05/31/2026
June Naturalist's Programs at McCormick's Creek!
Offered Every Sunday (Except June 14th)
10:30 am: Turtle Feeding- Come see our local red-eared slider hunt for fish. This program is held at the Canyon Inn.
2 pm: Cold Blooded Buffet – Hop and slither to the Nature Center to see our resident reptiles chow down on bugs and mice. Learn cool facts about Indiana's native amphibians and reptiles.
Monday, June 1st
2 pm: Aquatic Wonder-Macroinvertebrates- (Hike) There are worlds that exist that are hard for us to see. Let’s grab a pair of rubber boots to look at our macro-invertebrate world. Meet in front of the Canyon Inn to begin our hike to the waterfall to look for tiny insects with Naturalist Jessica. This hike has stairs down into the canyon. Today we will learn how rock stacking can impact the ecology of aquatic insects and the salamanders that eat them.
Thursday, June 4th
11 am- 12 pm: Curiosity Hike- (Hike) What is out there? Our world is full of critters just waiting to be found. Join Naturalist Kaitlyn on Trail 9 to find some animals. This hike is an easy 1.2 miles long.
2 pm: Life Under Foot- (Hike) Meet Naturalist Jessica in front of the Nature Center to take a hike through Wolf Cave Nature Preserve to learn what salamanders are hiding beneath the soil. This hike is 2.8 miles round trip with the option to go through Wolf Cave.
Friday, June 5th
11 am: Nature Journaling- (Observation) Join us on a short hike on our new echo canyon trail and work on some art together. This hike will focus on taking it slow and enjoying the small things in life. This hike begins at the Nature Center.
4 pm: Turtle Trot- (Live Animals) Eastern Box Turtles will travel up to a mile to find a mate. It is imperative turtles have access to large amounts of land to wonder around and have fun. Come meet some of our animal ambassadors at the Canyon Inn front lawn.
Saturday, June 6th
11 am: Mine Your Craft- (Craft) This fun Minecraft themed program will allow you to gain knowledge about rocks and minerals in Indiana. We will put your crafting to the test while creating a pixel art mineral or rock block. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Program will be held in the Nature Center.
2 pm: Fossil Discovery and Geology Hike- (Hike) Take a trip back in time to when Indiana was an ocean floor! Learn about ancient creatures from the skeletons they left behind in the limestone. Join DNR Kaitlyn on a rugged hike on Trail 3. We will scrabble through rocks in the creek to learn about fossils older than dinosaurs and how the canyon was formed and altered over geological history. We begin our 0.8-mile hike in front of the Canyon Inn.
Week 2
Sunday, June 7th
4 pm-4:30 pm: Oh Deer!- (Nature Game) Deer need food, water, and shelter to survive. Carrying capacity limits the number of deer in an area. Play a game to learn this process at the Nature Center.
Monday, June 8th
10 am: Chick-a-Teatime- (Craft) Join Naturalist Jessica at the Nature Center Bird Viewing Room to paint a chickadee while sipping on tea.
2 pm: Bird Beak Lab- (Lab) Birds do not have hands or teeth. How do they eat? With their beaks! Birds’ beaks have adapted to allow them to be specialists in their fields. You will put their beak through difficult tasks like finding food. This lab is held in the program room at the Nature Center.
3 pm-4pm: Animal Evidence- (Hike) You might not see an animal, but you can find evidence that animals live here. Join naturalist Kaitlyn while we look for tracks, homes, s**t, and hides on this easy 1.2-mile-long hike. Meet at Deer Run Shelter to begin.
Thursday, June 11th
10 am-11 am: Stroller Babes: Babes & Birds- (Hike) Learn how to bird while walking with your child in a stroller. Please visit on.IN.gov/mccormickscreek for more information on this hike. This program requires pre-registration by emailing [email protected].
