Naperville Park District's new programs aim to get kids closer to nature

Sandie Gilmer wants your child to learn about owl poop. Yes, owl poop!

Actually, of course, that's just one of many things the Naperville Park District program manager hopes youngsters will explore as part of a new series of nature programs starting this week aimed at kids from preschool through age 10 at the new Seager Park Interpretive Center, 1163 Plank Road.

The programs, each with a separate theme, start Jan. 19 with snappy titles like All About Owls (you, too, can dissect an owl pellet!), The Magic of Scent (learn how skunks live, eat and sleep and why they sometimes smell funny), and Not Just For Syrup (the deep, dark secrets of maple trees).

Taught by a naturalist with an environmental education background, each program is designed to give specific age groups hands-on experience with nature and, shudder, get them out of the classroom and into the great outdoors when the weather permits.

The programs will run about an hour to 90 minutes, with a different theme each week through May. Preschoolers probably will spend a goodly amount of time singing and hearing stories, while older kids will get a chance to track animals in the snow and, yes, learn what's inside those owl droppings and what raccoons do when they're not sifting through my garbage.

The whole idea is to make a greater connection between kids and nature.

“To preserve the environment, you have to create a love for the environment,” Gilmer says.

Never fear, though, the kids won't be too far from civilization and technology, because the Interpretive Center contains all the modern conveniences, including iPads. So if the youngsters spot a deer while on a hike, someone will be able to Google the animal and learn what makes Bambi tick.

Each class will cost $11 for preschoolers and $15 for older kids. For details and registration information, visit napervilleparks.org.

The district also is planning some family activities at the center this winter, including several snowshoeing classes — with or without snow.

Gilmer says the district has been offering environmentally-themed programs for preschoolers for about three years, but decided to expand the program when the Interpretive Center opened in October and gave officials the perfect space and setting.

“That was one of the reasons why we wanted the building,” she says.

“Green education is really the hot thing,” she says, “and it's really the smart thing, too. We want to get kids outside and investigating nature.”