Community Calendar

The Kalamazoo Nature Center is offering free admission in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 19. We hope to see you on the trails!

Discover KNC Guided Hike
Saturdays, January 24 & February 28, 2 pm

Audience: All Ages

Meet: Visitor Center Front Desk

Come explore KNC on a guided hike through some of our favorite areas. Each month will feature a different trail, taking you through our greatest hits and best kept secrets. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring your best trail shoes! Hot tea will be provided.

1/24/2026- Discover the Habitat Haven Trail

2/28/2026- Discover the Prairie Pathway Trail

Fee: Members Free, Non-Member $10. Please register; drop in if space allows.

On a Tuesday night in late April 2024, Tim Baerwald, a fellow migration counter, asked Alison if she'd be able to meet him Thursday morning at a remote Upper Peninsula boat launch eight hours away. She said yes: the boat would be taking them to Manitou Island ─ five miles off the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula ─ and Manitou Island is an incredible concentration point for migrating birds. But Manitou's migration is little-studied: the island, situated in a particularly treacherous sweep of Lake Superior, is uninhabited; its only accommodation is a decommissioned lighthouse built in the 1860s. Tim was particularly interested in banding hawks and owls, which had never been done on Manitou. Alison will be sharing what she and Tim learned about raptor migration on Manitou ─ and will share, too, the general experience of witnessing avian movement from a remote island.

Alison Világ grew up birding in Southwest Michigan and has since let birds take her around the continent. She spent two years guiding birders and photographers on Alaska's Pribilof Islands, she was a Kirtland's Warbler guide for three years, and she's conducted standardized migration counts around Lake Superior (spring and fall) and from Monterey Bay (fall) for seven years. When she's not birding, Alison works in Traverse City's hospitality industry.

We hope you'll join us on Monday, January 26th, at People's Church, 1758 North 10th Street, Kalamazoo. This program is geared to all audiences, and we enthusiastically invite families and nature lovers of any age to join us! Come at 6:30 PM (new time – half an hour earlier this year) for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. It's helpful if you bring your own coffee cup. The one-hour program will start at 7:00 PM. Handicap parking and access is at either the front or the rear entrance of the building.

We will have a Zoom link for those who can’t make it or feel uncomfortable attending in person. This link will be available shortly before the meeting in the February newsletter and on our website/event page. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing.

Behind the Scenes: Rabbits
Saturday, January 31, 12:30-1:15 pm

Audience: All Ages

Take a look behind the curtains of our animal care department and learn all about our softest animals: the rabbits! See how we maintain the highest standard of care for our animals and get a chance to ask our animal care manager your most burning critter questions. This program directly supports our animal care department!

Fee: Member $12, Non-Member $15. Please register.

Public Raptor Training
Saturday, January 31, 2 pm

Audience: All Ages
Meet: Bird Enclosures in Arboretum
Have you ever wondered how we train our birds of prey? Come to the bird mews in the arboretum for a special training session with some of our most charismatic residents and learn more about these majestic raptors and their care. We’ll be outside, so be sure to bundle up and bring your best burning birdy questions!

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; no registration required, just drop in!

Winter Adaptation Walk
Saturday, February 7 at 2 pm

Audience: All Ages

Meet: Visitor Center Lobby

When we go out in winter, we bundle up in our best coats and mittens. But what do our local animals do to survive? Join us as we talk about the diversity of winter survival strategies on display here in Michigan. Dress warmly and be ready for a short hike!

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; drop in program

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).

Avian Arts Exhibition Artist Reception
KNC has invited artists and photographers of all ages to showcase their creative talents for the Avian Arts Exhibition contest. This event is designed to inspire a deeper appreciation for birdlife and promote awareness of avian species through visual storytelling. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or an avid birdwatcher with a camera, this contest is a great way to engage with nature, express your artistic vision, and contribute to bird conservation awareness.

During the exhibit, visitors will be asked to vote on their favorite pieces, with the winners announced the week before the end of the show.

Artist Reception Sunday, February 8, 2-4 pm with FREE admission!

Show runs in KNC’s Glen Vista Gallery February 6 – April 30, 2026
The show will run through two of KNC’s popular events, Maple Sugar Festival and the Earth Day Celebration!

See the artists and learn more at NatureCenter.org/AvianArts.

Silver Maples: Introduction to Recycling with Schupan Sustainability
February 12, 11 am – 1 pm

Audience: Geared for Adults 50+, but all are welcome

Meet: Front desk in the Visitor Center

What really happens to your recycling after you put something in your curbside recycling bin? Does it just end up in the landfill anyway? Is recycling really real? Join an expert from Schupan’s sustainability team to explore the foundations of how the recycling system works in Michigan and the United States. Bring your lunch! We’ll eat together after the program. Part of the Silver Maples Series.

Fee: Member $16, Non-Member $20 Please register.

Science Speaks: Ichthyology with Dr. Bloom
Saturday, February 21 at 2 pm

Audience: All Ages

Meet: Visitor Center Auditorium

Join local WMU evolutionary ichthyologist Devin Bloom for an exciting talk about how fish move through our local waterways, and the ways we view different species of native and non-native fish here in the Great Lakes region.

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; drop in program