GVNCP: Nature Classes

• Location: virtual on Zoom
• Day/Time: Thursdays, 12:30 to 2:30 PM
• Class Dates: January 22 to March 12

Description: Class is mostly indoors, but there will be two short excursions outdoors per day. Dress for weather. This class is both informative and fun! Spend time outdoors. Explore your own backyard. This is a nature class, a drawing class, and a show-n-tell class, about your backyard, in different seasons. On Zoom, talk with classmates about nature in your backyard. Share natural features of your backyard, including trees, sticks, snow, etc. with the teacher and fellow students on Zoom. The teacher will help you to figure out what is in your backyard, and how to learn more about nature in your backyard and beyond. Learn about nature through a variety of hands-on nature-exploration skills.

Recommended: during class, at least for the first few days of class, parents to assist students, that are under age 12.

Backyard Nature Zoom Topics include: Studying your backyard. Nature Journal; 5-Senses; Deep-Sensing Nature; Nature Games; Tracking and Awareness; Michigan Native Local Plants and Animals; Phenology; Maps; Big Scale features, such as trees; Small-Scale creatures, such as ants; Plant Identification; Leaf Collections; Backyard Nature Stewardship; and more. 

Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): 

• Smart phone, iPad, and or computer (laptop or desktop) with Zoom software. (Most people find the smart phone the most handy to bring and use outdoors.)
• Printer to print out sheets of nature activities. Every week, print 3 new sheets, before the class period starts on Thursday.
• Digital camera or smart phone to take outdoor photos. Be able to email about 4 photos to instructor, each week. Photos are not necessarily taken every day of class, but it's good to be  prepared. 
• Dress for outdoor weather in your backyard. 
• clipboard 
• 3-ring binder for nature journal 
• hole puncher 
• unlined paper 8.5 x 11” (printer paper) 
• tracing paper 8.5 x 11” (25 sheets) 
• pencils 
• colored pencils 
• crayons
• optional: hat, snacks, picnic blanket, etc.

Backyard Nature Zoom Syllabus

• Location: virtual on Zoom
• Day/Time: Fridays, 12:30 - 2:30 PM
• Class Dates: January 23 to March 13

Description: Class is mostly indoors, with 10 minutes outdoors in your backyard each day of class. This class is both informative and fun! Explore nature and landscapes in various communities. It’s a discussion class and drawing class. Kids can talk with other kids and a teacher about nature in landscapes, parks, and playgrounds. We’ll be looking at photos of parks, gardens, playgrounds, and more. We’ll be drawing landscapes too.

Recommended: during class, at least for the first few days of class, parents to assist students, that are under age 12.

Community Landscape Zoom Topics include: Nature, trees, flowers, wildlife, parks, streetscapes, plazas, playgrounds, gardens, woods, prairies, drawings, maps, plans, and more.

Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): 

• Smart phone, iPad, and or computer (laptop or desktop) with Zoom software. (Most people find the smart phone the most handy to bring and use outdoors.)
• Printer to print out sheets about the landscape. Every week, print 3 new sheets, before the class period starts on Friday. 
• Dress for outdoor weather in your backyard. (This class is mostly indoors, but there’ll be about 10minutes during each class to go outdoors to notice things in the landscape.) 
• 3-ring binder for landscape drawings and journal and a hole puncher
• hole puncher 
• unlined paper 8.5 x 11” (printer paper) 
• tracing paper 8.5 x 11” (25 sheets) 
• pencils 
• colored pencils 
• crayons

Community Landscape Zoom Syllabus

Locations: 

• Fernwood Botanical Gardens 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, MI 49120 entrance fee covered during class time only
• Warren Dunes State Park 12032 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer, MI 49125 (requires paid admission- not paid for by the partnership)

Day and Time: Wednesdays, 12 PM to 2 PM
Class Dates: Jan 21, Jan 28, Feb 4, April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13

Description:  Class is all outdoors. Dress for weather. This class is both informative and fun! Come enjoy Fernwood, explore its natural habitats - it’s prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. Plus, visit Warren Dunes and its lake and dunes, for 4 hours of class. Learn about nature through a variety of hands-on nature-exploration skills and 4habitats. Bring the family and a blanket, it’s a family picnic style class.

One or two parents (or adult relatives) must attend class with student(s) ages 10 and younger, per family. One or two parents (or adult relatives) may attend class with student(s) ages 11 and older, per family. The parents / adult relatives are to help guide their kid(s) along nature trails. Along nature trails, there will be designated spots for each family to take turns to stop at, to do a brief nature activity with their kid(s). Unaccompanied students ages 11 and up will be paired up with each other, along the nature trails. 

