Placer Nature Center - Calendar of Events

Connecting People and Nature

Placer Nature Center, located in Auburn, CA offers activities, events and classes in wildlife, astronomy, reptiles, gardening, art, insects, ecology, watershed & much more for both children and adults! Come see how fun environmental education can be!

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All events are located at Placer Nature Center
unless otherwise noted.

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

March

Mar. 12. Photography Contest Entries DUE!
for Placer High School Students (open to Bear River students also)
Placer Nature Center is seeking photos to help document the Placer Nature Center trail. Winning photographs will be displayed at the April Art Walk at the Old Library Artist Studios as well as receive prizes. For contest details, please download a flyer!

Mar. 13, Saturday, 9am-1pm
E-Waste Collection Drive - Recycle Your Electronic Waste!
Gold Country Fairgrounds (Auburn Folsom & Fairgate Rd., Auburn)
Help keep toxic metals out of our water and soil by properly recycling your electronic waste. Some items will even benefit the Nature Center! Everything will be 100% disassembled and recycled at a local recycling facility. Read more about ewaste...
Many thanks to the Auburn Journal and 49er Printing & Copy Center!
Drop by anytime between 9 AM and 1 PM - we will unload everything for you!
Free!

Mar. 13, Saturday, 11am-2pm
Scat & Tracks - Friends & Family Day
Who’s footprint is that? What do raccoons eat? Become a Nature Detective and learn to read the signs of the trail! By looking at the tracks and scat of animals we can see where and how fast they are going, what they were doing and what type of animal they were. Learn the techniques the scientists use to understand how healthy an animal population is and which animals are hard to track.
Great for ages 4+; Nature Walks at 11:30am and 12:45pm; Nature Shop open
Free to members and children, General Public is $5/adult.

Mar. 20, Saturday, 9:30am-11:30am
Our Day Outside - focus on Feathered Friends!
Free class for Tots, Preschoolers & their Families
Explore, wiggle, sing, hike, do crafts and more with your 0-5 year old child. This special class engages the family in strategies to use nature play to aid in your child's physical, mental and emotional development. Class made possible by a grant from Placer First 5. *Spanish interpreter is always in attendance! Read more here about this series...

Mar. 26, Friday, 7pm-9:30pm
at Unity of Auburn's auditorium, 1212 High Street, Auburn
4th Friday Lecture:
Marvelous, Mysterious Mars by Dr. Paul Doherty
Experience life on Mars! See, feel, listen - Dr. Doherty will talk about the latest discoveries and fly the audience on a mental trip to Mars!
Read more...

Mar. 27, Saturday, 10am-12pm
Grow Vegetables - Free Green Gardening Workshop
with our local Master Gardeners
Learn to grow your own food or bring your questions about your current garden. The Master Gardeners will cover the basics, tips, tricks and techniques to help you with your own edible landscape. Bring questions, samples and your curiosity! If bringing diseased samples from your garden please store them in a plastic zip lock bag to avoid spreading pests and diseases! The workshop is a free event brought to you in partnership by the UCCE Placer County Master Gardeners.
Great for ages 8+; Free

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April

Apr. 1, Thursday, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Discovering Nature with Young Children - Mini Environments:Terrariums
Free Workshop for teachers and caregivers of children 0-5 years old
Thanks to a partnership with First 5 Placer, we can offer you 12 Hours of Professional Growth for free, especially for Placer County teachers and caregivers of children 0-5 years old. Read more here about this series...

Apr. 10, Saturday, 11am-2pm
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs! - Friends & Family Day
Did you know ladybugs eat ants? Or that dragonflies are capable of flying sixty miles per hour? For every person on the earth, there are two hundred million insects. Borrow a Nature Center net and set off along the trail to see what you can find! Learn what makes a bug a bug, where they live and what they eat. Also, try to find the Queen Bee in our see-though bee hive!
Great for ages 3+; Nature Shop open
Free to members and children, General Public is $5/adult.

Apr. 17, Saturday, 9:30am-11:30am
Our Day Outside - focus on Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!
Free class for Tots, Preschoolers & their Families
Explore, wiggle, sing, hike, do crafts and more with your 0-5 year old child. This special class engages the family in strategies to use nature play to aid in your child's physical, mental and emotional development. Class made possible by a grant from Placer First 5. *Spanish interpreter is always in attendance! Read more here about this series...

Apr. 17, Saturday, 6pm-9pm
Learn to Use a Telescope!
Basic telescope use is demostrated, followed by personal, one-on-one instruction with Don Machholz. Participants will also learn what to look for when buying a telescope and how to tune them. Following the workshop - put the telescopes to use! $15pp
Registration, tickets and more information...

Apr. 23, Friday, 7pm-9:30pm
at Unity of Auburn's auditorium, 1212 High Street, Auburn
4th Friday Lecture:April 23, 2010
Geobotanical Phenomenology: Mysteries and Magic of the Vernal Pool
by Dr. Bob Holland
As they dry, beautiful displays of wildflowers which bloom in brilliant and dramatic circles of color follow the receding shoreline of the pools.
Read more...

Apr. 24, Saturday, 10am-11:30am
Native Plants - Free Green Gardening Workshop
with our local Master Gardeners
Beautify your landscape while saving time and money with native plants. They generally prefer little to no fertilizer, less water, require less effort in controlling pests than non-native plants plus they support 10-15 times more native species of wildlife than non-native plants. Native pant gardening is simply more sustainable! Learn how to get started or what to change in your own native landscape or garden. The workshop is a free event brought to you in partnership by the UCCE Placer County Master Gardeners.
Great for ages 8+; Free
Great for beginners and those who have already started their own native landscapes!

Apr. 24, Saturday, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Stars for Friends & Families!
Learn about the basics of astronomy from a world-renowned comet hunter! You will also get to practice your new skills by searching the night sky using a telescope! $6pp
Registration, tickets and more information...

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May

May 8, Saturday, 11am-2pm
Walk amongst the Wildflowers - Friends & Family Day
Walk amongst all that blossoms along the Placer Nature Center trail! Learn the names of the local and native wildflowers. Walks are self-guided with special season-specific handouts.
Great for ages 4+; Nature Shop open
Free to members and children, General Public is $5/adult.

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June

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July

Jul. 17, Saturday, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Stars for Friends & Families!
Learn about the basics of astronomy from a world-renowned comet hunter! You will also get to practice your new skills by searching the night sky using a telescope! $6pp
Registration, tickets and more information...

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August

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September

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October

Oct. 16, Saturday, 6pm-8pm
Stars for Friends & Families!
Learn about the basics of astronomy from a world-renowned comet hunter! You will also get to practice your new skills by searching the night sky using a telescope! $6pp
Registration, tickets and more information...

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