The 21-acre Nature Center features a collection of indoor and outdoor exhibits and artifacts curated to showcase Southwest Florida’s unique ecosystem. The experience includes the newly renovated Susan and William Dalton Discovery Center with the new John & Carol Walter Discovery Wing, which features an invasive species and climate change galleries.
The Nature Center is listed as site #69 on the Great Florida Birding Trail and also boasts electric boat tours featuring live flora and fauna along the Gordon River; docent-led visitor programs on topics such as reptiles, birds of prey, oceans, and wildlife injury prevention; and a wildlife exhibit.
NATURE CENTER HOURS
Tuesday - Saturday
9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission
Adults
Children (3-12)
See new exhibits and revisit your favorites!
Between the classic Touch Tank and Little Explorer Play Zone to the new Augmented Reality and Science on a Sphere exhibits, the Dalton Discovery Center has something for everyone.
Programs funded in part by:
Additional Programs at the Nature Center
Daily Talks
Our Education Team will lead two daily talks at the Nature Center! Join us to learn about the Southwest Florida environment and the wildlife in our area.
Daily Talks
11:15 a.m. & 1:15 p.m.
Invasive Species: What is an invasive species? Where do they come from? How do they impact our lives? Come to our Invasive Species talk and learn the answers to these questions along with how invasive species are causing harm to Florida’s ecosystems and ways you can help!
Saving Wildlife:Step into the world of wildlife rehabilitation with us where we share the stories of our patients and explore the leading causes behind their injuries. Become a wildlife steward by learning easy ways to prevent injuries and what to do if you find an injured animal.
Our Changing Planet:Climate change is already having a big impact on our Earth - both for wildlife and humans. Using our Science on a Sphere, we will see how climate change is affecting our world, in particular, our oceans. By exploring hurricanes, sea level rise, and coral reefs, guests will get a better understanding of what is to come and ways we can lessen the effects of climate change.
Bracing for the Storm: Understanding the Power and Impact of Hurricanes:Explore the profound impact hurricanes have on the natural world and our lives in this educational talk. Gain insights into the origins and formation of hurricanes, alongside an understanding of how climate change is shaping their behavior. You will also discover practical steps you can take to effectively prepare for the impacts of these powerful storms.
Little Explorers Program Schedule
We offer special Little Explorers programs on Thursdays at 10 am at our Nature Center. The specific dates and information are listed below.
Best for kids 18-months to 5-years-old
Bring your little ones to our Little Explorer Play Zone to participate in multi-sensory, interactive activities, stories, and crafts. You will have the opportunity to learn about topics that relate to our mission of protecting Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife, and future. Little Explorers will also get to explore the entire Conservancy campus!
OCTOBER
October 3: Alligator Chomp
Come chomp with us as we learn about what an alligator eats in the Everglades! We will make an interactive craft and even learn a fun new dance!
October 10: Campus closed for Hurricane Milton
October 17: I Am Earth
Your Little Explorers will embark on a mindful journey as they listen to "I Am Earth: A Mindfulness for Kids Story." Through this engaging story, children will learn to connect with nature by practicing mindfulness activities. After the story, they will participate in a series of fun exercises designed to deepen their awareness and appreciation for the natural world around them. It’s a perfect way to inspire a love for nature while teaching the importance of being present in the moment.
October 24: I Love Bugs!
Learn which bugs fly, crawl, and jump and then move like your favorite bug! Sort and match our bugs and make a bug craft of your very own.
October 31: The Very Busy Spider (Halloween)
Come find out just how busy the spider actually is! What is she up to? Meet all of her friends along the way, and bring home your very own spider web dream catcher!
NOVEMBER
November 7: If You Find a Leaf
Nature can inspire creativity and that’s what this book is all about! With our imagination, we’ll explore all the things a leaf can be. Then we’ll find our own and use them to play a game together!
November 14: A House for Hermit Crab
Join us as we read about a hermit crab that decorates its shell so he can blend into its habitat and how he makes friends along the way. Little Explorers will help the crab decorate its shell and then make one to take home!
November 21: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Caterpillars go through a special transformation called metamorphosis. They have to eat a lot to go through this change. Come learn what this very hungry caterpillar eats before turning into a beautiful butterfly.
November 28: Campus closed for Thanksgiving
DECEMBER
December 5: 8 Little Planets
Travel to the stars with us as we learn about space, our planets and what makes them each special! Afterwards, we’ll make a space collage complete with your own stars and planets!
December 12: Mr. Seahorse (National Seahorse Day 12/13)
Put on your suit of armor, as we learn just how tough seahorses are! Make your own father seahorse to take home, as we take part in the incredible journey of how seahorses raise their young!
