2010 Jr. Nature Explorers Camps!

The 2010 Jr. Nature Explorers summer camp season is getting close! Due to popular demand, we are once again expanding our offerings and have increased to 11 weeks of summer camps!

For the first time, we will also be teaching a series of "Fresh from the Garden" cooking/gardening classes! And to top it off, we have begun a new FREE "Family Nature Explorers" program, with fun classes and walks for parents and children to attend together!

Registration has begun and it's easy to do- camps are starting to fill up so check the list below for the camps that best fit your schedule and your child's age! Here's how to register:

• Visiting www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/magnuson.htm
• Contacting Magnuson Community Center at 206-684-7026
• Visiting Magnuson Community Center at 7110 62nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

For information on Magnuson Community Center's new field trips programs for schools and preschools, and their other nature activities, visit their website at www.cityofseattle.net/parks/centers/magnuson.htm and click on the nature programs link in the right hand column. For more info on the the new Family Nature Explorers program, check out the other May 2010 posting!

Summer Camp Schedule: (space available as of 6/9/10 listed in red)

• Jr. Nature Explorers Camps for Ages 4-5 Learn about the plants, animals, birds, worms, insects, and frogs that live in Magnuson Park, help grow and harvest organic vegetables, and hike to nearby natural areas in the park. Each day includes nature crafts, songs, games, and picnics. Camp fee includes an official Jr. Nature Explorer bandana, and each camp has a different theme and activities- sign up for one or several! Bring a sack lunch. All camps are from 9:30am-12:30pm. Fee: $90
  

Wiggly World of Worms June 21-23 FULL
Roots and Shoots July 5-7 Plenty of spots left
Winged Wonders July 12-14 A few spots left
Beetles on Parade July 19-21 A few spots left
Pollinator Power Aug 2-4 Plenty of spots left
The World of Water Aug 16-18 Plenty of spots left
Flower and Fruits Aug 30-Sept 1 FULL

• Nature Explorers Camps for Ages 6-7 Due to popular demand, we’ve expanded to 4 camps for the older nature explorer this year, each filled with fun. Help grow and harvest organic vegetables, build nature forts, and follow butterflies and grasshoppers to explore the places that plants, animals, birds, worms, and frogs call home. Each day includes nature crafts, songs, games, and picnics. Camp fee includes an official Nature Explorer bandana, and each camp has a different theme and activities- sign up for one or several! Bring a sack lunch. All camps are from 9:30am-12:30pm. Fee: $90
  

Wiggly World of Worms June 27-29 Plenty of spots left
Beetles on Parade July 26-28 Plenty of spots left
World of Water Aug 9-11 A few spots left
Roots, Shoots,
Flowers, and Fruits Aug 23-25 Plenty of spots left

• Fresh-from-the-Garden Camp Fresh-picked vegetables, fruits, and herbs are a tasty treat, and lots of fun to grow in our organic p-patch garden at Magnuson Park! Have fun harvesting nature’s bounty, planting additional crops, and preparing a delicious lunch using seasonal ingredients. Each camper can invite a guest for the shared meal, and each camp will feature an entirely different menu, take-home recipes, and food-growing tips to try at home. Sign up for one or several! Fee: $30 each
  

“Spring Bling” Fri. June 25th 10:00am-1:00pm Plenty of spots left
Menu is filled with freshly harvested and tender spring vegetables and fruits from our garden:

• "Baby bib" lettuce salad with edible flowers and herbs.
  
• Fresh snap peas and carrots.
• Country-style "drop biscuits" with strawberry spread.

“Summer Fun” Fri. July 30st 10:00am-1:00pm Plenty of spots left
Menu to be announced

“Marvelous Harvest” Fri. Aug 27th 10:00am-1:00pm Plenty of spots left
Menu to be announced

For a detailed description of the activities in each individual summer camp, please visit the May 2009 postings. See you in the park!

Magnuson Community Center is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, and hosted several events for school-age children and their families at the Magnuson Community Center Bird-Friendly Landscape and the Children's Garden during that week !

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

NEW Family Nature Explorers program!

FREE Family Nature Explorer Events
Bring the whole family to Magnuson Park to learn together! Come and see how the Magnuson Wetlands are becoming home to a wide variety of plants, birds, and other wildlife, visit the Bird-friendly Landscape to learn easy ways to attract more songbirds and butterflies to your garden, and spend time in the Children's Garden to learn how to make your home garden more fun for your child's exploration and play.

For more information or to register for any Family Nature Explorers programs, contact the Community Center staff at 206-684-7026 or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/magnuson/


FREE Magnuson Family Explorer Wetland Walks
Bring the whole family for an adventure in the new Magnuson Park Wetlands! You’ll see emerging spring growth, the arrival and departure of insects and migratory birds, the seasonal ebb and flow of water in the ponds and swales, lush summer bounty of flowering and fruiting plants, and the quiet times of fall. Each tour will have a different theme with fun, hands-on exploration activities. Binoculars and field guides will be provided, or you can bring your own.

Tour Leader: Children's Educator and Naturalist Emily Bishton, with special guest Wetlands Gardener Miriam Preus.

Location: The NE 65th St entry to the Magnuson Wetlands, inside the parking lot just east of Sportsfield Drive. Meet in front of the tall mounds at the northeast corner of the parking lot.
Pre-registration requested, but walk-ins are welcome.

• Wetland Wake-Up April 10th (We saw year-round resident Dabbling Ducks and winter resident Diving Ducks, plus new leaves and buds opening all over the plants!)
• Tadpoles and Nestlings May 1st from 10:00-11:00am (We saw Ducks with new ducklings, Swallows just arrived from South America, Geese chasing each other, frog eggs, Lupines beginning to bloom, and all sorts of cool bugs and their larvae!)
  
• Spring Migration June 5th from 10:00-11:00am (We learned about 5 plants that are the "friends" of the wetlands! We saw ducklings that have grown almost as big as their Mom and Dad, bees having lunch, Swallows swooping and scooping mud for their nests, insects that can swim underwater, and tadpoles growing big with a newly 'spouted' set of back legs!)
• The Growing Season July 3rd from 10:00-11:00am
  
• Songs of Summer Aug. 7th from 10:00-11:00am
• Fall Migration Sept 4th from 10:00-11:00am
• Autumn Beauty Oct 2nd from 10:00-11:00am
• Winter Arrivals Nov 6th from 10:00-11:00am

Create Your Own Bird-friendly Garden!
See and touch bird nests and nest boxes, explore a 'nest recipe box', and have fun exploring the Magnuson Community Center's Bird-Friendly Landscape to see how it provides all the basic needs for birds and other wildlife. Then take home free info that will help you create an oasis for songbirds in your own home garden!
Teacher: Landscape Designer and Nature Educator Emily Bishton
Date and time:TBA
Location: Magnuson Community Center lobby and the Bird-Friendly Landscape.

Create Your Own Child-friendly Garden!
See, touch, and listen to plants that delight all the senses, explore our lively worm bin, plant seeds and plants, and learn how easy it is to add special features to your own garden that your children will enjoy.
Teacher: Landscape Designer and Children's Educator Emily Bishton Next event: Spring 2011!
Date and time: TBA
Location: Magnuson Brig- Ravenna Room, and the Children’s Garden.




For more information or to register for any Family Nature Explorers programs, contact the Community Center staff at 206-684-7026 or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/magnuson/