Calendar of Events, Classes, Activities and other fun things to do from Placer Nature Center in Auburn, CA

Calendar of Events & Fun Things to Do!

Special nature focused programs offered all year for all ages - preschool, families, adults, grandparents, teens and all the inbetweens too! All events, classes and activities are low cost or free and a great way to spend time with family or old friends and to meet new friends!

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** Unless otherwise noted **
All activities are located at Placer Nature Center and take place
Rain or Shine!

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Monthly Newsletter Email:

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

April

How to Use Your Telescope
Saturday , 4/20/2013
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Placer Nature Center
Are you still wondering how to use the telescope in the closet or the present for Christmas? Bring your telescope to this class or watch how the many samples are used to get a magnified view of the night sky. Colfax astronomer Don Machholz, author and comet-hunter, will weave tales of the galaxies and explore the night sky with his telescopes. Besides the stars, the moon and jupiter will be viewed. Register for the class on our website: www.placernaturecenter.org. Cancelled if you cannot see the stars.
$15/person

Teacher workshop
Discovering Nature With Young children-Outside!
Saturday , 4/27/2013
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Placer Nature Center
Come to the outdoor classroom! At this workshop methods and strategies will be demonstrated for use with preschoolers to integrate nature play into the curriculum.
Call Laura to register 530 886-2093.
Free!

Adventures in Nature - Trees Are Terrific
Saturday , 4/27/2013
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Come celebrate Arbor day with us and learn about your local trees. Have you ever seen a tree cookie or measured the height of a tree? come have some fun with trees! $3/person Placer Nature Center members are free!
Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Top

May

Volunteer - Family volunteer Day
Saturday , 5/4/2013
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Bring the family as we spruce up Placer Nature Center. Together we'll plant seeds and native plants in our garden and courtyard area to create more wildlife habitat. Plant some seeds to take home and start wildlife habitat in your backyard, too. Free! Thanks to First 5 Placer!

Saturday class - Time for Tea
Saturday , 5/11/2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Join our tea party at Placer Nature Center! Mark your calendars for Saturday May 11 from 10-12. Come sample some Purposeful Teas (herbal teas designed with a function in mind) and learn how to use them in various combinations to enhance health and wellbeing. Licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, Linnie O’Flanagan from One River Medicine in Meadow Vista will share her knowledge and brews of a variety of herbal teas. Bring a friend, loved one, or Mom and Grandma for a pre-mother’s day activity! The tea party is free. Free! Linnie O'Flannagan 878-4828, 878-1897

Adventures in Nature - Wildflowers in the Foothills
Saturday , 5/18/2013
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
The foothills are painted with color in the spring! Take a walk on the Placer Nature Center's trail and view the spring wildflowers. The wildflowers will be identified for you so be sure to pick up the flyer before you start your walk. Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Saturday class - Astronomy & Stargazing
Saturday , 5/18/2013
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Special focus on Saturn, Moon, stars!Do you have an interest in astronomy? Feed your wonder and answer your questions about the heavens! Colfax astronomer Don Machholz, author and comet-hunter, will weave tales of the galaxies and explore the night sky with his telescopes. Pre-registration is requested on our website www.placernaturecenter.org Canceled if you cannot see the stars. $7/person

Adventures in Nature - Staycation Carnival
Saturday , 5/25/2013
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Are you home for the weekend? Come join the fun at Placer Nature Center! Carnival-like activities for all ages will be ongoing from 11-2pm. Pick your favorites or have fun with them all! Scavenger hunts, chalk murals, rock painting are just a few of the many activities. Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Top

June

Adventures in Nature - Insectigations
Saturday , 6/1/2013
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Insect varieties and numbers are at their peak this time of year. Come to Placer Nature Center to explore the many kinds of bugs. Insect nets and magnifiers will be provided for the insectigations! Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Our Day Outside - Community Wellness Fair and Nature Walk
Friday , 6/7/2013
9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
at McBean Park
Bounce House, Nature Walks, Fun &Games for the kids, and helpful information and resources from Placer First 5 and Community Providers Free! Thanks to First 5 Placer!

Saturday class - Composting and Vermiculture
Saturday , 6/8/2013
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Richard Huntley Master Gardener and Placer Nature Center docent will provide information and demonstration on composting and vermiculture. Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Summer camp - Camp Counselor training
Thursday & Friday , 6/13 & 14
9am - 12:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Calling all teens! Become a camp counselor at Placer Nature Center's summer camp. At this workshop, you will become familiar with the camp activities, the nature trail, and your role as a camp counselor. Camp counselors are volunteers who complete our training and help lead children 6-12 years old through thematic environmental education programs. As a camp counselor, you are an important role model as you strengthen your leadership skills. Free

Adventures in Nature - Kids Gardening
Saturday , 6/15/2013
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Any kids out there that want to watch a garden grow this summer? Come get yours started at Placer Nature Center. Seedlings, seeds, pots and dirt will be provided funded by the Auburn Garden Club. Plant your mini garden to take home and learn about the plants that grow your food! Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Summer camp - Gardening
Monday-Friday , 6/17/2013-6/21/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Let’s grow a green thumb! Learn the ins and outs of gardening and start vegetables and flowers for your own home garden. Have fun with soil testing, soil moisture monitoring, checking for bugs and keeping plants healthy and happy!

