June
Sola Fide Observatory Open House
Saturday, June 6; 9:30 – 11:00 p.m.
Free Open House; Weather Dependent
Get away from the city lights and join us under the stars at Sola Fide Observatory. Located off property south of town. Enjoy the stars, moon, or galaxies from one of our two telescopes. There is no heat in the building and you may need to wait outside.
This event is weather/cloud dependent. If there is more than 50% cloud cover, we cannot run the telescope and the event will be cancelled. Please watch our social media for updates.
Discoveries with the Nature Center at Austin Public Library
Tuesday, June 9th; 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Austin Public Library; Free
Enjoy a sensory hands-on learning experience exploring textures from nature. Hormel Nature Center staff will bring natural items, including animal pelts, skulls, and a live snake to meet!
International Owl Center Presentations
Thursday, June 11
Senior Special: 10:00 – 11:00 am
Family Program: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Senior Special: Find out whooo’s in your backyard! Discover how to identify owls by size, shape, sound, and silhouette in this interactive presentation with our friends from the International Owl Center and their owls.
Family Program: Learn first-hand about owl adaptations by picking out the pieces and parts that belong to an owl and putting them into a “magic” box. If correct, a live owl comes out from under the magic box for a visit. Come see what happens with our friends from the International Owl Center and their resident owl ambassadors!
Nature Play
Thursday, June 11; 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Get outside and discover nature with your child! Enjoy free activities such as: canoes & kayaks, water tables, scooping the pond, touch tables, and animal encounters.
Cedar River Astronomy Club Meeting
Friday, June 12; 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Interpretive Center; Free
The Cedar River Astronomy Club’s mission is to connect people with interest in astronomy and give hands on experience exploring the night sky while helping with outreach at the Sola Fide Observatory.
The Cedar River Astronomy Club is open to all ages, skill, and interest levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice, or an expert, if you own a telescope, or just like the night sky, all are welcome!
The club is free to join.
Bus Trip: Hocokata Ti & Arboretum
Saturday, June 13; 8:00 am – 6:00 p.m.
Buy tickets at the Interpretive Center
Friends Members: $20
Community Member: $70
Thank you to the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center, this bus trip is open to everyone! Join Nature Center staff on a coach bus trip to Shakopee and Chaska to visit Hocokata Ti and the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. More information on our Bus Trip page.
Blood Drive
Tuesday, June 16th; 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Ruby Rupner Auditorium
The Nature Center is hosting another American Red Cross Blood Drive that needs people willing to donate! Make your appointment online at redcrossblood.org
Firefly Show with Felicia Cooper
Thursday, June 18
Senior Special: 10:00 – 11:00 am
Family Program: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Enjoy a fantastical performance using props, puppets, and incredible story telling by Felicia Cooper. Follow the story about a lost firefly, Lucky, in this sweet and hopeful family-friendly puppet show about all the ways we find light.
Nature Play
Thursday, June 18; 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Get outside and discover nature with your child! Enjoy free activities such as: canoes & kayaks, water tables, scooping the pond, touch tables, and animal encounters.
Sola Fide Observatory Open House
Saturday, June 20; 9:30 – 11:00 p.m.
Free Open House; Weather Dependent
Get away from the city lights and join us under the stars at Sola Fide Observatory. Located off property south of town. Enjoy the stars, moon, or galaxies from one of our two telescopes. There is no heat in the building and you may need to wait outside.
This event is weather/cloud dependent. If there is more than 50% cloud cover, we cannot run the telescope and the event will be cancelled. Please watch our social media for updates.
Storytime at the Rock with Austin Public Library
Thursday, June 25th; 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Hormel Nature Center; Free
Join library staff at the Hormel Nature Center’s big rock for a nature-themed storytime in the great outdoors!
Nature Jam Pizza Party
Friday, June 26; 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Free; Back of Interpretive Center
Pizza: Suggested Donation of $5 per family
What better way to spend a summer night than enjoying live music and fresh wood-fired pizza? This event will be held outside, so bring your own lawn chair! Pizza is available on a first come first served basis.
Volunteer Work Day
Saturday, June 27; 10:00 – 11:30 am
Meet in the Interpretive Center
Looking for an impactful way to help your community and nature? Join Nature Center staff for a forest restoration project removing invasive species. Wear pants, closed-toe shoes, and clothes that can get dirty. We will provide gloves. To sign up please visit our United Way webpage or call the Nature Center.
Nature Play
Saturday, June 27; 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Get outside and discover nature with your child! Enjoy free activities such as: canoes & kayaks, water tables, scooping the pond, touch tables, and animal encounters.
July
Will Sings Songs
Thursday, July 9
Senior Special: 10:00 – 11:00 am
Family Program: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Sing and laugh along with musician, naturalist, true-blue Minnesotan goofball, and Austin Native, Will Bjorndal, as he brings a wagonload of original and traditional songs to the Nature Center.
Nature Play
Thursday, July 9; 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Interpretive Center; Free
Get outside and discover nature with your child! Enjoy free activities such as: canoes & kayaks, water tables, scooping the pond, touch tables, and animal encounters.
Cedar River Astronomy Club Meeting
Friday, July 10; 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Interpretive Center; Free
The Cedar River Astronomy Club’s mission is to connect people with interest in astronomy and give hands on experience exploring the night sky while helping with outreach at the Sola Fide Observatory.
The Cedar River Astronomy Club is open to all ages, skill, and interest levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice, or an expert, if you own a telescope, or just like the night sky, all are welcome!
The club is free to join.
Sola Fide Observatory Open House
Saturday, July 11; 9:30 – 11:00 p.m.
Free Open House; Weather Dependent
Get away from the city lights and join us under the stars at Sola Fide Observatory. Located off property south of town. Enjoy the stars, moon, or galaxies from one of our two telescopes. There is no heat in the building and you may need to wait outside.
This event is weather/cloud dependent. If there is more than 50% cloud cover, we cannot run the telescope and the event will be cancelled. Please watch our social media for updates.
Storytime at the Rock with Austin Public Library
Thursday, July 16th; 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Hormel Nature Center; Free
Join library staff at the Hormel Nature Center’s big rock for a nature-themed storytime in the great outdoors!
Discoveries with the Nature Center at Austin Public Library
Tuesday, July 21st; 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Austin Public Library; Free
Enjoy a sensory hands-on learning experience exploring textures from nature. Hormel Nature Center staff will bring natural items, including animal pelts, skulls, and a live snake to meet!