Night Hike: Mothing Around

Flutter into the night and let us shed light on the moth mysteries! Join our illuminating journey as we moth-er around under the moon's glow, discovering the winged wonders of the dark side!

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Join us on select Saturday or Sunday mornings to discover what lies below the surface of our pond! Participants have the option of bringing their own equipment, or borrowing from what the Nature Center has to offer.

Up to 15 families/groups per day with up to 5 people per family/group.  If you have more people than 5, select 2 groups.  you can register up to 2 groups at at time here.

$10 per person.

All ages.

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Join us on select Saturday or Sunday mornings to discover what lies below the surface of our pond! Participants have the option of bringing their own equipment, or borrowing from what the Nature Center has to offer.

Up to 15 families/groups per day with up to 5 people per family/group.  If you have more people than 5, select 2 groups.  you can register up to 2 groups at at time here.

$10 per person.

All ages.

Join us on select Saturday or Sunday mornings to discover what lies below the surface of our pond! Participants have the option of bringing their own equipment, or borrowing from what the Nature Center has to offer.

Up to 15 families/groups per day with up to 5 people per family/group.  If you have more people than 5, select 2 groups.  you can register up to 2 groups at at time here.

$10 per person.

All ages.

Join us on select Saturday or Sunday mornings to discover what lies below the surface of our pond! Participants have the option of bringing their own equipment, or borrowing from what the Nature Center has to offer.

Up to 15 families/groups per day with up to 5 people per family/group.  If you have more people than 5, select 2 groups.  you can register up to 2 groups at at time here.

$10 per person.

All ages.

Night Hike

Come enjoy a hike around the trails after dark and learn about different nocturnal animals.

Must be 7 years of age or older.

Time:  9p - 10p

Ages: Adults and children 7 yrs and older

Cost:  $8 per person (plus processing fees)

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Enchanted Forest:  Dragon Tracking Quest

Do dragons roam our forests? Let’s find out! On this adventurous hike, we’ll become dragon trackers, searching for clues like “scales,” “claw marks,” and hidden nesting spots. We’ll practice moving quietly, observing carefully, and thinking like true trackers as we explore the landscape. Through imagination and real-world nature clues, we’ll uncover the secrets of these mysterious (and very shy!) forest dragons. Keep your senses sharp—you never know what you might discover!

Time:  2pm-3pm

Ages: all ages

Cost:  $8 per person (children ages 1 and under are free)

Enchanted Forest:  Fairy & Gnome Roaming Adventure

Grab your explorer spirit and join us on a mini-sized adventure! We’ll wander the woods in search of cozy nooks, hollow logs, and perfect places a fairy or gnome might call home. Along the way, we’ll discover how real woodland creatures make their homes too. With a little creativity and curiosity, you might just uncover signs that fairy and gnomes have been roaming these woods before us!

Time:  12pm-1pm

Ages: all ages

Cost:  $8 per person (children ages 1 and under are free)

Enchanted Forest:  Fairy Finding Hike

Step into a world of wonder as we search for the hidden folk of the forest! Along the trail, we’ll look for tiny doors, secret hideaways, and the delicate clues that fairies may have passed this way. Using our best observation skills (and a little imagination), we’ll explore where fairies might live, what they need to survive, and how we can be respectful visitors in their magical world. Keep your eyes open—you never know when a bit of sparkle might catch your eye!

Time:  10am-11am

Ages: all ages

Cost:  $8 per person (children ages 1 and under are free)

Enter the world of fairies and gnomes!

Step into a world of quiet magic within the Enchanted Forest, a guided or self-guided forest walk filled with wonder at every turn. As you wander beneath the trees, keep your eyes open for tiny, hidden homes tucked into stumps, nestled among roots, and peeking out from mossy corners. Each one is thoughtfully crafted, hinting at the secret lives of fairies and gnomes who may be just out of sight.

“Builders” create fairy or gnome homes, establishing a whimsical neighborhood of small structures built out of natural materials from the environment.  

On May 3rd, join one of our guided hikes for a magical exploration in the forest seeking mythical creatures, or visit on your own time to explore the magic.

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Enchanted Fairy House & Gnome Home Build

Enchanted Dwellings: Nature's Architecture" – an enchanted program where you can unleash your creativity and craft charming fairy houses and gnome homes using only natural materials! Dive into a world where pine cones become rooftops, pebbles transform into pathways, and twigs weave enchanting walls. Let your imagination soar as you design magical abodes fit for the forest's most delightful inhabitants!

*All materials provided.

Time:  10a - 12pm

Ages: age 5 yr through adult

Cost:  $15 per group of up to 2 people working on a single build, which may include:

• child/parent pair for a single build (parent required for children under the age of 16 yrs old)

• if the child and parent each want to create their own build, they must register separately though attending together, or

• ages 16 yrs + may attend by themselves and work on a single build, or

• each build project must be registered separately. 

