Schmeeckle Reserve offers nature programs at UW-Stevens Point in April

Explore everything nature has to offer at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Schmeeckle Reserve this April.
 
Family Nature Programs are free, open to the public and led by UW-Stevens Point students studying environmental education and interpretation . Be prepared to go outside and dress for the weather. Meet at the Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, unless otherwise noted.
 
The following programs will be offered in April:

• “Music in Nature,” Friday, April 4, 10-11 a.m. We will read the book “Can You Hear the Plants Speak?” and go outside to hear the music of nature in Schmeeckle.
• “Skull Sleuths,” Friday, April 4, 6-7 p.m. Did you know bones found in Central Wisconsin hold the secrets of the past? Uncover what these remains reveal about animals’ lives, challenges, and history.
• “Fire Starter Academy,” Saturday, April 5, 1-2 p.m. Learn how to build a fire, identify the different types of fires, and safely extinguish them. Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Spiders and Snakes and Slugs, Oh My!,” Friday, April 11, 6-7 p.m. Explore Schmeeckle’s most misunderstood animals through participating in pond dipping and log flipping. Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Schmeeckle Symphony,” Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m.-noon. Discover Wisconsin’s twelve frog species by their songs and physical features. Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Fleeting Beauty,” Saturday, April 12, 1-2 p.m. Delicate and beautiful plants called spring ephemerals are getting ready to emerge. Go on a journey and explore these plants’ unique adaptations and significance before they disappear! Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Schmeeckle Teatime,” Friday, April 18, 6-7 p.m. Sip some tea featuring locally
• foraged ingredients and discover different ways you can use Central Wisconsin plants to add some flair to your life. Fun outfits are encouraged.
• “Sensing Schmeeckle,” Saturday, April 19, 11 a.m.-noon. Give your eyes a break and join us for a guided walk to uncover the unique sensations of Schmeeckle by listening, touching, and smelling!
• “Adventurers Wanted for Side Quest!,” Saturday, April 19,1-2 p.m. Citizens, Schmeeckle is in danger. Dark forces of human origin are at work, threatening to destroy the natural balance. Join me, Guardian of the Wood, to stop the spread of invasive species before it’s too late! Will you accept the quest and restore the Heart of Schmeeckle? Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Banding Together: The Science of Feathered Friends,” Friday, April 25, 9 - 10 a.m. Discover how bird banding research at Schmeeckle reveals the ways birds survive and thrive in a changing world. Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “The Real-Life Pokémon of Schmeeckle,” Friday, April 25, 6-7 p.m. Join Pokémon Professor Abigail to explore the animals and vegetation that inspired their Pokémon counterparts! Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “Capturing Moments,” Saturday, April 26, 11 a.m.-noon. Pause and see the little things using cameras, magnifying glasses and more as you discover the details of nature you may have missed before. Meet at the Menzel Pavilion.
• “The Art Legacy of Fly Tying,” Saturday, April 26, 1 - 2 p.m. Have you ever been inspired by nature while fishing? Let’s make art by fly tying. Discover how generations of anglers have used the natural world to inspire their work.