Adventures in Nature - Science Saturday
Saturday , 6/22/2013
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Science Saturday will focus on solar energy. Make a snack in the solar oven, use the sunlight for solar prints, check out a sun model and safe viewing of the sun and make a sun dial. Lots to do with solar energy - come join us! Free for members, $3/person for non-members

Summer camp - Howlers
Monday-Friday , 6/24/2013-6/28/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Explore the world of mammals by investigating skulls and pelts, tracks and scat. Can you howl like a coyote? Which mammals are nocturnal or diurnal? What are their adaptations and where do they live? Play games of stealth and use your senses to learn all about the mammals of the foothills.

Adventures in Nature - Fire!
Saturday , 6/29/2013
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
What makes a fire burn? What is defensible space? What plants are fire resistant? Learn all about fire in the foothills from a safety point of view but also the role of fire in our ecosystem. Free for members, $3/person for non-members

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July

Summer camp - Sunlight, Starlight and Orbs
Monday-Friday , 7/15/2013-7/19/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Ever wonder how to read a star chart? Or how the sun’s energy powers plants and people? Explore the day and night sky through experiments with plants, prisms and solar cooking! Learn about asteroids, galaxies, constellations, phases of the moon, sun and the life cycle of a star. Play fun games like “Catch a Falling Star” where we look for real meteorites! Build a sundial, make a constellation booklet and build a solar system mobile!

class - Astronomy & Stargazing
Saturday , 7/20/2013
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Special focus on Saturn,Venus, Moon, stars! Do you have an interest in astronomy? Feed your wonder and answer your questions about the heavens! Colfax astronomer Don Machholz, author and comet-hunter, will weave tales of the galaxies and explore the night sky with his telescopes. Pre-registration is requested on our website www.placernaturecenter.org Canceled if you cannot see the stars. $7/person

Summer camp - Water Wizards
Monday-Friday , 7/22/2013-7/26/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
What is so special about water? Investigate the many properties of water through experiments and observations. Watch water carve a landscape, examine aquatic pond animals, explore the ecology of aquatic life, and have plenty of fun with water play!

Summer camp - CSI
Monday-Friday , 7/22/2013-7/26/2013
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Come learn the tools, techniques and methods of a crime scene investigator in this hands-on forensic academy. Learn how to dust for fingerprints, search for trace evidence, and cast footprints - even animal tracks! Students will collect and analyze evidence to solve wildlife mysteries in this fun class. Age appropriate mysteries suitable from first grade and up.

Summer camp - Photography Camp
Monday-Friday , 7/29/2013-8/2/2013
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Use a digital camera to explore your outdoor environment. Many fun camera tricks and tips will be introduced including using the macro features for insect photos, composition of landscapes, and lighting for portraits. Led by Rita Gordon, founder of Wild Child Outdoor Photo Camps, she provides a 12.0 megapixel digital camera for use during class.

Summer camp - Geology Rocks
Monday-Friday , 7/8/2013-7/12/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Do you know what minerals are in your toothpaste? Learn about fossils and the rock cycle, and use the tools of a geologist. Play Quake Proof, go core sampling in a cupcake and hard rock mining in a chocolate chip cookie. We'll also start our very own rock collection! Learn how to classify rocks and explore their patterns. Take a meteorite walk. Create your own Sands of Time, crystal shapes, sand-stone, and an exploding volcano. Do experiments about plate tectonics. See how geology rocks your world and affects plants, animals and people every day.

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August

Summer Camp - Habitat Safari
Monday-Friday , 8/5/2013-8/9/2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
at Placer Nature Center
Habitats are all around. Who lives there? Explore a variety of habitats for food, shelter, water and space and see how they provide animals what they need to survive.

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Top

September

Astronomy & Stargazing
Saturday , 9/14/2013
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Placer Nature Center
Special focus on Saturn, Moon, stars!Do you have an interest in astronomy? Feed your wonder and answer your questions about the heavens! Colfax astronomer Don Machholz, author and comet-hunter, will weave tales of the galaxies and explore the night sky with his telescopes. Pre-registration is requested on our website www.placernaturecenter.org Canceled if you cannot see the stars.
$7/person

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Top