Habitats and Wildlife Topics include: Southwest Michigan local habitats; Prairies; Lake and Dunes; Woodlands; and Wetlands; Nature Journal; Deep-Sensing Nature; Tracking and Awareness; Plant Identification; and Local Plants and Animals. Plus, each class day, students get to enjoy the features, plants, animals, and nature at Fernwood. During each class, students will be outdoors, studying nature. Habitats and Wildlife – 4 Habitat Units are Prairies, Lake and Dunes, Wetlands, and Woodlands.

Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): 

• Dress for outdoor weather. 
• Water Bottle, 3-ring binder, paper, pencil. 
• Fernwood requires a membership, an annual membership. If you do not already have an annual membership, upon arrival, parents can buy a dual membership (for 2 people) for$65, or a family membership (for 4 people) for $75. FYI: kids ages 4 and under are free. 
• Warren Dunes State Park requires a pass, a “recreation passport” (annual park pass). Ifyou do not already have a pass, it costs $19 per vehicle, for parents to pay upon arrival atpark.

Optional Materials (provided by student/family) Suggested optional stuff to bring:

• color pencils, pens, markers, hat, snacks, camera. 

Habitats and Wildlife Syllabus

Various Locations (see syllabus for details):

• Dewey Cannon Park, Behind 14 Maple Street, Three Oaks, MI 49128 
• Watkins Park, 599 W Locust Street, Three Oaks, MI 49128 
• Harbert Community Park, 13411 Red Arrow Highway, Harbert, MI 49115

Day and Time: 

• Tuesdays, 2 to 4 PM
• Class Dates: Jan 20, Jan 27, Feb 3, April 14, April 21, April 28, May 5, and May 12
• No classes in March

Description:  Class is all outdoors. Dress for weather. Class will not be indoors. This class is both informative and fun! Come enjoy the Three Oaks area, explore its parks,  native plants, and wildlife, and play nature games. Learn about nature through a variety of  hands-on nature-exploration skills, nature journaling, games, mapping, and nature crafts. Bring the family and a blanket, it’s a family picnic style class.  

One or two parents (or adult relatives) must attend class with student(s) ages 10 and  younger, per family. One or two parents (or adult relatives) may attend class with  student(s) ages 11 and older, per family. A parent is to help guide his / her kid(s) along  nature trails to do nature activities. Also, a parent may be needed to help his / her kid(s) make nature crafts or play nature games. Unaccompanied students ages 11 and up may be  paired up with each other to help each other.  

Michigan Nature Topics include: Michigan nature, Native Plants, Native Animals, Woods  and Water; Nature Journal; Deep-Sensing Nature; Tracking and Awareness; Mapping; and  Nature Crafts. During each class, students will be outdoors, playing nature games and studying nature. 

Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): 

• Dress for outdoor weather. 
• Water Bottle, 3-ring binder, paper, pencil. 

Optional Materials (provided by student/family) Suggested optional stuff to bring:

• color pencils, pens, markers, hat, snacks, camera.

Michigan Nature Syllabus

Location: 

• Fernwood Botanical Gardens, 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, MI 49120 
• Parents must pay for Fernwood membership

Day and Time: 

• Wednesdays, 3 to 5 PM 
• Class Dates: Jan 21, Jan 28, Feb 4, April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13 
• No classes in March

Description:  Class is all outdoors. Dress for weather. Class will not be indoors. This class is both informative and fun! Come enjoy Fernwood, explore its gardens, nature trails, plants, and animals, and play nature games. Learn about nature through a variety of nature games and hikes. Bring the family and a blanket, it’s a family picnic style class.

One or two parents (or adult relatives) must attend class with student(s) ages 10 and  younger, per family. One or two parents (or adult relatives) may attend class with student(s) ages 11 and older, per family. A parent is to help guide his / her kid(s) along nature trails to do nature activities. Also, a parent may be needed to help his / her kid(s) make nature crafts or play nature games. Unaccompanied students ages 11 and up may be paired up with each other to help each other. 

Nature Game Topics include: Native Wild Animals, Birds, Butterflies, Tracks, etc., Michigan Trees, Tree Leaf Shapes, Food Webs, Nature and Gardens, and Nature Crafts. During each class, students will be outdoors, playing nature games and studying nature. 

Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): 

• Dress for weather, class is all outdoors.
• Bring a drinking water bottle, 3-ring binder, paper, pencils, clipboard. 
• Fernwood requires a membership, an annual membership. If you do not already have an annual membership, upon arrival, parents can buy a dual membership (for 2 people) for$65, or a family membership (for 4 people) for $75. FYI: kids ages 4 and under are free.

Optional Materials (provided by student/family) Suggested optional stuff to bring:

• color pencils, pens, markers, hat, snacks, camera.

Nature Games Syllabus