Lost Valley Nature Detectives offers self-guided outdoor exploration

It's a beautiful day for hiking, bird watching, and wildlife tracking. Start your "Lost Valley Nature Detective Adventure" at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood. Indoor displays and activities will get you ready for an outdoor exploration and each month a new topic is featured. Check out the free exploration backpack to borrow binoculars and field guides and grab a scavenger hunt to help you search the wild spaces of Glacial Park.

December's topic is "Winter Survival" where you will learn about different ways animals survive the winter. Play a puppet sorting game, take a winter fur test, watch for birds at the feeders, and hike to look for signs of animals still out in the cold. Once back indoors you can try out building your very own beaver lodge.

Weekday or weekend, morning or afternoon, come any time the visitor center is open, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Visitor Center will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 31. Visitors who wish to borrow items to take out for a hike must leave a driver's license and must return items 30 minutes before closing.

Topics change monthly. In January, it will be "Animal Tracks" and in February, "Coyotes." For more information call Prairieview Education Center at (815) 479-5779 or visit www.mccdistrict.org.