Elementary Nature Discovery Afterschool Club

We can't wait to explore the Preserve with your child in this drop-off after school club for elementary age students! In this twice-monthly after school session, your child(ren) will discover the Preserve as young naturalists, letting their curiosity guide their hands-on exploration. We'll provide tools and expertise to go deep into a variety of topics.

Students will explore through playful inquiry, investigation, and discovery.

Ideally, students will attend multiple Nature Discovery sessions. Since topics and meet up locations change, each time is new and they can build on what they know. It is also OK to jump in at any point!

REGISTRATION CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT THE TUESDAY BEFORE CLASS. This allows us time to plan. If you miss the deadline, you may email jim@conesteepreserve.org to determine if there is still space for your child. CLASS SHOWING FULL? We can start a wait list. Please let us know, and we'll do our best to accommodate!

WHEN

3:00-4:30 1st and 3rd Thursdays

Programs will include - Nature Hikes, Exploration and Meaningful Connections.

• Thursday, September 3rd, 2026

• Thursday, September 17th, 2026

• Thursday, October 1st, 2026

• Thursday, October 15th, 2026

• Thursday, November 5, 2026

• Thursday, November 19th, 2026

THEMES:

September 

3rd

Don’t Bug Me!  Ants and other insects are all around us, let’s learn about them together. There are more insects on this planet than humans and they are found on every continent, including Antarctica!

17th

Rolling Down the Reedy

The Reedy River is an important part of the preserve. What’s the history of the Reedy and what can we do to protect it?

October

1st

Bye, Bye Blackbird! Let’s learn about birds and migration.

Over 220 bird species visit the preserve during the year, but where are they when they aren’t here?

15th

Treerific! Trees are not only important for the animals that live in the preserve but they are important to us too. Discover why trees are important and how we can help the environment by planting them! 

November 

5th

Doe, a Deer… 

The white tail deer is our state mammal, let’s celebrate them and some of our other state animals. Where are they in the preserve and what are they doing this time of year?

19th

Freezing, Frigid, Frosty - How do animals survive in the winter? What are some of their specialized adaptations to help them get through the winter?

COST

Individual sessions are $10 per session.

NEW Bundle options! Register for the whole semester (6 sessions) for $50.00 per student.

WHERE

Meetup locations will change each session. Registered participants will be emailed prior to the event to let you know where we are meeting. Please add jim@conesteepreserve.org to your contact list so that the event emails do not get lost in your spam folder.

WHAT TO BRING

Please bring a water bottle. Sunscreen and bug spray should be applied before class if needed. Club sessions are entirely outdoors, so dress for the weather.

CANCELLATIONS

We will cancel if we have less than 4 participants, so encourage your friends to sign up with you! We will notify participants by noon the day of the class if we are cancelling due to weather. Cancellations by participants must be made 1 week prior to the event for a full refund, with the exception of cancellations due to illness. If the event is cancelled by CNP or due to illness, full refunds will be issued.