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
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.
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.
Florida’s Fabulous Reptiles: From the densest swamps to our sunny beaches, Florida is home to all sorts of reptiles! But they’re also some of the most misunderstood animals in our state. In this talk, you won’t just learn all of the cool ways reptiles have adapted to survive here, but how they play an important role in keeping our environment healthy!
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: Who lives here?
October 2: 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 exploring our skills in runway fashion design, and an activity where we will be practicing our hopping, skipping, and jogging skills with everyone. Your Little Explorers will get the chance to hear a story about how we are each unique in our own special ways!
October 9: The Greedy Python
Come hear about how the Greedy Python’s huge appetite affects the animals around him. Little explorers will go on a scavenger hunt for different animals and make their very own snake to take home with them. Little Explorers will learn about the importance of sharing and teamwork, while also gaining a basic understanding of camouflage and the danger of Burmese Pythons in Florida.
October 16: Eyes on Endangered Species
Today, we will gather our friends for our fun story to discover endangered species around the world. Watch out as we play games to learn about animals that need our help in our own backyards and even meet one up close during a live animal encounter! Little Explorers learn about the endangered species of Southwest Florida and how to help them.
October 23: Where Should Turtle Be?
As October ends, so does the sea turtle nesting season so we will learn all about the special turtles you might find here in Southwest Florida! We will learn how you can help all our sea turtle friends in southwest Florida! Little Explorers will learn that turtles live in many different habitats. Explorers will learn how they are designed differently from one another and also the similarities.
October 30: Little Boo
Get ready for Halloween and make a scary face, it’s time to celebrate! Join us in your Halloween costumes and read a story about one little pumpkin who can’t wait to be a scary jack-o’-lantern! If you’re not too scared, stay and make a “spooky” Halloween craft! Little Explorers will learn how to identify different types of seeds!
November: Ocean Animals
November 6: All the Way to the Ocean
Sit around for a story 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, reuse, and recycle the amount of daily items we use and avoid our oceans and take home a fun upcycled craft! Little Explorers learn how littering affects life in the ocean and what they can do to help. Participants will use large motor skills for the activity and craft.
November 13: Fussy Flamingo
Discover how a young flamingo who will not eat shrimp discovers a variety of fruit that changes the color of her feathers. Explorers will discover what a flamingo should eat and take home a fun and colorful craft. Little Explorers learn what a flamingo eats and how their feathers change colors based on their diet. Participants will learn a song and use large motor skills and color matching for a craft.
November 20: Oopies Otter
Join us in following our Oopsie Otter and all her 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! Little Explorers learn all about how otters act in the wild and why. Participants will use large motor skills for the activity and craft.
November 27: The Rainbow Fish
Swim on over and hear the story of a beautiful fish who loves to share his beauty with other ocean friends! Our Little Explorers will learn about varying colors between fish species and how to treat people with kindness. We will share and get to see the beautiful colors under the sea!
December: Where Animals Live
December 4: At Home with the Gopher Tortoise
Little Explorers will get to hear about one of Florida’s keystone species, the Gopher Tortoise! Explorers will at an adventure and learn how and why these wonderful creatures are important to the survival of many other native animals. They are essential and important to the survival of around 360 native species. Little Explorers will learn what their burrows look like, why they dig them, and what other animals use them!
December 11: A House for Hermit Crab
Come and hang out while we all read about a hermit crab that decorates its shell! We will learn how he can blend into his 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! Little Explorers learn about new sea creatures and how important it is to make new friends!
December 18: 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. Little Explorers learn about all sorts of animals found in our oceans. Participants will use large motor skills for the activity and craft.
December 25: Nature Center Closed
January: Native Florida Animals
January 8: Bear Crossing
Grab your hiking boots today, we are out and about. Little Explorers will be hiking our trails as we look for signs of bears! Explorers will paint bear tracks and compare them to their own handprint! We can bear-ly wait for you to join us! Little Explorers learn all about the signs of black bears in the wild, what they eat, what their tracks look like, and even bear scat. Explorers also make observations of other plants, animals, and insects along the way!
January 15: Alligator Chomp
Let’s all chomp down as we learn about what an alligator is going to eat in the Everglades! We will make an awesome alligator craft and even learn a fun new dance. We will learn about alligators by reading a book about what they might eat. The book will help with counting, as it is a counting book. The activity will focus on pattern skills with repetitive versus!
January 22: Mary the Manatee
We will join Mary today and watch as she raises her calf, Mikey, by teaching him all about safety in the ocean. She shows him how to navigate the sea, look for food in the waterways, and avoid any dangerous boats and propellers. On the way, Mikey meets a new friend, and he gets separated from his mother. Will he find his way back to Mom? Little Explorer will learn about one of Florida's marine mammals and some of the dangers they have to face in the wild!
