Upcoming Ski Dedication

Join us in celebrating our donors on December 13th at 3:00pm for a dedication ceremony and unveiling of the Nature Center's brand new cross country skis, poles, and boots!

We want to thank Karen Herreid and Belita Schindler for their generous donations to our ski program. Karen Herreid donated in memory of Rick Herreid, who liked to ski at the Nature Center. Belita Schindler donated in memory of Dr. Richard Schindler, and has donated in his memory for years to keep our ski rental prices for kids a low price of $1 per rental.

Join us on December 13th for hot chocolate and skiing (weather permittting)!

Give to the Max Results

On behalf of the staff, we are thankful to you all for donating to and participating in 2023's Give to the Max Day. We received $1,378 in donations; all of which support free programming, equipment rental, summer adventure programs, our Sola Fide Observatory, and more.

This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for each and every one of you! Thank you.

Planetarium Open House and 6th Grade Wrap-up

6th graders had an out-of-this-world experience this November in our brand new planetarium! 6th graders learned about all planets in the solar system, constellations and stories, and distances from each planet in our solar system during a star walk and our indoor planetarium showing. 6th graders even learned about navigation and compasses by participating in a woodland orienteering course.

We also want to thank everyone for coming out the Nature Center on November 18th for our planetarium open house! We had over 200 visitors get to explore space with us for free.

We are hoping to host more planetarium events in the future (a couple a year) so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Events like this would not be possible without funding from the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center and the generous donations that they receive. Check (and follow) their Facebook page for all details regarding the great work the Friends do to support us!

Cross Country Ski Team for Grades 7-12 is open for Registration

Calling all athletes and winter buffs! Looking for something fast paced and fun to do during your off-season to keep in shape? Cross-country skiing is a great winter sport for all athletic abilities. Cross-country skiing is especially beneficial for cross-country and track runners as a winter training sport.

• You do not need to know how to ski.
• You do not need any of your own skiing equipment.
• Boots, skis, and poles will be provided.
• $40 per participant for the ski season.
• Register online starting Monday, December 4.
• There will be a minimum number of participants required to run the program, you will be refunded if we cancel the program due to low numbers. 
• Participants of ski team will get free ski rentals during the entire ski team season so they can come out and practice during our open hours on their own. 

 ​Dates & Times

• Practice Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00—5:00 p.m. Fridays are make-up days. 
• Jan. 16 through Feb. 22.—start and end dates are dependent on snow conditions. 

Upcoming Events

December 4th (Mon)

• Registration for Ski Club opens

December 7th (Thurs)

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

• Merry and Bright Night

December 8th (Fri)

7:00 pm

• Astronomy Club Meeting

December 13th (Wed)

3:00 pm

• Ski Dedication

December 18th

11:00 am - 7:00 pm

• Blood Drive

The Interpretive Center will be CLOSED on December 24th and 25th

Volunteer Opportunities

• Staff the Interpretive Center — There are always days that we are looking for help, specifically on the weekends. Fill out our volunteer contact form and we will add you to our email list. 
• Tours — Give tours driving one of our electric vehicles along the Nature Center trails.​
• Combat Invasive Species — Learn to identify and remove buckthorn, honeysuckle, and other invasive species.
• Animal transport — Bring birds of prey to and from the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus.