Workshops

This season we will be hosting our regular workshops for kids grades 1-6, and our new weekend workshops! Please scroll down for details!

Nature Explorers Workshops (Grades 1-6)

These FUN and EDUCATIONAL workshops provide children with unique learning experiences.  Animals, Science, Hiking, Team Building, Music, and more! Workshop participants get to go behind the scenes and learn what it takes to become a professional animal caregiver at the Barn Nature Center! In addition, each workshop features interactive and experiential activities designed to engage students in the Workshop's theme. We have both full day and half day workshops! Workshops are $60 per day, and we recommend students bring a packed lunch (snack is provided), a refillable water bottle, and closed-toe shoes! 

Each Nature Explorers Workshop is unique. Here is a list of our upcoming Winter 2021 Workshops:

Animal Adventures
November 2, 2021

Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Oh My! What is it that makes a reptile a reptile, or a mammal a mammal? We will look the adaptations of animals at the nature center, with a focus on classification! Students will practice handling different species, make a take-home craft, and learn about how different animals combat their own variety of challenges!

Superhero Senses
November 4, 2021

 Can you hear as well as a chinchilla? Can you sense heat like a snake? Come to test your senses and learn about the many ways our animals communicate with each other! We will learn about the different colors and sounds that animals experience, and explore our own senses of taste and smell!

Ecology Explorers
November 24, 2021

The Nature Center has over 100 diverse animals that live here! Students will get to explore and learn about the different groups of animals and what makes them unique. Join us as we discover habitats around the world! Looking at biodiversity, we will examine the natural world as scientists! They will participate in a bio-blitz bug hunt and a craft, as well as the daily husbandry and handling of our animal residents.

Vet Week!
December 27-31, 2021

Calling all animal lovers and future Veterinarians! The Barn Nature Center's Vet Workshop is a fun and hands-on learning experience. Come for all or part of this week! Kids will learn what veterinarians do, why they are important, and what we as animal caretakers do to ensure and check the health of our animal residents. They'll also help us with the daily husbandry of our animals!

Monday: Grooming - We will learn about the benefits of soaking for reptiles experiencing a difficult shed, and perform nail trims on our mammals! 

Tuesday: Weights and Medications - We will check the weights of our animal residents, as well as practice with dosing and administering medication!

Wednesday: Nutrition and Dentition - Students will have the chance to feed our animals, as well as learn about the different digestive systems. We will also be feeding our snakes! 

Thursday: Checking Vitals - Have you heard a bird's heartbeat? We will make our own stethoscopes, and learn about respiration, temperature, and other vital signs in animals!

Friday: Surgery - Practice bandaging our animals and learn how to suture! Perfect for the more advanced junior veterinarians!

Zookeeper Day
​January 17, 2022

Is your child a future zookeeper? Do they love taking care of animals? At our Animal Keeper for a Day workshop they will learn in detail what it takes to care for the Nature Center's amazing animal residents! They will learn what animals need to survive, as well as what the need to thrive! They'll help with diet prep, grooming, and even design their own enrichment project!

Backyard Habitats
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Nature Hike
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Stream Study
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Half Day Workshops! (Temporarily Unavailable)

Animal Husbandry!
March 13, 2020 & April 2, 2020

Students will learn about the daily care that goes into maintaining our over 140 exotic animals! They will learn how to feed, water, and handle the animals, as well as other things that we do to ensure their health and wellbeing.

Adventure!
March 17, 2020

Students will focus on our indoor high ropes course elements and rock climbing wall in the Barn's Adventure Center, challenging themselves to work as a team and climb to new heights!

Art of Nature!
April 3, 2020

Students will learn how art is expressed by nature, and be able to express that themselves! There will be crafts and art projects utilizing natural materials and subjects, as well as drawing from life utilizing some of the animals at the nature center!
For more information or to register, please call 445-205-0793 or email BNCreceptionist@gmail.com. Students must be registered one week prior to the workshop date. Once your registration is confirmed, you must pay a deposit for your workshop. Payments may be made by cash, money orders, or credit card. 

To register on-line, please click the link at the bottom of the page. Please include: your name, child's name, contact number, email address, and which workshop date(s) you would like to register for.

Advanced Workshop Series (Temporarily Unavailable)

Our Advanced Workshops are for students in 6th through 10th grade, and teach more in-depth concepts about teamwork, animals, and the natural world. They are perfect for any students that are interested in animals, science, and the great outdoors! Here are the workshops for this semester:

Adventure Teamwork ($60)
January 20, 2020

Students will learn valuable lessons about teamwork and pushing themselves through a series of fun and challenging activities and climbs in our Adventure Center! We will also spend some time downstairs with the Nature Center's animal residents.

Indoor Gardening ($60)
February 17, 2020

At this exciting new workshop, students will get to learn about different methods of keeping plants indoors, and some reasons why you might want plants in your house! They will get to do some planting, and assist with some of the plants that the Nature Center grows to help feed the animals! We will also spend some time with the Nature Center's animal residents, and do some climbing in the Adventure Center!

World of Water ($60)
April 10, 2020

Better bring a change of clothes today, because it's all about water! We will learn about water chemistry, conduct fun (and safe!) chemical tests of the Nature Center's tanks, conduct a study of a local stream, and even try to clean a fake oil spill! Some time will also be spent with the Nature Center's animal residents, and climbing on the rock walls in the Adventure Center!

Field Studies: Herpetology ($60)
May 25, 2020

Today is for the animals lovers! We will learn how to identify native species of reptile and amphibians, comparing them to some of the animal residents of the Nature Center, and then taking a hike to conduct some citizen science! Every reptile and amphibian we find on our trip will be catalogued and submitted to the PA Amphibian and Reptile Survey, a real scientific organization that studies the distribution of herps in PA!
For more information or to register, please call 445-205-0793 or email BNCreceptionist@gmail.com. Students must be registered one week prior to the workshop date. Once your registration is confirmed, you must pay a deposit for your workshop. Payments may be made by cash, money orders, or credit card. If you sign up for all four a discount will be provided.

To register on-line, please click the link at the bottom of the page. Please include: your name, child's name, contact number, email address, and which workshop date(s) you would like to register for.

New! Weekend Workshops! 

By popular demand the Nature Center will now be hosting short workshops on the weekends! These workshops will be 4 hours long, and are for students grades 1-6. Each theme will contain the same lesson as the corresponding Nature Explorer's Workshop!

For more information or to register, please call 445-205-0793 or email BNCreceptionist@gmail.com. Students must be registered one week prior to the workshop date. Once your registration is confirmed, you must pay a deposit for your workshop. Payments may be made by cash, money orders, or credit card.

To register on-line, please click the link at the bottom of the page. Please include: your name, child's name, contact number, email address, and which workshop date(s) you would like to register for.

    Workshop Registration 

Full Day Nature Explorers & Advanced Workshops

​$25 deposit to reserve workshop registration + additional PayPal fees. If you do not wish to pay these fees, you may pay over the phone when we are in the office. 
This is a non-refundable deposit and is due upon registration.

Half Day & Weekend Workshops (Temporarily Unavailable)

$15 deposit to reserve workshop registration + additional PayPal fees.  If you do not wish to pay these fees, you may pay over the phone when we are in the office. 
This is a non-refundable deposit and is due upon registration.