For the second year, Natural Land Institute is presenting Family Nature Adventures, a virtual and outdoor adventure series that can be enjoyed at any time and from anywhere – there are no geographic boundaries.
The goal is for kids and families to discover nature all around them. Kids can also earn a Junior Naturalist badge and certificate. This free experience is open to all but is tailored to families with kids ages 2 to 14.
“We learned a lot by creating this new type of event last year,” says Kim Johnsen, NLI’s director of marketing & membership. “This year we changed content for video topics that we introduced last year. We’re also expanding our audience by providing the event and our website in Spanish.”
Register for this free event and watch a video online, do a suggested activity outside in a backyard or nearby park, answer an optional question and submit it online.
The 14 learning videos include Squiggly Water Bugs – Wetlands; Creek Adventures – Fish; Buried Treasure – Groundwater; Coughing Pellets – Great Horned Owls; Buzz and Fuzz – Our Native Bees and Wasps; The Marvelous Monarch Migration; Home on the Prairie – Prairies; Tree Detective! – Forests; Those Weird Wild Seeds; Leaf Lift-Off! – Art; Let’s Write About It! – Writing; Shells, Scales, and Slippery Tails! -Turtles of Illinois; Cheerful Charmers – Bluebirds; and Furry Encounters – Mammals.
A group of 3 to 4 videos will be released on NLI’s website and announced over NLI’s e-newsletter and on social media on Wednesdays. The videos are made in cooperation with many local organizations and nature experts.
Complete six of the activities and the Final Participation Form by Wednesday, Aug. 11 to earn a Junior Naturalist badge.
The Natural Land Institute has protected more than 17,300 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. Its current service area covers 12 counties in northern Illinois. Its mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. Learn more at NaturalLand.org. ❚