December 19: Over in the Forest
Experience a hands-on activity while reading about what critters we might find living in the forest and how they move! Learn about animal tracks, and create your very own tracking guide!
December 26: The Rainbow Fish
Come hear the story of a beautiful fish who learns to share his beauty with others! Little Explorers will learn about varying colors between fish species and how to treat people with kindness.
JANUARY
January 2: Way Down Deep
Get ready to dive deep into our story and meet the many sea creatures that roam the ocean! Then visit our Dalton Discovery Center and meet some of our sea creatures up close.
January 9: All the Way to the Ocean
Hear about how two best friends made a difference in what travels all the way to the ocean. Explorers will discover how they too can reduce the amount of trash in our oceans and take home a fun upcycled craft!
January 16: If I Were a Tree
Join us as we journey into the trees and use all five senses to discover all the layers of life that one single tree can support! We’ll then go out in nature and use our senses to connect with one of the great trees we have here at the Conservancy.
January 23: Creaky Crickets
Get familiar with our native Florida insects and learn that there’s nothing creepy about these crawlies! Little Explorers will get a hands-on look at what it’s like to be an entomologist by finding, catching, and identifying insects from our pretend bug habitat.
January 30: The Grouchy Lady Bug
Help our ladybug friend tell time as she goes on a wild adventure! Make your own ladybug clock craft so you can follow along with the story!
FEBRUARY
February 6: Why Should I Recycle?
Come and learn the importance of why everyone should do their part to recycle. Even small actions make a big difference when we do them all together. Learn how to sort recycling materials through our hands-on activity and create a craft using recycled materials.
February 13: The Busy Tree
Discover how many friends you might find living in just a single tree! Help us put together our own “busy tree” and meet one of our tree-climbing animal ambassadors!
February 20: The Mixed-up Chameleon
Hear the story of how a chameleon gets all mixed up by wishing he was something else and discover how each animal has its own unique talents. Explorers will design their own mixed-up critter deciding along the way how it would live successfully.
February 27: Leaps and Bounds
Hop along to our story time with Finklehopper Frog, learning what it means to be unique and love yourself. After, join us in a creative craft using fashion design and an activity where we will be practicing our hopping, skipping, and jogging skills with everyone.
MARCH
March 6: Campus closed for Magic
March 13: The Greedy Python (National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2/26-3/3)
Come hear how about how the Greedy Python’s huge appetite affects the animals around him. Little explorers will go on a scavenger hunt to for “food” and make their very own python to take home with them.
March 20: Felina’s New Home (Save the Florida Panther Day 3/15)
Felina the Florida Panther has had her home invaded by people, trash and noise! With help from biologists, Felina and her friends finally find a quiet and clean new home. Learn about Florida Panthers, their habitat, and make a craft to take home!
March 27: Mary the Manatee (National Manatee Appreciation Day 3/26)
Come join us for Manatee Awareness Week where children will walk away with the knowledge of where manatees live and what they eat! We will sing, dance, and create a craft to show what we’ve learned about these special creatures.
APRIL
April 3: We Are All Connected
Everyone is connected – not just to each other, but to mother Earth! Join us as the Little Explorers learn all about the ways we can lift up each other and protect our planet, through both art and planting seeds to take home!
April 10: At Home with the Gopher Tortoise (Gopher Tortoise Day 4/10)
Little Explorers will learn about one of Florida’s keystone species—The Gopher Tortoise! The Explorers will learn how and why these wonderful creatures are important to the survival of many other native animals.
April 17: One Little Lot (National Gardening Day 4/14)
We are talking about the importance of nature in our communities. Gather as we read the story of a neighborhood turning their abandoned lot into a community garden. Learn the value of working together and understanding where our food comes from. Become a gardener with our activity of planting native seeds and take some home to plant yourself! Then complete a craft designing your very own neighborhood garden.
April 24: The Lorax (Earth Day 4/22)
Come join us in reading about The Lorax and his Truffula trees that he is trying to save! Little explorers will play a matching game and make their own Truffula tree to care for.
MAY
May 1: In the Tall, Tall Grass
Come discover what lives in the seemingly “empty” field! You never know what you might find by using your senses, such as seeing, touching, hearing, and smelling! After that, Little Explorers can become scientists as we explore what can be found in nature around the Conservancy. This program takes place outside the usual playroom, so come join us for a unique experience!
May 8: Are You My Mother? (Mother’s Day 5/11)
Spread your wings and join us on a baby bird’s journey to find his mother. Little explorers will play a matching game, create their own baby bird finger puppet to take home, and learn how to help baby birds out in the wild.
