Resources
Learn and explore the natural world with the Kalamazoo Nature Center! Here are just a few of the many projects to get involved in. Check back, we add new ideas and updates often!
While the Kalamazoo Nature Center is not a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, we maintain relationships with many of the best facilities in Michigan. Should rehabilitation be necessary, we can direct callers to skilled rehabilitators who are certified by the Michigan DNR. If you are concerned about an injured or orphaned animal, please seek guidance before moving or touching the animal, as only licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess abandoned or injured wildlife in Michigan.
Exploring the Edible Wilderness
Foraging is a culinary adventure that connects us with nature, offering unique, edible treasures. Grab your basket, explore the wilderness, and let these wild ingredients inspire your culinary creations. Visit the Calendar or our social media channels for staff-led foraging programs at KNC each season!
Please note:KNC has established an official Foraging Policy in an effort to foster a safer experience that protects visitors and participants, as well as the ecological health of the natural resources in our care. Visitors are permitted to forage edible fruits, nuts, invasive plants, or other approved species on a limited basis for personal consumption following this Foraging Policy.
Visitors who choose to forage at KNC do so at their own risk; the Kalamazoo Nature Center and its staff bear no responsibility or liability for adverse outcomes from foraging, even when done as part of a directed program.
The Fort Custer Military Installation contains some of southwest Michigan’s most
untouched ecosystems and is home to many endangered species. Join podcast producer Nora Duncan as she follows researchers from the Kalamazoo Nature Center through swamps, forests, and even fire as they conduct research in this wild and beautiful place.
Over the last 25 years, the Kalamazoo Nature Center has worked closely with Fort Custer Training Center to perform research and land management on the property’s 7,500 acres. KNC has aided efforts to conserve and restore native habitats, support populations of threatened and endangered species, and foster climate resilience.
Off the Trail is a five-episode podcast series that takes a closer look at this exciting collaboration:
- Episode 1: The Last Wild Place – climate change and a surprising military-conservation partnership
- Episode 2: The War on Invasives – invasive species and the challenges of habitat management
- Episode 3: Bring Your Own Blowtorch – the role of fire in managing and conserving landscapes
- Episode 4: The Butterfly Census – a race against extinction for the Mitchell’s satyr butterfly
- Episode 5: Songbird Secrets – using avian surveys to understand threats to wildlife
Off the Trail is a project of the Kalamazoo Nature Center, created through support from the Michigan Army National Guard’s Fort Custer Training Center. Special thanks to Michele Richards, Natural Resources Specialist with the Michigan Army National Guard’s Environmental Division.
Episodes are also available on Anchor.
Listen on Spotify
Podcast Produced By Nora Duncan Nora is a photographer, graphic designer, writer, and audio producer based in southwest Michigan. She is dedicated to communicating meaningful stories that will open eyes, spread awareness, and bring people together.
Learn how to build a bee house! Eagle Scout Bryan Morrissey shared directions with the nature center after creating and installing bee "hotels" around DeLano Farm.
Download the instructions to build your own here >
Take a scavenger hunt at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, or in your own backyard or neighborhood!
Take a fun quiz and learn more about our feathered friends who live in the area!
Get Involved
Volunteer at the Kalamazoo Nature Center
Whether they’re lending a hand with a special event, helping care for the land, or supporting educational programs, our volunteers make a real difference.
Workshops & Events
Learn about the ancient tradition of wreath making. Paint a gourd birdhouse to bring home for a feathered friend. Head to the forest to gather materials for a hand-crafted meal using foraged delicacies.
At KNC, we invite people of all ages to reconnect with the natural world and rediscover your creative voice, no matter your experience level. Check out the calendar for a variety of upcoming programs!