January 29: Sea Turtle Tales
Come and take an adventure with Gary and Harry the sea turtles, and learn all about the effects pollution has on Florida’s sea turtles. After our adventure, we’ll visit our Patch Reef tank and get to know other friends living in the reef! Little Explorers learn all about sea turtles’ diet and the effects ocean pollution has on them!
February: Bugs and all that Fly
February 5: Creaky Crickets
Fly on over and learn about our native Florida insects and discover how all of our “creepy” friends are actually super cool! 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. Little Explorers learn to match bugs with different traits and characteristics!
February 12: I Love Bugs
Crawl, creep, fly, or hop on over the see which bugs fly, crawl, and jump like us! We will inspect why bugs are an important part of our environment and our little helpers! Little Explorers will get to do fun bug activities and make a bug craft of their very own pet bug. Little Explorers learn about basic insect identification and behaviors.
February 19: Flight of the Eagles
Learn all about Eagles! In today’s reading, everyone will learn about Eagles and their different adaptations, life stages, and how they grow into their iconic coloration with a white head and brown body. Little Explorers will learn new facts about Eagles while using binoculars and getting to view them up close via webcam. We will get to assemble our own Eagle Nest and learn how they grow larger over time.
February 26: Bugs Bugs Bugs
Bring all your Little Explorers to learn about bees and butterflies. Find out how both flying insects differ, 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. Little Explorers learn how bees communicate and what symmetry means!
March: Why We Love Our Planets and their Colors
March 5: 8 Little Planets
Let’s blast off to the stars with us as we learn about space, our planets, and what makes them each special! Afterwards, we’ll make our own galaxy, complete with your own stars and planets! Your Little Explorers will get to channel their inner astronaut as they voyage through space! They will learn fun facts about each planet in our solar system!
March 12: Mixed Up Chameleon
Join in on our story of how a chameleon gets all mixed up with his friends by wishing he were one of them, and discover how each animal has its own unique talents! Explorers will design their own mixed-up and silly. Little Explorers learn different adaptations chameleons have that help them survive.
March 19: If I were a Tree
Come and take a journey into the trees and use all five senses! We will use these senses to discover how life is supported by one single tree can support! We’ll then go out in nature and use our own senses to connect with one of the great trees we have here at the Conservancy. The Little Explorers will get to enjoy a morning outdoors as we read our story under the shade of a tree’s canopy, using their senses to explore the environment around them.
March 26: Why Should I Recycle?
Come and learn the importance of why all of our friends 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. Your Little Explorers will get the chance to hear a story about why it is important to be mindful of how we dispose of our garbage. After the story, they will practice how to determine what trash goes in the garage and what belongs in the recycling bin through a categorizing activity. Then, children will get to test their creative skills by using recycled materials to create their own set of binoculars to take home with them.
April: Spring is Here
April 2: Pitter Patter
Drop by to learn about two raindrops that travel through the water cycle. They meet lots of pals along the way while sharing their adventure of what it is like to be in the water cycle. We will create our own raindrop story in this Little Explorers program. Little Explorers will learn about the water around our world by reading the story Pitter and Patter and the journey of two raindrops traveling through different environments. After learning about where water can go in our world, members will participate in an activity, creating their own raindrop story in the environment of their choosing.
April 9: I Am Earth
Come along on our adventure as we explore the wonders of our planet through the story "I Am Earth: A Mindfulness for Kids Story." Little Explorers will engage in fun activities like standing tall like a tree, listening to the sounds around them, and feeling the earth beneath their feet. Through this engaging story, children will learn to connect with nature and understand our Earth in a new way!
April 16: Let it Rain
Put on your raincoat and best rubber boots to get ready, as our story takes us from rainy spring to a bright and happy summer! Join all of our friends to celebrate summer coming and learn how rain helps our Florida habitats. Little Explorers will learn about the transition from spring to summer and why rain is important.
April 23: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Come hungry for learning and join our Very Hungry Caterpillar as they go through a special transformation called metamorphosis. Our caterpillar is ready to munch and crunch on our snacks before taking a big nap! Come learn what this very hungry caterpillar eats before turning into a beautiful butterfly. Little Explorers will learn why the caterpillar needs to eat so much--- to grow into a butterfly and spread their wings!
April 30: We Are All Connected – Final Little Explorers program for the season
Let’s celebrate our wonderful connection to one another! Join us for our last Little Explorers for the season, as the Little Explorers learn all about the ways we can lift up each other and protect our planet. All Little Explorers will be planting seeds to take home and help our planet.
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 talk
Saturdays at 10:00 am
Meet our exhibit alligators and learn more about them in a specialized talk about these native reptiles.
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.
