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.
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!
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.
