Ney Calendar and Upcoming Programs

Tree Jamboree

April 20th from 11am – 2pm

Celebrate the best day of the year (in our opinion): Earth Day! This tree-themed celebration will feature live children’s music, crafts, food for purchase, guests like Zero Waste Mankato, tree plantings, and more! Attendance is free, though some parts of the event (food, for example) will have a cost associated. 

Some of the activities to look forward to:

• Pizzeria 201 will be returning with their wood fire oven & lunch to purchase
• Will Sings Songs will be performing at 12:30pm with some hits for the young naturalists 
• Visitor Tables: Tri-County Waste, Mankato Zero Waste, Beyond Plastics, Master Naturalists, Girl Scout Troop 34630, and more!
• Tree plantings each hour (or more!), and trees for sale & pickup
• Story walk along one of our forested trails
• Crafts that celebrate the Earth and our friends, the trees!

Tiny Trekkers

Ages 4-6

Spend the morning at Ney Nature Center in this new monthly drop-off program! Children will learn about a different topic during each class, have a chance to make a craft, and either meet an animal or hear a story before going home. To learn more about the session, click on the registration link and then the class below to read the description. Please dress for the weather, as we will go outside each session.  This class will be on pause this summer as we focus on summer camps and field trips. Look out for it coming back in September 2024.

Buzzing Bees: May 7th from 10-11:30am

Pre-Registration Required. $3/member; $5/non-member. Register here.

Nature Detectives

Ages 7-11

Spend the morning at Ney Nature Center as a Nature Detective! In this monthly drop-off class, children will learn about a different topic during each class, have a chance to make a craft, and either meet an animal or hear a story before going home. To learn more about the session, click on the registration link and then the class below to read the description. Please dress for the weather, as we will be going outside each session. This class will be on pause this summer as we focus on summer camps and field trips. Look out for it coming back in September 2024.

Buzzing Bees: May 14th from 10-11:30am

Pre-Registration Required. $3/member; $5/non-member. Register here.

Family Expedition

All Ages (activities suit elementary-aged children, but people of all ages can enjoy these classes!)

Join us at Ney Nature Center with your family on an expedition into a topic each month! Your family will have a chance to make a craft, play a game, or learn about something new in a hands-on way. To learn more about the session, click on the registration link and then the class below to read the description. Please dress for the weather, as we will be going outside each session. This class will be on pause this summer as we focus on summer camps and field trips. Look out for it coming back in September 2024.

Buzzing Bees: Thursday, May 9th from 6:00-7:00pm

Pre-Registration Required. $3/member; $5/non-member. Register here.

Mud Club

Ages 6-12 years old

Come explore off-trail with a Ney Center Naturalist! Be prepared to get muddy as we explore through ravines, wetlands, prairies, and other off-trail places within the park. Our adventures will start at the main education building. Please wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing, as we will be outside for the majority of the program. Participants should expect to walk more than a mile throughout our adventure.

May 4th, 2024 from 2-4pm

Pre-Registration Required. $5/member; $7/non-member. Register here.

Kayaking the MN River Valley

For ages 12+, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Join us this summer for a kayaking trip with one of our naturalists and learn about the Minnesota River Valley’s history, geography, plants, and animals. Groups will depart from Henderson at noon, with transportation provided to Le Sueur, where we will begin kayaking back to Henderson. The estimated time for the trip is 3-4 hours, but it will vary for each group. If time allows, there will be time to relax on a sandbar with snacks provided. Groups are limited to 8 Participants. Kayaks, paddles, and lifejackets are provided.

June 22nd from 12-4pm
July 6th from 12-4pm
July 27th from 12-4pm
August 24th from 12-4pm

Pre-registration is required; registration closes the Thursday before the program. $20 members, $25 non-members. Register here.

Lifelong Learner Series

Discover a new topic each month as we explore local wildlife, history, and conservation issues. Join us for lunch and conversation; please inform staff of any dietary restrictions. Ages 18+.

Rivers: Thursday, April 18th from 12-1:30pm 

Come on down to Ney Nature Center to learn all about rivers. These amazing bodies of water shape and change our landscapes, both in the short term by flooding and in the long term by carving through bedrock. We will also go over why the Minnesota River Valley is shaped so differently than the size of the river might suggest.

Trees: Thursday, May 23rd from 12-1:30pm 

As the trees start to grow again, it is the perfect time to learn more about these majestic plants. Slow-growing as they are, we depend on trees for many aspects of modern-day life. Foster your appreciation for all things tree-related as we get ready for Summer.

Pollinator Gardens: Thursday, June 6th from 12-1:30pm 

We will be celebrating the start of summer by learning about pollinator gardens. A wide range of topics will be covered from tips for establishing a pollinator garden from scratch to the impact that they can have on our local ecosystems.

Crows and other Corvids: Thursday, August 22nd from 12-1:30pm 

Crows are one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. We will learn about these amazing creatures and the other birds in this family. They exhibit voice mimicry, tool use, and the ability to distinguish and remember individual humans.

Pre-registration required. $12/member or $15/non-member.  Register here.