor. Over the previous few months, Kaufman has focused on painting scenes from the Nature Center.

Free admission to reception

The Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative in partnership with the Douglass Community Association will present a free workshop "Scrolling for the Truth: How to Find Trustworthy News” on Thursday, September 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the community room at the Douglass Community Association, 1000 W. Paterson, Kalamazoo.

The event, which includes dinner and discussion, will be suitable for teens and adults, and feature Western Michigan University School of Communication Professor Sue Ellen Christian, who will share tools, tips, and tactics on how to spot misinformation and manipulated images, and what to look for to identify quality news sources. Participants will need a charged smartphone to participate fully in the workshop.

RSVPs are requested. Free parking is available, and an activity table will be available for children.

Jigsaw Puzzle Night
Do you fancy yourself a jigsaw genius? Gather a team of puzzle Picassos for another Jigsaw Puzzle Night! Teams will have 2 hours to complete a 550 piece puzzle from our collection, with the fastest team winning a prize. Just here to take your time? No worries! All teams will take home their puzzle, and you can always take it slow with provided snacks and drinks.

While we have many puzzles, if you have your eye on something special, all puzzles will be first come first served!

Limit 5 members per group.

Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 6:00 – 9:00PM

Meet: Auditorium inside the visitor center

Fee: $50 per group ($40 member) Please register >

Audience: All ages

KNC holds the distinct privilege of working alongside two of the only three people in Michigan who are permitted to band Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. These small but mighty birds can tell an incredible story that leads researchers to better understand the species so that they can be properly protected. Banding and documenting body condition data contributes to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s story. For three days this fall, you can observe this process as part of our annual bird banding research with the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory banding team. A rare and incredible experience to see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds up close. We’d love to share this special project with you!

We have Bird Banding Up Close happening daily (except on Saturdays) all fall long!

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Friday, September 4, 2026

Friday, September 11, 2026

Weather permitting

Time: 8 -10 am

Meet: KNC’s Bird Banding Barn

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; KNC Members free!

Audience: All ages

Join us for an intimate and soulful writing experience with one of our most beloved local writers and poets, Kalamazoo’s own Kira Collins.

Reimagine your connection to the Earth. Re-root your soul in the land & remember your own belonging. We’ll spend time together grounding and feeling the world around us through the written word.

Bring a notebook, writing utensil of choice, water bottle, and something to sit with on the ground.

Think you’re not a poet? You just might surprise yourself!

Saturday, September 12, 2026, 10-11:30am

Meet: Glen Vista Gallery inside the Visitor Center

Fee: KNC Members $28; Non-Members $35

Please Register >

Audience: Adults