Mars, the planet of intrigue and mystery appears in the evening skies of February. Attend and learn some interesting facts about Mars from ‘alien’ observers. We will start with an indoor program at the Environmental Resource Center, which will be followed by an outdoor telescope session with views of Mars if the weather permits.

Attention: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Webelos/Cub Scouts!

This is your opportunity to explore the many ways the Museum can enrich your scouting experience. Meet our curators and participate in activities designed to fulfill partial badge requirements or that may be of interest to a scout. Attend special Shafran Planetarium shows and tour the Mueller Observatory. Get to know Museum scientists at the "Meet the Scientists" Program and much more.

Join Museum naturalists as we search for owls, seldom-seen birds of the night. Using vocalizations, and sharp eyes and ears, the group will search for resident owls within the woods and along the meadow edges of the camp.  Dress warmly and bring a flashlight. Quiet voices are a must!

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with us and learn what you can do to help save the planet. We will have fun and informative crafts and activities for all ages throughout the Museum. As we commemorate the accomplishments of the last 40 years, we will demonstrate some of the latest sustainable solutions and explore how we can help Cleveland become a green city on a blue lake.

Have you ever heard the saying "As busy as a bee?" The spring season will soon be upon us and honeybees are already busy collecting nectar for honey and pollinating plants. Yet there are so many other things that bees do in the hive that keep them busy. This family workshop will take us into the life of the honeybee from its body to the hive. There will be plenty of activities, so be prepared to "dance" like a bee and make a lunchtime treat using honey in simple recipes.

Spring is an exciting time to search for native wildflowers. With the warming temperatures and lengthening days, the plants grow and bloom at a very quick pace. Join us as we look for Trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Hepatica, and other lovely native wildflowers in the woodlands surrounding the Environmental Resource Center.

Native plants can be very advantageous when used in the home landscape. They tend to be low maintenance, drought tolerant, hardy, and well-adapted to coping with the various pests in our region. The fruit and seeds produced by native plants are prized by birds and other wildlife, providing the homeowner with a self-sustaining source of ‘bird food’. Staff from the Botany and Natural Areas Departments will explain how certain traditional landscaping plants have become problematic in our natural areas, and will offer native alternatives to some of these invasive plants.

Join special guest instructor Katrina Heinzen as we discover the nature of music by exploring musical sounds made by animals all around us.  We will paint our own nighttime soundscape with poetic imagery accompanied by our voices and instruments made at this workshop. Take part in a jazzy jam session featuring booming bullfrogs and a coyote chorus. 

Join special guest instructor Cindy Hill of Rhythm Culture as we explore the ancient, mystical, musical drum circle. Learn how, for centuries, cultures in the United States and around the globe make beautiful music from nature. Each participant gets the use of a hand drum and other percussion instrument made from natural resources such as gourds, nuts, seeds, or wood.  Your rhythm facilitator will then blend easy drum techniques with fun rhythm activities, guiding the group to create exciting polyrhythmic music. No matter what our age, or ability, we sound better together! 

Gold prospecting in Ohio is more popular than you might think. The lure is finding shiny gold dust, flecks and occasionally larger pickers in the gold pan. We will visit a real gold claim in Richland County, Ohio and work a stream just like the prospectors do. Guaranteed wet and muddy conditions, and any gold that you find is yours to keep. Previously everyone on this trip has found gold; all were enriched but not rich from the experience. (However, with gold currently going for nearly $1,200 an ounce, who knows.)

We are off to the Allegheny National Forest for the first ever nature team over night camping trip. We will leave Cleveland early Saturday Morning, and arrive at the national forest by lunch time. After lunch we will pack all our gear into canoes and paddle to our campground on the banks of the Allegheny reservoir. The evening will be spent with songs and stories by the campfire. After a hearty breakfast on Sunday morning we will break camp and paddle back to the van. No camping or canoeing experience is necessary for this trip and we welcome beginners of all ages. CMNH will provide all equipment including canoes, PFD’s, paddles, tents, and cooking gear. Fee includes transportation to and from Cleveland and all meals from lunch on Saturday to lunch on Sunday.