Junior Naturalists
Ages 6–8
Curious and energetic, Junior Naturalists dive deeper into the natural world with hands-on exploration and discovery. These 90-minute outdoor sessions help children build confidence in nature while learning how forests, water, and wildlife are all connected in northern Michigan.
Sessions run on Tuesdays in the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area.
- Time: 10–11:30 am and 1–2:30 pm (all season)
- Participant number is limited to 15 people
Tree Week at McCune — June 30
-
Location: Allan and Virginia McCune Nature Preserve
1790 Maxwell Road, Petoskey, MI 49770
Northern Michigan’s forests are made of layers — a whole stacked neighborhood of plants and animals from the canopy down to the forest floor. This week, Junior Naturalists learn to read the forest: who lives where, how the layers depend on each other, and what it takes to keep a woodland thriving.
Come find out what’s really going on inside the woods. Dress for a full morning outside.
Water Week at Susan Creek — July 7
-
Location: Susan Creek Nature Preserve
10570 US-31 North, Charlevoix, MI 49720
Every stream and pond tells a story about the land around it. This week, Junior Naturalists follow the water, tracing where it comes from, where it’s going, and what it picks up along the way.
Come ready to get your feet wet and learn to read what the water is telling us. Bring shoes you’re okay getting muddy.
Bird Week at Hailand / Helstrom — July 14
-
Location: Sally & Art Hailand, Jr. / Helstrom Family Nature Preserves
(Specific parking area to be confirmed upon registration)
Summer is one of the best times to watch birds, with young ones just learning their way in the world and the air full of activity. This week, Junior Naturalists explore how different beak shapes and body parts help birds live in different places. What a bird needs tells you a lot about where it belongs.
Bring your curiosity and dress for a day in the field.
Bug Week at Susan Creek — July 21
-
Location: Susan Creek Nature Preserve
10570 US-31 North, Charlevoix, MI 49720
Bugs outnumber every other animal on earth, and in a Northern Michigan summer that’s easy to believe. This week, Junior Naturalists find out what they’re all actually doing out there: pollinating, decomposing, hunting, hiding. Once you start looking, the insect world is endlessly surprising.
Dress for tall grass and bring shoes you don’t mind getting muddy.
Berry + Seed Week at Goodhart Farms — July 28
Location: Goodhart Robinson Rd
-
Location: Goodhart Farms Nature Preserve
7251 Robinson Road, Harbor Springs, MI 49740
Plants can’t walk, but their seeds travel everywhere: by wind, by water, by animal, and by some very clever tricks. This week, Junior Naturalists explore how Northern Michigan’s plants spread across the landscape and what all those summer berries and fruits are really about. There’s a whole strategy hiding in every trailside thicket.
Come ready to get your hands on things and dress for a day on the trail.
Soil + Fungi Week at McCune — August 5
-
Location: Allan and Virginia McCune Nature Preserve
1790 Maxwell Road, Petoskey, MI 49770
Soil isn’t just dirt. It’s a living system packed with creatures and connections we’re only beginning to understand. This week, Junior Naturalists dig into the forest floor, explore how things decompose and become new again, and learn about the fungal threads that quietly connect trees underground. The forest is far more interconnected than it looks.
Dress for digging and wear shoes you’re comfortable getting muddy.