Qigong: Movement & Mindfulness
2024-09-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-09-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-09-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-09-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-01 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Tuesdays, August 27 through October 1 | 10:00AM – 11:00AM | Nature Center
Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice that combines gentle, slow, and powerful movements with breath, self-massage, and meditation to bring multiple benefits at physical and emotional levels. Qi means internal life force energy and gong is work or skill. Qigong moves and works with internal energy to facilitate health, wellness, and calm.
AnaMaría Carrillo has personally practiced Qigong and Tai Chi for many years and is certified to teach both. Her certifications include Holden Qigong (200 hours Tier 1 Teacher), Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader, and Satori Qigong-Flow Form. AnaMaria has been teaching group and individual classes both in person and virtually in Shaker Heights and Beachwood for 5 years. She can be contacted at carrillo.anama@gmail.com
The emphasis of the class at the Shaker Nature Center will be on Qigong and will be suited for people of all ages and skill levels. No special equipment or clothing is necessary although comfortable clothes are preferred. Participants will learn:

Proper alignment and posture

Breath

Tapping and stretching to stimulate adequate blood and energy flow

Gentle, easy to learn and practice flows to benefit body, mind, and emotions

Simple, yet powerful, coordination of breath and movement to maximize benefits

Basic self-massage

Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/Ppc8D7

Fall Bird Banding
2024-09-04 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-06 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-09 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-11 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-13 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-16 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-18 07:30 - 11:00, 2024-09-20 07:30 - 11:00 and 5 more dates | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Meet Julie West at the table near the right side of the driveway to observe migratory birds as they are banded. Generally, the timing is around 30 minutes after sunrise and goes until 12PM. Weather permitting. Free. All ages and abilities welcome.

A “Dazzle” by David Rankin: A Transparent Watercolor Demonstration
2024-09-05 18:30 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Thursday, September 5 | 6:30PM-8PM | Nature Center
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes invites you to a special event:
A “Dazzle” by David Rankin: A Transparent Watercolor Demonstration
Join us Thursday, September 5th, as nationally known watercolor and wildlife artist, David Rankin creates one of his masterful paintings. As David says, the distinctive and elegant blends coupled with the translucent washes of watercolor allow artists to create magical visual effects that bring subjects to life. With David’s use of a strong, dramatic color palette and excellent design he is widely recognized as one of the very best. Join us as David dazzles us with watercolor. Q&A at end of demonstration. Free. Registration required.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/ZlJSBw

Paint the Grandeur of Winter with David Rankin
2024-09-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Friday, September 6 – Sunday, September 8 | 10AM-4PM | Nature Center
Join David for a 3-day transparent watercolor workshop where you will paint Fall and Winter images. As the trees still glow with the last remnants of the fall color palette, they make way for stark and dramatic winter colors. The forest, gradually losing its leaves and vegetation, exposes its underlying structure. Its grandeur is made increasingly stark and enchanting with the arrival of snow. David Rankin, a master of transparent watercolor, will share the techniques he uses to capture the grandeur of winter.
This hands-on workshop will run from September 6-September 8 from 10AM to 4PM each day. $350/person for this 3-day workshop. Supply list will be sent upon registration.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/davidrankin24

Container Gardening Workshop
2024-09-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Fall Container Gardening Workshop with Meadow City Nursery
Tuesday, September 10th, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
No yard, no problem!
Many native plants thrive in outdoor planters, where they can still provide food for birds and pollinators. In this hands-on workshop, we will put together a container garden with three native plants, which can live on a porch, a balcony, or in your yard.
Included in the cost of the program are:
Your choice of planter/bring your own planter (see below)
Growing media to fill planter
Your choice of 3 native plants (in 4″ pots)
Guidance/materials on plant selection and maintenance

Choose your planter (photos below): Wooden whiskey barrel planter, black fabric planter (can stand alone or be placed inside a larger decorative planter), or bring your own. If you bring your own planter, we recommend one with a minimum diameter of 15″ and with drainage holes.

If you are planning to use a ceramic pot, choose a high-quality glazed pot with a wide opening and tapered base. This gives water space to expand when frozen and reduces the risk of your pot cracking over the winter. Terra cotta pots are particularly susceptible to cracking.

