The mission of Annie’s BIG Nature Lesson (ABNL) is to immerse children, teachers, and parents in the beauty and wonder of the natural world; to engage them in authentic scientific investigations through observing the local ecology, drawing, and writing; to nurture citizens who value and protect natural resources; and to build school-community partnerships that inspire responsible environmental stewardship.

Annie’s BIG Nature Lesson is a study trip that spans five consecutive days at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Teachers and Students immerse themselves in learning for a full week on site through Expert Lessons with a KNC educator, teacher-led activities that reinforce Expert Lesson themes, and independent observation to encourage personal curiosity.

Each day, participants will spend their school day at the KNC learning, hiking, and exploring. There will be a daily Expert Lesson taught by a KNC educator. Teachers will meet with the ABNL coordinator to pick their Expert Lesson topics for each day about two weeks before their visit. The KNC will provide Teacher-led activities to be completed outside of the Expert Lesson to reinforce themes and topics. The remainder of your day will be spent doing journal observations, hiking, or simply playing outside. Teachers are encouraged to bring other activities and lessons from their classroom to connect with themes at the KNC.

Due to capacity limitations, we are only able to accommodate 2 groups (a maximum of 60 students total) each week. 

We continue to seek funding to provide the ABNL experience to you for the lowest price possible. This year we are offering this experience for FREE to schools.

Please select "view events by date" below to choose your preferred week. 

Enter "1" in the quantity field to begin the registration process.