• (plus processing fees)

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Enchanted Wand Workshop and Hike

An enchanted program where you can unleash your creativity by creating a magical wand using only natural materials!  Let your imagination soar as you design magical wands fit for the forest's most delightful inhabitants!  We will prepare sticks for you to get started and will have glue guns available for everyone to use. There will be the option to gather your own items from the nature center trails and we will have other creative materials for you to choose from to design your wand. When we are done, we will celebrate our new creations by taking a walk with our new wands through the Woodlands.

*All materials provided.  You may bring your own biodegradable materials too.

Time:  1p - 3pm

Ages: all ages

Cost:  $15 per wand and hike

Registration and attendance details:

• A parent is required to chaperon children under the age of 16 yrs old. The parent does not need to register if they will assist their child on a single wand.

• If the child and parent each want to each create their own build, they must register separately.

• Ages 16 yrs - adult must register separately. 

• processing fees added to cost

Enchanted Fairy House & Gnome Home Build

Enchanted Dwellings: Nature's Architecture" – an enchanted program where you can unleash your creativity and craft charming fairy houses and gnome homes using only natural materials! Dive into a world where pine cones become rooftops, pebbles transform into pathways, and twigs weave enchanting walls. Let your imagination soar as you design magical abodes fit for the forest's most delightful inhabitants!

*All materials provided.

Time:  10a - 12pm

Ages: age 5 yr through adult

Cost:  $15 per group of up to 2 people working on a single build, which may include:

• child/parent pair for a single build (parent required for children under the age of 16 yrs old)

• if the child and parent each want to create their own build, they must register separately though attending together, or

• ages 16 yrs + may attend by themselves and work on a single build, or

• each build project must be registered separately. 

• (plus processing fees)

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

You, Me & the Trees

Parents and caregivers are invited to explore the outdoors with their toddlers and observe the many ways nature can help us learn. Children 2-3 years old will have the opportunity to embrace the wonders of nature through their senses and engage in unique learning experiences. Each session will last 1.5 hours and include a guided hike with activities such as storytelling, crafts, and nature investigation.

Class Details:

• Class Schedule: Fridays form 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• Cost: $20 per child & parent/guardian pair for one-day registration. You may register for as many weeks as you would like.

• You must register at least 2 days in advance to ensure the program runs.

Maple Sugaring: Sap Happy Event

Join us this maple sugaring season for a tour of our Sugarbush! Discover how to identify and tap the perfect sugar maple tree and enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of the sweet syrup-making process in our Sugar Shack and Log Cabin. Self-guided tours begin every half hour from 9:30a - 12p with numerous activities available at your own pace. Explore the log cabin, experience tree tapping, work on your tree identification skills, and much more with our staff and volunteers there to engage you in the joys of the season along the way.

Enter the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to check in.

The price per person is $12 for the day for ages 2yr old - adult. Infants/toddlers 1yr old and younger are free.

Maple Sugaring: Sap Happy Event

Join us this maple sugaring season for a tour of our Sugarbush! Discover how to identify and tap the perfect sugar maple tree and enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of the sweet syrup-making process in our Sugar Shack and Log Cabin. Self-guided tours begin every half hour from 9:30a - 12p with numerous activities available at your own pace. Explore the log cabin, experience tree tapping, work on your tree identification skills, and much more with our staff and volunteers there to engage you in the joys of the season along the way.

Enter the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to check in.

The price per person is $12 for the day for ages 2yr old - adult. Infants/toddlers 1yr old and younger are free.

Maple Sugaring: Sap Happy Event

Join us this maple sugaring season for a tour of our Sugarbush! Discover how to identify and tap the perfect sugar maple tree and enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of the sweet syrup-making process in our Sugar Shack and Log Cabin. Self-guided tours begin every half hour from 9:30a - 12p with numerous activities available at your own pace. Explore the log cabin, experience tree tapping, work on your tree identification skills, and much more with our staff and volunteers there to engage you in the joys of the season along the way.

Enter the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to check in.

The price per person is $12 for the day for ages 2yr old - adult. Infants/toddlers 1yr old and younger are free.

Great Backyard Bird Count Guided Hike

Great Backyard Bird Count Guided Hike  

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and the joy of birding during the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This global birding event takes place over four days and this year is on Valentine’s Day weekend. Oakland Owlets’ families and friends will be counting birds during a hike on the trails. The Johnson Nature Center is an oasis for birds including Wild Turkeys and Great-horned Owls.  Dress for the weather and bring your binoculars. There will be a special bird feeder activity during this program. It is a good day to fall in love with birds.  Perfect for bird enthusiasts of all levels, this program combines nature exploration with meaningful data collection for global bird conservation efforts. 

Created in partnership with the Oakland Bird Alliance and their volunteer members.

Ages:  5 yrs through adult for guided hike

Cost:  $8 per person 

Night Hike: Owl Prowl

Join us for an enchanting Owl Prowl night hike under the twinkling canopy of the moonlit forest! Armed with a sense of adventure, we'll venture into the mysterious realm of the wise owls. Discover the magic of the night as we navigate through shadowy trails, guided by the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional "who-cooks-for-you" serenade from our feathered friends. It promises to be a hootin' good time!