Zionsville Nature Center

09/11/2026

This month’s Toddler Trek was all about turtles, but of course we had to stop and observe all of the fun nature finds at Carpenter Nature Preserve! 🐢🦋🐛

Join us next month as we explore Fall Leaves at Turkey Foot Park on October 23rd! 🍁

09/11/2026

The Zionsville Nature Center will close at 1 pm today. We apologize for the inconvenience.

We hope to see you at Fall Festival Parade. Look for the Creekstomper and the green aliens!

09/11/2026

Due to Fall Festival, the Nature Center will be closed tomorrow, Saturday, September 12. Keep an eye out for our staff in the parade!👽👩‍🚀

09/09/2026

🌿 Meet Our New Naturalist! 🌿

We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of our team, Erika Koepfer to the Zionsville Nature Center. Erika brings a deep love for the outdoors and plenty of excitement for our community programs. To help everyone get to know Erika, we sat down and asked her a few fun questions:

What inspired you to become a Naturalist?
I grew up in Florida where I spent a lot of my childhood out on the water learning about sea animals and the ecosystems they live in. This love of nature and learning has carried over to every job I’ve had whether I worked as a birdskeeper or paleontology educator. I’m so excited to learn more at the Nature Center and play a bigger role in the Zionsville Community!

What is your go-to snack to pack for a long day out in the park?
All food is good food, but if I had to pick, I’d say Sun Chips! You can’t go wrong with them.

What is your favorite season and way to spend it?
I love fall and getting to see all of the leaves change color. 🍂Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I’m always trying to find a new fun costume to wear. Pop by the Nature Center if you have any ideas I can use!

What is a "weird" nature fact that lives rent-free in your head?
Some birds eat rocks called “gastroliths” to help grind up food in their stomach. This behavior goes all the way back to long necked dinosaurs who have been found with gastrolith fossils!

What are you most excited about doing here at the Zionsville Nature Center?
I’m excited to share our nature center and parks with the community! It’s been a blast getting acquainted with the personalities of our turtles, snakes, and amphibians and I can’t wait to share the fun.

Drop a comment below to give Erika a warm welcome, and make sure to say hello the next time you see her at the Zionsville Nature Center or out in our parks.

09/08/2026

The Nature Center will be closed until 2:00 pm tomorrow, September 9 for a private homeschool group program and an all-staff meeting. We apologize for any inconvenience!

09/01/2026

Did you hear? We’re expanding our Preschool Environmental Education Program series (PEEPs) this fall! We’re still offering our traditional three-week, Thursday morning series, and we have 5 spots remaining for our September series, all about Animal Superpowers! 👇🐢🐍https://zionsvillein.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29986

But that’s not all! We’re also introducing Pop-Up PEEPs on select Wednesday mornings. These one-day programs will focus on a single nature theme and invite preschoolers and their caregivers to dive into hands-on play, outdoor exploration, and nature discovery.
https://zionsvillein.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30142

08/27/2026

🐦Birdwatching is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the country!
Join a Naturalist to learn the benefits of birding, then take a short walk to Elm Street Green to see which birds we can see and hear.
Wrap up the evening with light snacks and a refreshing craft b**r from Klooz Brewz. on the COhatch patio while chatting with fellow nature enthusiasts. Whether you're an experienced birder or simply curious about local wildlife, this unique evening is the perfect blend of education, nature, and socializing.
📆 Thursday, September 3
📍 Zionsville COhatch
⏰6:00 - 8:00 pm

Register TODAY https://zionsvillein.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30140

🐦Birdwatching is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the country!

Join a Naturalist to learn the benefits of birding, then take a short walk to Elm Street Green to see which birds we can see and hear.

Wrap up the evening with light snacks and a refreshing craft b**r from Klooz Brewz. on the COhatch patio while chatting with fellow nature enthusiasts. Whether you're an experienced birder or simply curious about local wildlife, this unique evening is the perfect blend of education, nature, and socializing.

📆 Thursday, September 3
📍 Zionsville COhatch
⏰6:00 - 8:00 pm

Register at https://zionsvillein.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30140

08/25/2026

We're playing with water this Saturday at Naturally Messy: Splish, Splash & Squish ! We'll explore the creek looking for animals, splash and squish in sensory bins, and experiment with tubes, funnels, and more! 🐸💧

We still have several spots open! Register here: https://zionsvillein.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30117

08/22/2026

The Trailhopper is all set up at Elm Street Green for Discover Your Backyard: Art in Nature! 🌿🎨

Stop by from 10 AM–12 PM to create nature-inspired chalk art, build your own bug, or go on a color scavenger hunt! ☀️

08/21/2026

This spring, volunteers from our spring Indiana Master Naturalist course helped us remove invasive plants from a garden bed outside of Hussey-Mayfield Public Library. A couple weeks later, kids in our Junior Indiana Master Naturalist program worked with volunteers from Boone County Invasives Cooperative to plant a native garden in the same place. And now? Monarch caterpillars hosting on our milkweed! If you plant native plants, native species will come! 🪴