REGISTER: https://givebutter.com/Ve5XD2

$45-$65 per person, depending on planter chosen. Registration required.
Thank you to our partner Meadow City Nursery!

Ballet Under the Trees & 25% off Duck Pond Ice Cream
2024-09-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Enjoy an evening of performances under the tree canopy on locations throughout our trails. (RESCHEDULED!)
Activities include:

Captivating roaming ballet performances by talented City Ballet of Cleveland students – all free to the public to enjoy! Performances start at 6 PM

25% off Duck Pond Ice Cream
(Please note: Unfortunately, Good Times Food Truck will NOT be able to attend the new scheduled date as previously planned for in August!)

Support for Summer Wednesday’s is provided by the Nord Family Foundation

Art on View: Up A Creek
2024-09-13 17:30 - 19:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
UP A CREEK
Cleveland Institute of Art Current & Former Students
Opening reception: Friday, September 13 | 5:30–7PM | Nature Center
A collection of work by current and former students (DeAnne Smith ’24, Tamsyn Kuehnert ’24, Jamie Brinker ’25, and Lilly Ross ’25) at the Cleveland Institute of Art that examines the range of complex relationships humans have with the environment. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, the Fenn Educational Fund, and the G.R. Lincoln Family Foundation. Prints will not be available for purchase.

Family Fishing Day
2024-09-14 09:00 - 14:00 | Ohio
Every year Doan Brook Watershed Partnership hosts Family Fishing Day at Rockefeller Lagoon. This free event is an opportunity for people of all ages and experience levels to enjoy a day of fishing and watershed education. Children, senior citizens and veterans will receive a free fishing rod while supplies last, and Cleveland Metroparks Youth Outdoors staff will be onsite to provide fishing instruction. This venue is wheelchair accessible, and we welcome participants of all abilities.
Event Details:
Where: Rockefeller Lagoon, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Cleveland, OH
When: Saturday, September 14th from 9am-2pm.*
Parking: You can park in the VA Parking Garage (1606 E 105th St, Cleveland, OH 44106) on levels 3 and 4.
All experience levels welcome, no fishing license necessary! For questions, please contact us at: info@doanbrookpartnership.org

LEARN MORE & REGISTER https://doanbrookpartnership.org/event/family-fishing-day/

*Please note: this date has been changed from our original print date of Saturday, August 3 | 9AM–2PM | Rockefeller Lagoon in Nature Notes

Hike & Run 2024
2024-09-15 08:00 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join us for the 20th Anniversary of Hike & Run!
This beloved event benefits environmental education and promotes health and wellness while celebrating the Shaker Parklands. Partial proceeds also support the Jenny Goldman Memorial Nature Outreach Fund, which underwrites our Environmental Educator in Residence program that provides environmental education for hundreds of Cleveland school children each year.
The Hike & Run was created in memory of Jenny Goldman. Jenny was a budding young naturalist who loved and spent a great deal of time at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes as a devoted volunteer. Sadly, Jenny, a Shaker Heights resident, passed in a tragic car accident in 2004. Jenny’s wondrous spirit, joy for nature, and dedication to diversity live on through the Jenny Goldman Fund, which underwrites the Environmental Educator in Residence program at the Nature Center. The program provides free environmental education for under-served urban youth.
Run: 5k or 10k road race with chip timing and awards on a beautiful course around Shaker Lakes. The 1 Mile Run/Walk will be chip-timed and use the streets the of the 5k/10k course
Nature Center members receive $5 off registration.
REGISTER: https://runsignup.com/ShakerLakesHikeAndRun
MORE INFORMATION: https://shakerlakes.org/hikerun/

Online Fall Perennial Fundraiser
2024-09-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Ohio
Now through Friday, September 20.
Native gardens & perennials delivered to your doorstep just in time for fall planting. Beautify your yard, attract pollinators, and plant low-maintenance pre-designed or build your own garden through our fall online sale for delivery with My Home Park. Choose delivery throughout the month of September – prime fall planting time! Thanks to My Home Park, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes receives a portion of all proceeds from this sale.
Members receive $5 off! Contact cara@shakerlakes.org for the code. All orders over $150 ship free.
SHOP NOW: https://www.myhomepark.com/shaker-lakes-fall-perennial-sale-2024

