Community Calendar

Outdoor Art Group
Looking to relax and unwind with some outdoor art? Stop by for an informal plein air painting and sketching group to sketch the beautiful landscapes of the nature center. We’ll hike from the visitor center together, and learn a little about our ecosystems as we capture them on canvas.

Please bring your own art supplies.

September 20, 2026- Emma Pitcher Prairie

November 15, 2026- Kalamazoo River Overlook

Time: 1:00 – 2:30PM

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

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

Audience: Adults

​Join the MSU Research Foundation and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for the PitchMI AI and Software Semifinal, where five of Michigan's most promising startups will compete live for $250,000 in prize funding and the opportunity to advance to the PitchMI Championship for an additional $1 million.

PitchMI is one of the nation's largest founder-focused startup competitions, designed to identify, support, and invest in Michigan's most promising early-stage companies.

* Finalists will deliver a 7-minute pitch followed by a 5-minute Q&A with an accomplished panel of investors and industry leaders.

* One startup will earn the $250,000 in prize funding and secure its place in the PitchMI Championship.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, student, researcher, business leader, or simply want a front-row seat to innovation being built right here in Michigan, you’re invited to see who will rise to the challenge — and move one step closer to becoming Michigan’s next PitchMI champion.

Reserve your spot: https://luma.com/p86i6gat

Golden Hour Gathering
Spend an evening at the Nature Center as we transition from the golden sunshine of summer to the golden leaves of fall. Take a sunset stroll through the Prairie, play a round of cornhole, and enjoy our special beer crafted with One Well Brewery. The Red Sea Pedestrians will provide the evening’s music with their genre-jumping, distinctive sound!

We will have yard games, blankets, and some incredibly beautiful natural surroundings! So, bring a friend (or a few), bring a lawn chair/blanket (if you want), and get ready for a fabulous evening with One Well Brewery and the Red Sea Pedestrians at KNC!

Guided Prairie Hike at 6pm, Music begins at 7pm

Thursday, September 24, 2026, 6-9 pm

Meet: Barn campus and Emma Pitcher Prairie

Fee: KNC Members $36; Non-Members $45

Please Register >

Audience: Adults 21+, Admission fee includes two drink tickets (N/A options will be available).

KNC Free Admission Day
The Kalamazoo Nature Center has a number of free admission days throughout the year. We hope you’ll visit us! Become a KNC Member and enjoy free admission all year! Learn more >

Please note, the Visitor Center is closed on certain dates with trails open. Other free admission days may occur; check out the Calendar for details.

2026 Upcoming Free Admission Days:

National Public Lands Day: Sept. 26, 2026
Veterans Day: Nov. 11, 2026
Thanksgiving Day: November 26, 2026 (Trails open, Visitor Center is closed)
“Green Friday”: November 27, 2026 (Trails open, Visitor Center is closed)
Buy Local Art & Gift Fair: December 5, 2026
Christmas Eve: December 24, 2026 (Trails open, Visitor Center is closed)
Christmas Day: December 25, 2026 (Trails open, Visitor Center is closed)

Climate Change in Kalamazoo
Our land in Michigan is an ecological ark, a precious resource to protect against climate change. We’ll look at our climate from an incredibly local view, looking at our emissions and futures right here in Kalamazoo.

Saturday, September 26, 2026, 2-3pm

Meet: Cooper’s Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center

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

Audience: All ages. Drop-in program!

Lea Sevigny of Joyful Wildcrafting is back, and continuing her series of traditional skills and foraged goods. This time, we’ll learn how to use common foraged fruits to make delicious jams and jellies, and even take home foraged jams to enjoy!

Please note- this program will be held at Heronwood Field Station, not our main campus.

Sunday, September 27, 2026, 2-4pm

Meet: Heronwood Field Station at 6378 Hart Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Fee: KNC Members $16; Non-Members $20

Please Register >

Audience: All ages

Nate Fuller, Sarett Nature Center Executive Director, will share the dynamic story of bird diversity at the nature center as habitats and climate conditions change. Sarett owns over 1,000 acres in southwest Michigan that includes a wide range of habitats from wet to dry and forested to open grassland.

Sarett staff and volunteers have been documenting its wildlife diversity, especially birds, for over 50 years. Learn how fluctuating water levels are impacting prothonotary warblers while habitat restoration is helping American kestrels and Eastern bluebirds. Sarett staff are witnessing northern range shifts of historically southern species like yellow-breasted chats, white-eyed vireos, and blue grosbeaks while species like common ravens and red-shouldered hawks recover historic breeding ranges. And what is the deal with fish crows? We will schedule a field trip to Sarett in the fall.

Nate Fuller is the Executive Director of Sarett Nature Center. He first worked at Sarett as a naturalist from 1995 to 2001 before returning as director in 2019. In between times working at Sarett he was the Conservation and Stewardship Director for Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. In that role he worked to establish public natural areas and restore wildlife habitat across nine counties of southwest Michigan. Nate received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin and a master’s degree in geography with an emphasis in environmental and resource analysis from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

We hope you'll join us on Monday, September 28th, 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) for some refreshments and socializing. Snacks and beverages will be provided. It's helpful if you bring your own 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 simultaneous Zoom link for those who can’t make it or feel uncomfortable attending in person. The link will be available shortly before the meeting in the ASK member October newsletter and on our event calendar - https://kalamazooaudubon.org/calendar/. We will also be recording the meeting for later viewing.

Even though the leaves are falling, right now is the perfect time to start planning for next year’s fresh growth! Our conservation team members are experts at native planting, and they’re here to share that expertise with you! Bring your most burning native garden questions and plant the seeds of garden knowledge for next season.

This program is geared for adults 50 and up, but all ages are welcome.

Meet: Cooper’s Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center

Date: Thursday, October 1 from 11:00AM-1:00PM

Fee: Free for KNC Members; $10 non-members

Registration recommended, drop-ins welcome

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

Are you looking for an opportunity to better understand your local watershed? Become a Kalamazoo River Guardian! Working with a team of experts, participants will help sample Trout Run Creek at KNC for macroinvertebrates (water bugs). Samples will then be brought indoors to be identified under microscopes as a group. The data collected contributes to a statewide database used for valuable research and water quality monitoring. No prior experience is required.

This program involves both an outdoor and indoor component: we kindly ask that you register only if you can commit to participating for the entire duration of the program.

Saturday, October 3, 2026, 9 am-1 pm

Meet: Coopers Glen Auditorium inside the KNC Visitor Center

Fee: Free program, $5 optional pizza lunch

Please Register >

Audience: Ages 8+, all participants 17 years old or younger must have a guardian accompany them and provide supervision at all times.

This event is recommended for those older than 8. If you have a younger person who you would like to bring, please connect with us and we can discuss ways in which they can participate safely and while having a fun experience.

Birds and Coffee
Autumn is here, and for our avian neighbors that means migration is underway! Join us for a celebration of fall flight and come along on a guided bird walk at 9:30. Coffee will be available to purchase throughout the morning, with local birders here to chat and share their knowledge!

Saturday, October 3, 2026, 9-11am

Meet: Main parking lot of the Visitor Center

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

Audience: Adults. Drop-ins welcome!