2 pm: Wildflowers at Fire Tower- (Hike & Nature Journaling) Summer prairie flowers are blooming at the Fire Tower. Make your summit to the very top to see the beautiful meadow below and sketch the magical pops of color. Join Volunteer Dinah at the front of Canyon Inn to begin your 1.4 mile with the option to climb the fire tower.
Friday, June 12th
10 am-12 pm: Tea with Trees: Wild Edibles-(Naturalist Station) Drop into the Nature Center anytime between 10 am-12pm to try some native teas that come from the forest.
2 pm: Nature Dye Craft- Explore the world of natural dyes in this fun, free, take-home craft at the Nature Center! Come meet one of our extraordinary volunteers, Dinah Fuller, and create your own natural dyed piece of art to take home.
9 pm: Night Exploration- Come join us for an adventure and a chance to explore our senses and learn about some of our nocturnal animals. We will meet outside the Nature Center for a short walk.
Saturday, June 13th
10 am-12 pm: Come Weave with Me – (Craft) We will meet in the Nature Center Program room to make our very own basket! Limber up those fingers and join the fun with DNR Volunteer Dinah. Best for ages 10 and above.
2 pm: Curiosity Hike- (Hike) What is out there? Our world is full of critters just waiting to be found. Join Naturalist Kaitlyn on Trail 9 to find some animals
Week 3
Sunday, June 14th
No Animal Feeding Programs today!
10 am: Paint Chip Hike - (Hike) With colors in hand, we will search for nature’s palette as we walk. Don’t forget your water bottle. Plan to meet DNR Volunteer Dinah at the Friendly Recreation Shelter Parking Lot.
2 pm-4 pm: Weaving Demonstration- Did you know that weaving has existed since 500 B.C. and we still use this skill today! Come see a weaving demonstration by DNR Volunteer and Fiber Artist Denise Buckingham. Denise will be creating textiles out of spun wool fibers. You see this demonstration in the Nature Center.
Monday, June 15th
10 am: Lovely Lichen- (Hike) On this hike we learn about the symbiotic relationships lichen have with the trees they grow on. Lichen powers the food web in rocky environments like on trial 2. We will be hiking in tornado impact area to learn about lichen. Meet DNR Volunteer Dinah at Friendly Recreation Shelter begin this 1-mile hike.
2-3 pm: Leaf Rubbings- (Craft) Learn how to ID tree leaves with this easy craft to take home. Drop by the naturalist station at the Nature Center anytime between 2-3 pm.
4 pm-4:30 pm: Leaf Pounding Bandanas- (Craft) Trees are using up their stored energy to produce leaves. Come to the Nature Center to hammer the shapes of the forest into a bandana to take home. After a short hike to learn how to identify some common trees by their leaves, we will preserve the leaves on wearable art. The cost of this program is $3.
Thursday, June 18th
10 am- 11 am: Nature Yoga with Babes- This early morning stretch is not your usual yoga. We will use the environment to slow down and connect with the natural world. Babes will get sensory time while you get grounded. Please visit on.IN.gov/mccormickscreek for more information on this hike. This program requires pre-registration by emailing [email protected].
2 pm: Curiosity Hike- (Hike) What is out there? Our world is full of critters just waiting to be found. Join Naturalist Kaitlyn on Trail 9 to find some animals. This hike is an easy 1.2 miles long.
4 pm: Nature’s Band – (Music) Join us for a hike with an opportunity to create music with objects from nature. Great for all ages! Meet DNR Volunteer Dinah at the Nature Center Amphitheater.
Friday, June 19th
10 am-12 pm: Butterfly Feeder- (Craft) Stop by the Nature Center to learn ways you can attract butterflies to your yard. Make a Butterfly Feeder to take home. Cost of this program is $5, must be paid in cash. Craft is best for ages 4 and up.
2 pm-2:30 pm: Pollin Collectors- (Nature Games) Stop by the Canyon Inn Lawn to play a game that teaches you about pollinators! This game uses a food item that contains gluten and milk.
