Forest Friends at Blackacre Nature Preserve

09/04/2026

Oh, how we wished we could have been little duckies swimming in a pond this week, but our Forest Friends were extra thankful for shady places to explore and plenty of ways to cool off at Blackacre State Nature Preserve And Historic Homestead .💦🦆

Our Sprouts counted ducks, conquered the hay maze and made duck puppets, while our Seedlings discovered tree nuts, fed the cows, explored Froggy Forest and learned about water and evaporation.

Snakeskins, inchworms, sprinklers and lots of outdoor learning…just another week at Forest Friends. 🌳💚

08/28/2026

It was a BIG first week back in the forest! 🌿💚

Our Forest Friends are officially back, and Little Sprouts and Little Seedlings wasted no time exploring, creating and learning outside.

🌱 Little Sprouts turned sticks into learning tools, practicing writing, addition and building shapes. They also built a bug hotel and painted special sticks to help decorate their classroom.
🌱Little Seedlings learned what makes a forest a forest and how we can observe and respect the nature around us. They gathered treasures from the forest floor to make their own forest crowns, read We Walk Through the Forest and then did just that!

And what did we find along the way?
Spiders, snakeskin, mushrooms and even a fuzzy caterpillar! 🐛🍄🕷️

Not bad for week one.😊 We can’t wait to see what our little Forest Friends discover next!

08/25/2026

GOAT RACES?!🐐💨 Yes, they’re back!
We’re sending off our summer Farm Animal Feeding season with one BIG morning on the preserve this Saturday!

Admission includes:
•Goat Races (yes, really!)
•Farm Animal Feeding
•Hayrides
•Live music by Plum Ridge
•Living history demonstrations

Plus even more family fun: barrel train rides, corn husk doll making, face painting, concessions & more!

Pioneer Day at Blackacre: Farm Animal Feeding Summer Finale
Saturday, August 29 | 9:30 AM–Noon
Gates open at 9:00 AM
$20 per carload

Load up the car and don’t miss the finale! More details at VisitBlackacre.org.💚

08/10/2026

Preserve the Future: Help expand & protect Blackacre for generations to come. Learn More → WHAT'S HAPPENING Upcoming Events View Full Calendar Historic House Tours SUNDAYS, JUNE 7 – AUG 9THURSDAYS, JULY 23 & 30 and AUGUST 61:00 PM-4:00 PM LEARN MORE → Sunset Music Series: V-Groove AUGUST 235:...

06/29/2026

Four weeks. Countless discoveries. Endless fun.💚

Our Little Sprouts Summer Camp has come to an end, and what an incredible adventure it has been!

From woodland adventures and bug encounters to farm fun and splashy water play, our Little Sprouts packed four weeks full of curiosity, laughter, and hands-on nature discovery.

A huge thank you to all of our amazing Little Sprouts and their families for sharing your summer with us. Watching these young explorers grow in confidence, curiosity, and a love for the outdoors has been such a joy.💚

🍂 Want more adventures? Our Little Sprouts program returns this fall!
Registration is open now at VisitBlackacre.org. We can’t wait to welcome a new season of little explorers!

06/03/2026

Fall Forest Friends enrollment is now open! 🍂🌿

Get ready for a season of creek adventures, animal visits, nature discoveries, stories, songs, and plenty of outdoor play at Blackacre!

🌱Little Seedlings (caregiver + child)
🌿Little Sprouts (drop-off program)

Programs begin the week of August 24.

Spaces are limited and tend to fill quickly!
Details and Registration at VisitBlackacre.org

Preserve the Future: Help expand & protect Blackacre for generations to come. Learn More → WHAT'S HAPPENING Upcoming Events View Full Calendar Farm Animal Feeding MAY 169:30 AM – 10:30 AM LEARN MORE → Food Preservation: Water Bath & Pressure Canning MAY 161:00 PM-5:00 PM LEARN MORE → Food P...

05/26/2026

Beep beep...we have some special visitors rolling into Story Time this week! 🚓🚒

Join us as we learn all about our community helpers while getting an up-close look at a real police car and firetruck! Your little ones can explore, learn, and meet some real-life heroes!

Story Time at Blackacre
Wednesday, May 27 | 10 AM (gate opens at 9:30)
$5 per carload

Details at VisitBlackacre.org!

05/23/2026

Our final week of Little Seedlings was full of sweet memories, muddy boots, and big imaginations.💛🌿

We talked about our favorite parts of forest school… bugs, mud, splashing, and feeding the cows! We tested boats in the creek, cooled off in the water, enjoyed popsicles, hid rubber duckies around the Nature Center, and searched for muddy puddles.

What a beautiful season of little adventures, friendships, and stories we’ll never forget. 💦

05/22/2026

Our Little Sprouts graduates celebrated with creek adventures, games, exploring the floating dock, feeding the fish, and of course…popsicles!🍦🐟☀️

Thank you to all the wonderful families who spent the season learning, exploring, and growing with us at Blackacre. We loved every muddy boot, tiny hand, and special memory along the way. 🌱

05/15/2026

Bug hunts, camouflage, and new friendships along the way 🐞🌿🤍
This week, our Little Seedlings became tiny nature detectives as they learned all about bugs and insects. We searched for creepy crawlies, examined what we found, and discovered that insects have 6 legs while spiders have 8.
Our Little Sprouts explored how animals blend perfectly into their surroundings and even practiced their own camouflage skills. Can you spot them hiding? 👀🌿
And somewhere between the bug hunts and nature walks, sweet friendships continued to bloom. Seeing little hands held tightly together might just be our favorite part of the week.💛