Intro to Yoga Workshop - Two Day Workshop
2024-09-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Saturdays, September 21and September 28 | 10:30AM – 12:00PM | Nature Center
If you have ever thought about starting a mindfulness practice like yoga but don’t know where to start, this beginner’s workshop series is for you!
This workshop is for those new to yoga and interested in starting a regular practice or for those who have been away from their yoga practice and want to begin again. You will learn the basics of yoga to cultivate a fun, safe and rewarding yoga practice.
You’ll leave this workshop series with the confidence to take classes in any setting. We will explore both the mental and physical aspects of meditation, breathing techniques, and foundational yoga poses. You will receive personalized attention and receive customized yoga pose variations to make you feel comfortable in the shape.
You do not need to be young, athletic and/or flexible enough to twist your body into pretzel shapes to practice and fall in love with yoga. You just need to be willing to show up, breathe and move.
The program will be taught by Cari Hickerson and Kathy Hayes, both certified yoga teachers who have more than 15 years combined teaching experience. Both are currently instructors at Yoga Roots in Cleveland Heights and are residents of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. Kathy has taught in Michigan, Florida and Switzerland and currently volunteers leading Yoga for Fire Fighters locally. She also leads the outdoor summer yoga program in Shaker Heights. Cari is an evolutionary ecologist at John Carroll University and has been teaching yoga for 4.5 years at Yoga Roots. Cari has incorporated the practice of yoga in her biology classes to help students cope with test anxiety. Cari also enjoys teaching outdoor yoga when the Cleveland weather corporates.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/Tdp8r1

Community Swap Event
2024-09-21 13:00 - 16:00 | Shaker Heights Public Library, 16500 Van Aken Blvd, Shaker Heights, 44120, United States
at Shaker Heights Public Library
Saturday, September 21 | 1:00pm-4:00pm | Shaker Heights Public Library
Back by popular demand, the Shaker Community Swap Meet returns! This “no-buy” event brings neighbors together to give and receive clothes, appliances, tools, home decor, and more in a sustainable and charitable way! Drop in any time between 1pm and 4pm to browse.
If you’re looking to do a little spring cleaning in an earth-friendly way and have items you’d like to give away at the Community Swap Meet, sign up for a table here: https://forms.gle/5fhnivS51QZJpn6G8
For more information, visit SHPL’s website: https://events.shakerlibrary.org/event/12740551

National Public Lands Day
2024-09-28 10:00 - 13:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is teaming up with the Sustainability Committee of the City of Shaker Heights and Doan Brook Watershed Partnership in sponsoring a native planting and invasive plant control event at our Grow not Mow Site #2 on the corner of South Park Boulevard and Lee Road in honor of National Public Lands Day. This parcel is located in the floodplain of the Doan Brook, and we are working to restore and enhance biodiversity in this area to make it a better habitat for pollinators, wildlife, and people. Our plantings will also help to absorb and filter stormwater runoff and prevent soil erosion.
Please bring gloves, and sturdy footwear for planting trees/pulling invasives and dress for the weather, rain or shine. Tools will be provided. Team leaders will show volunteers how to plant our native species of trees and shrubs as well as how to remove invasives. All ages welcome!
Learn more and register https://shakerlakes.org/volunteer/
Sponsored by

Trekking Together: Hike with GirlTrek Cleveland
2024-09-29 16:00 - 17:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Select Sundays: September 29, October 27, November 24 | 4:00PM – 5:00PM | Nature Center
Join Jo Rattliff of GirlTrek Cleveland for our monthly Sunday evening hikes as we enjoy the changing of the seasons while trekking the beautiful trails of Shaker Parklands and the surrounding neighborhood. Enjoy the crisp air, leaves turning, sounds of flowing water, evening bird calls, and much more, all while moving your body. The trail will be of natural surfaces (paved and dirt trails) and sidewalk. Come rain or shine. All are welcome to join us for a fun-filled evening in nature. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
Learn more about GirlTrek here: GirlTrek.org
Registration Link: https://shakerlakes.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewActivitySpaceAvailable.aspx?OrgKey=4283&CategoryID=27739