May 15: Fabulous Frogs (National Frog Jumping Day 5/13)
Sometimes we think it’s better to be somebody else but in the end, it’s best just to be YOU! Learn alongside with Frog about different animals and how they each have a different but very important role to play in nature.
May 22: Eyes on Endangered Species (National Endangered Species Day 5/16)
Listen to riddles and rhymes during this fun story to discover endangered species around the world. Keep your eyes open as we play a matching game to learn about animals that need our help in our own backyards and even meet one up-close during a live animal encounter!
May 29: Oopsie Otter (National Otter Day 5/28)
Join us in reading about Oopsie Otter and her playful pals! You otter be ready to dance and play, as we will sing silly songs and act just as an otter would while slipping through our rivers!
JUNE
June 5: Bear Crossing (National Black Bear Day 6/7)
Come explore our trails through the eyes of a Florida black bear as we move like a bear and search for food. Explorers will also paint bear tracks and compare them to their own! We can bear-ly wait for you to join us!
June 12: Sea Turtle Tales (World Sea Turtle Day 6/16)
Join us as we read about the adventures of Gary and Harry the sea turtles and learn all about the effects pollution has on Florida’s sea turtles. Afterwards, we’ll visit our Patch Reef tank and get an up close look at our resident Loggerhead sea turtle!
June 19: Henry the Manatee
Come along as we learn all about Florida’s state marine mammal—the Manatee! Help us discover what a manatee eats and where they live. After the story, stick around for a fun activity and craft!
June 26: Fussy Flamingo (Pink Flamingo Day 6/23)
Hear about a young flamingo who doesn’t want to eat shrimp and discovers a variety of fruit which change the color of her feathers. Explorers will discover what a flamingo should eat and take home a fun and colorful craft!
JULY
July 3: Fabulous Fishes
Dive into the scaly and slippery world of fish! From a seahorse floating with seagrass to an angelfish hiding near the coral reef, dive in as we count just how many FINtastic fish we can see during a visit to our discovery center! Take home your own decorative fishy craft and learn just how many fish there are in the sea.
July 10: Let It Rain
Get your rain coat and rain boots ready as our story takes us from rainy Spring to hot Summer! Come celebrate the change in season and learn how rain helps our Florida habitats.
July 17: Bugs Bugs Bugs (National Be Nice to Bugs Day 7/14)
Bees and butterflies are both flying insects, but they each have their own unique characteristics. Did you know bees have a special way of communicating with each other using dance? Or that almost all butterflies have symmetrical patterns on their wings? Come learn the science of these crazy critters with a healthy dose of music, dancing and art.
July 24: A Color of His Own
Come hear the story of a chameleon in search of his very own color and the special friends he meets along the way! Little Explorers will learn about camouflage and get to create a camouflage craft to take home.
July 31: Where Should Turtle Be?
Learn about ALL turtles you might find here in Southwest Florida! How are they the same? How are they different? Also learn about how YOU can help turtles in southwest Florida!
AUGUST
August 7: Little Owl Lost (International Owl Awareness Day 8/4)
Little owl has fallen from his nest and can’t find his mommy! Along the way, little owl makes new forest friends who help him find his way home. After the story, we’ll learn even more about owls, sing an owl song, and make an owl craft to take home!
August 14: Fin-tastic Sawfish!
What’s that fish with a funny nose? Join us as we learn about sawfish and raise awareness for this critically endangered fish species. Explorers will get to see what it’s like to have such a unique nose while playing games and will make their own rostrum to take with them.
August 21: Jenny Jellyfish
Join us in reading the story of Jenny and Jiggly, two moon jellies who get in a lot of trouble, but the helpful humans came to the rescue and save their lives! After the story we will sing the moon jelly song and make one to take home!
August 28: Pitter Patter
Join us in learning about two rain drops that travel through the world. They meet animals and plants along the way while sharing their journey of what it is like to be in the water cycle. We will sing a song and create our own raindrop story in this Little Explorers program.
Weekly Live Feedings & Cleanings
Touch Tank feeding
Tuesdays at 10:00 am
Interpreters will explain horseshoe crab biology, importance to humans and the threats they face in the wild.
Scuba Patch Reef cleaning
Wednesdays at 2:00 pm
Interpreters explain the issues of climate change, excess nutrients, coral bleaching in the context of staff divers cleaning the tank which is necessitated by excess nutrients in a closed system.
Alligator exhibit target feeding
Saturdays at 10:00 am
The exhibit alligators are target fed by a staff member while another explains the process and purpose of target training to illustrate alligator biology and potential causes of human conflict with alligators.
Toad exhibit feeding
Saturdays at 2:00 pm
Our live southern toads are fed on exhibit while the interpreter explains toad biology, the threats of invasives (Cane toads) on native wildlife and humans.