4 pm: Pollination Power! – (Activity) Meet DNR Volunteer Dinah at the Nature Center Amphitheater for a fun challenge and learn more about the role of our friendly pollinators! Good family fun!
Saturday, June 20th
10 am-10:30 am: Hide and Seek Butterflies- (Craft) Meet Kaitlyn at the Nature Center Amphitheater to learn how camouflage helps butterflies go unnoticed. Let’s see if your butterfly can survive a bird’s eye by camouflaging.
Saturday, June 20th
11 am-12 pm: Nature Journals – (Craft) Join DNR Volunteer Dinah in the Nature Center Auditorium to make your very own journal and write or sketch your first entry. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
3-4 pm: Butterfly Symmetry- (Craft) Drop by the Nature Center anytime between 3-4 pm to make a butterfly rubbing with Naturalist Kaitlyn. Learn why butterflies have symmetry and bright colors. Craft takes only a few minutes.
Week 4
Sunday, June 21st
3-4 pm: Wildflowers Seed Bombs- (Craft) Come support your native pollinators by creating a seed bomb to explode pollination joy. This craft will get your hands dirty. Stop by the Nature Center Amphitheater to meet Naturalist Kaitlyn anytime between 3–4 pm to make a seed bomb.
Friday, June 26th
10 am: Wolf Cave Creatures- (Presentation) You will learn how caves are a unique place to live. We will explore how food webs work inside a cave system and how each animal has specialized adaptions to survive where sunlight doesn’t exist. This program is being held in the Nature Center Auditorium.
1-3 pm: Little Wolf Cave- (Outdoor Skills) This is a kid friendly event to learn about survival skills you will need when caving. We will talk about how to properly prepare yourself for your first caving adventure. Be ready to tie knots and to crawl. Drop by the Nature Center anytime between 1-3 pm to explore.
9:30 pm: True Flying Mammals- (Hike) Join the park naturalist to learn about the one and only true flying mammals on this night hike. EEK, while bats seem spooky, they have a great ecological importance. Join us at Deer Run Shelter to hike trail 9. Bring or borrow a red flashlight from us.
Week 5
Saturday, June 27th
2 pm: Paint a Painted Turtle- (Craft) Join Naturalist Kaitlyn at the Nature Center to paint a still life of our native Painted Turtle. This painting class will allow you to sit up close and observe a turtle while painting it. This class is best for ages 10 and up and cost $5.
Sunday, June 28th
4 pm- 4:30 pm: What`s That, Habitat- (Nature Games) What do animal`s want versus need in a habitat? Learn about the environments carrying capacity with this fun interactive game. Join Naturalist Kaitlyn at the Nature Center Amphitheater.
Monday, June 29th
10 am: Mosquitoes Muncher- (Craft) Come create a natural predator of the mosquitoes to help deter them from biting you. This craft is best for ages 6 and up and is held at the Nature Center.
1-2 pm: Bug Communication Game-(Nature Game) Stop in the Nature Center anytime today between 1-2 pm to learn how bugs communicate in this interactive game.
2 pm: Dragonfly Catching- (Hike) Get your water boots on and a net in your hand. We are going to the creek to catch the world`s fast winged predator, dragonflies! Meet Naturalist Jessica at the Canyon Inn lawn to begin this creek hike. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet.
Nature Center Hours:
May-October
Open Daily from 9:30am-5 pm EDT
Upcoming programs can be seen by visiting on.IN.gov/mccormickscreek
Our interpretive programs are designed to entertain and enrich folks of all ages. Children under 12 must have an adult with them at programs.
Registration is not required for programs unless stated. All our programs are free (unless otherwise noted). They are open to the public after paying the park entrance fee.
All our Interpretive programs are listed in Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
*Note that during peak visitation times, entry into our park might be delayed. The drive to the Nature Center can take 5 minutes. Please plan accordingly. *
If you need more information, please call 812-652-4880.
