On this global day of giving, we invite you to support our nature center and its mission to connect people with the natural world. Your donation will help us:
Protect and preserve our local ecosystems
Educate children and adults about the importance of conservation
Provide opportunities for people to experience the beauty and wonder of nature
Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.
Donate today and help us make a lasting impact on the environment and our community.
Santa Claus is coming to town! The Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center and the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center are joining together to present the HoHoHo Hike and Holiday Celebration. Children of all ages are invited to this holiday celebration on Saturday, December 2nd from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center.
The KPNC will be transformed into Santa’s Workshop with nature-themed crafts, performances, cookies, and hot chocolate. There will be a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus! And the event will include the traditional hike and a fun “Santa-hunt”. Wear comfortable walking shoes and come celebrate the holiday season with the Clauses!
Construction begins Monday on the new Kreher Preserve & Nature Center Environmental Education Building! To learn more about this incredible new resource for our community, please visit aub.ie/kpnc-eeb.
Construction will be ongoing until the summer of 2024, during which time a large portion of the KPNC’s main parking lot will be closed. The following diagram shows the suggested traffic flow through the portion of the parking lot that will remain open. All access to the KPNC will be routed down the gravel drive. Due to the increase in pedestrians, vehicle traffic down this drive will be limited to authorized vehicles, emergencies, and those with accessibility needs only.
In addition, our neighbors, Embrace Church, are partnering with us to provide additional parking. With fewer than half the normal parking spaces, you may find it easier to park at Embrace and walk down the powerline trail to the KPNC. Signs are in place to direct you to “additional parking.”
Please contact us if you have any questions or need help.
Nature Nightmares is a haunted hike through the pitch-black forest of the KPNC – a hike like you’ve never experienced before. With evil creatures lurking in the shadows and frightening entities waiting for wary visitors, we dare you to come and conquer the darkness!
If you want to volunteer to be a scary actor or help coordinate the event, please sign up HERE.
This fun, family-friendly Halloween event takes you on a magical hike in our Enchanted Forest where you will be greeted by our costumed forest friends. These nature-inspired characters will entertain you on how they “trick or treat” other animals and plants in the forest.
Don your costumes and good walking shoes, and enjoy some early Halloween fun! Hot chocolate and s’mores kits will be available for sale. Remember to bring a flashlight.
Come join us this coming Friday, September 15th, for an evening of family fun. Beginning at 4:30pm, we will have our AUsome Amphibians and Reptiles show where participants will have the opportunity to see and interact with these beautiful animals. Then at 6:30pm there will be a concert with Drü Be Stone. Drü Be Stone blends the familiarity of Americana and Folk with the groove of Soul and R&B to create modern music that evokes the songs of yesterday. Both events are $5 per person, tickets can be bought at the door. AUsome Amphibians and Reptiles tickets can also be purchased online through our Marketplace.
On Tuesday, August 1st at 8:00am, registration will open up for our fall programs including Fall Tree Tots, Fall Forest Friends, and Nature Explorers. In addition, we will open up registration to our members for our Science on Saturday: Hummingbird program on Sept 9. You can register for any and all of these on our Marketplace.
Urban forests include all trees, shrubs, and greenspaces in public and private areas in cities. Therefore, we are all surrounded by urban trees which affect the quality of our daily lives. Urban trees provide very important benefits to human communities e.g., biodiversity, shading, air pollutant uptake, recreation, water purification, beautification of neighborhoods etc. In this class students will learn about the value of urban trees through fun hands-on activities. More specifically, students will learn how trees provide habitat for animals and other plants.
Tickets are $5 ($4 for members), and available online or at the door.