Do you have a burning desire to learn about and watch a prescribed fire? Join a naturalist at the lookout tower on April 10th from 11:15am to 12:15pm where you can observe the controlled burn and ask questions!

This event is free to attend, but donations will be appreciated to maintain the nature center’s mission to build a community focused on health, healing, and the sustainability of all life on earth.

Please note that the trails will be closed to other visitors until the prescribed burn concludes.

Thank you!

Whimsical Fairy House & Gnome Home Build

Enchanted Dwellings: Nature's Architecture" – a whimsical 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 woodland's most delightful inhabitants!

*All materials provided.

Time:  1p - 2:30p

Ages: age 5 yr through adult

Cost:  $15 per group

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 - 2:30p 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.

Meet in front of the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to enter.

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

Spring is coming… come experience Maple Sugaring

This specialized program is designed for children with special needs and 2 family members. It provides a more accessible, supported experience for the child and their family that might otherwise be challenging due to complex learning needs or challenges (i.e. sensory needs, language impairments, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive learning challenges, physical needs, etc.). Each session will provide families with various interactive activities for engagement.

This collaborative program has an experienced guide who works directly with the children (4:1 ratio) to provide specialized support and accommodation to experience the farm and nature center. The guide also provides support to family members to highlight ways to support their child in these environments for future visits. The family is provided with a digital social story to read with their child before the program and will leave with a set of visuals to support engagement on future visits.

Pre-Registration required.

Sliding Scale $45-55

Ages 2-16

*Each child must have at least one adult with them and can have up to two family members accompany them (two adults or one adult and one sibling).

*This is not designed as a drop-off program.

Cost: sliding scale based on what you can pay per child/parent(x2) pair. (What is a sliding scale? Look here)

Option 1: Lowest Cost: $45

Option 2: Sustaining Cost: $50

Option 3: Pay it Forward Cost: $55

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 - 2:30p 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.

Meet in front of the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to enter.

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 - 2:30p 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.

Meet in front of the Visitor Center within your scheduled time slot to enter.

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

Connect to birds, to nature and with the Johnson Nature Center. Join us on a guided bird hike, to support Audubon with their annual community science project, the Great Backyard Bird Count. While on the hike, our partner Oakland Audubon Society (OAS) & a JNC naturalist will share their skills on how to find and identify birds. An indoor children's activity will be provided after the hike. The children's activity is geared towards ages 5+.

Owl Prowl Night Hike

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!

Time:  6p - 7p

Ages: Adults and children 7 yrs and older

Cost:  $8 per person (plus processing fees)

Candle Dipping

Enjoy time in our warm log cabin dipping candles to take home! Let the aroma of burning wood from our stove and natural beeswax mingle in the air, evoking a sense of simpler times and traditional craftsmanship. This hands-on activity offers not just a souvenir to take home, but a chance to connect with the heritage of candle making, a craft deeply rooted in history.

Age:  5yr through adult

Cost:  $15 per person - everyone attending must register

Advanced registration required.

Bloomfield Youth Assistance, with grant support from Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation, presents a program for children and their parents/caregivers to learn mindfulness skills and techniques for "Conflict Resolution". The program is intended for school-aged children in developmental-kindergarten through 5th grade.

Jessica Cortez, LMSW, from Bloomfield Hills Child & Family Counseling and the Johnson Nature Center Naturalists welcome families to experience the beauty of the nature center while learning emotional regulation tools and enjoying warm refreshments in the Sugar Shack.

Please dress children warmly with snow pants, hats and gloves/mittens as the children's activities will be outside. Adults will spend part of the afternoon indoors and part outdoors.

Cost: $10/family

A Hike to S'more Happiness

Step into the New Year with an exclusive, guided hike ending with a campfire and s'mores. This event will require advanced registration as we are closed to the public. Save your New Year's resolution to shed pounds until January 2nd and indulge in the simple pleasures of a walk through the woods and a beloved fireside treat!

All ages

Cost:  $14 per person

Advanced registration required.

Join Bloomfield Hills Schools for a presentation of the new Bowers School Farm and Johnson Nature Center Master Plan, Vision 2027. The development of this master plan has been a collaborative, year-long effort that involved the input and contributions of numerous stakeholders. It reflects the shared vision of our community, and outlines the path forward to cultivate a better future at Bowers School Farm and the Johnson Nature Center.

Johnson Nature Center
November 14th, 6:00PM 
3325 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302

Bowers School Farm 
November 15th, 6:00PM
1219 E. Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304

RSVP Here

Join Bloomfield Hills Schools for a presentation of the new Bowers School Farm and Johnson Nature Center Master Plan, Vision 2027. The development of this master plan has been a collaborative, year-long effort that involved the input and contributions of numerous stakeholders. It reflects the shared vision of our community, and outlines the path forward to cultivate a better future at Bowers School Farm and the Johnson Nature Center.

Johnson Nature Center
November 14th, 6:00PM 
3325 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302

RSVP Here

Come check out the partial lunar eclipse while we hike some trails exploring the night sky and nocturnal animals.

Cost: $8 per person

Ages: 7 yrs through adult

Grab your friends for a fun evening at Johnson Nature Center’s TRAIL RALLY! You and your team of three other friends will explore all the trails as you search for the answers to the puzzles you have to solve. You do not need to be a nature nerd or detective to solve these puzzles, you just need a good sense of fun! At the end, you will return to the nature center for a pizza dinner.

Register HERE

Ages: 18+

$80/per team of up to four

DIA DOCENT LED STROLLS

Join us for strolls through the DIA installations to learn about the different masterpieces and artists throughout the trails. 

All ages

Time:  2p-3p

FREE event.  Registration required.

Register HERE

DIA DOCENT LED STROLLS

Join us for strolls through the DIA installations to learn about the different masterpieces and artists throughout the trails. 

All ages

Time:  2p-3p

FREE event.  Registration required.

Register HERE