Nature Center at Shaker Lakes

Winter Warmup: Norma Storer Card Making Workshop
2024-02-02 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Norma Storer makes stunning cards for every occasion- and she’s passing her wealth of knowledge to you! Stop in for this workshop to learn
how to craft cards that you can gift to family and friends, or keep for yourself as a beautiful piece of art. $12 per person.
$10 for members. Registration required: https://givebutter.com/normacards

Winter Wonderland: Recenter and Reset Hikes
2024-01-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Sundays, January 28 & February 25 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Nature Center
Join Jo Rattiliff of GirlTrek Cleveland for our monthly Sunday evening hikes! These special Winter Wonderland Recenter and Reset hikes will highlight the beauty of nature and wildlife and encourages movement and community during the cold winter months. Be sure to bundle up and dress for the weather! In the case of inclement weather, the hike will be cancelled and an email will be sent out. Free. Donations welcome. Learn more about GirlTrek here: GirlTrek.org
Registration required. : https://shakerlakes.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewActivitySpaceAvailable.aspx?OrgKey=4283&CategoryID=27739

Guided Bird Walk - Accessible
2024-01-21 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join a guided walk through the Shaker Parklands looking and listening for birds. The first walk of each month begins on our ADA accessible boardwalk and moves to dirt trails throughout the Parklands. The second walk of each month (marked with an asterisk*) is fully accessible and includes an ASL interpreter. For all hikes, meet in the Nature Center parking lot. Binoculars are available to borrow. Rain or shine. Accessible hikes will be canceled if the paths are covered in snow/ice. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
REGISTER

Seed Sowing Workshop
2024-01-20 12:00 - 14:00 | Ohio
It’s time to start preparing your garden! Winter sowing is an easy and effective way to start seedlings outdoors and look forward to spring. No prior experience necessary. The workshop is great for all ages! Bring your own plastic milk or cider jugs to start your seedlings. $5 per person. Registration required. https://givebutter.com/januarywintersowing

Build-a-Bee Hotel Workshop
2024-01-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Help promote our native pollinators by building your own solitary bee hotel. Join our Natural Resources staff as they guide you through this simple DIY project. You’ll leave with a cedar roofed, wood framed bee hotel and instructions on how to maintain it at home. You may also stain the hotel and pick it up after an overnight drying time.
Solitary bees are harmless and not aggressive, small bees that are important native pollinators. They typically nest individually in old logs or the stems of vegetation, offering them a hotel gives them a safe and secure home where you can watch them thrive. You’ll also get the benefit of bringing pollinators to your garden! One hotel can provide habitat for dozens of these colorful, but often unknown bees.
Join us for this easy workshop, all tools & materials provided! $25 per person. Registration required: https://givebutter.com/janbeehotel

Beginners Yoga Workshop Series
2024-01-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
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. Learn the basics of yoga to cultivate a fun, safe and rewarding yoga practice. This workshop series will help you gain confidence, so you will feel comfortable taking classes in any setting.
We will explore both the mental and physical aspects of meditation, breathing techniques, and foundational yoga poses. Participants will receive personalized attention and receive customized yoga pose variations to make even the tightest person feel comfortable. 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. Simply be willing to show up, breathe, and move.
DATES
Join us Sundays, January 14th, January 21st, and January 28th for a happier, healthier you in 2024. Please note the times for the series below:

January 14th – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
January 21st – 1:30pm – 3:00pm
January 28th – 1:30pm – 3:00pm

PLAN
Wear comfortable clothing that’s easy to move in, bring a notebook if you like to take notes. Bring a water bottle, yoga mat and towel. Most importantly bring an open mind, you CAN do this!
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
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 when the Cleveland weather cooperates.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
https://givebutter.com/beginnersyoga

Animal Care: Snakes
2024-01-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep our animal ambassadors here at the nature center happy and healthy? Join us the second Saturday of every month for a “behind the scenes” look at our animal care program. Each month will highlight a different species. Children 4 & up will be given the opportunity to interact with animal ambassadors. Children 3 & under will be asked to sit with their grown-ups. All presentations will conclude with a feeding demonstration for that species. Registration required. $7 for children 4 and up; no charge for adults and children ages 3 and under. Donations welcome.
Children audience members will be seated on the floor on mats. Adult audience members (and children under 3) will be seated behind them on benches.
Register https://shakerlakes.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewActivitySpaceAvailable.aspx?OrgKey=4283&CategoryID=29963

Winter Warmup: Verbingo with Verbena Free Spirited
2024-01-12 18:00 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Looking for something fun to do with friends and family during Dry January? Join us for the Verbingo you know and love—at the Nature
Center! We’re partnering with Verbena Free Spirited to bring you a night of connecting with others in a healthier, more meaningful way—
and without alcohol. Ticket includes 5 rounds of bingo with prizes, handheld charcuterie cups, and one complimentary drink! $25 per person.
$20 for members. Registration required: https://givebutter.com/verbingo

Guided Bird Walk
2024-01-07 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join a guided walk through the Shaker Parklands looking and listening for birds. The first walk of each month begins on our ADA accessible boardwalk and moves to dirt trails throughout the Parklands. The second walk of each month is fully accessible and includes an ASL interpreter. For all hikes, meet in the Nature Center parking lot. Binoculars are available to borrow. Rain or shine. Accessible hikes will be canceled if the paths are covered in snow/ice. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
REGISTER

Virtual Camp Meeting
2024-01-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Ohio
To help families prepare for camp, we will be hosting three pre-camp registration Zoom meetings. These programs are intended to help answer questions that parents have, walk through the registration process, and (most importantly) get everyone excited for Summer Outdoor Adventure Camp! These will be offered at different times and days to accommodate as many people as possible. Sessions are not mandatory, but attending one is encouraged to familiarize families with camp (even those families that have attended in past years).

Winter Solstice Luminary Walk & Holiday Market
2023-12-15 17:30 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Celebrate nature and the beginning of winter! All are invited to stroll around the illuminated All Peoples’ Trail boardwalk, which is ADA-accessible. Keep warm at a bonfire, in the heated pavilion where there will be warm alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages for sale, or inside at our nature-inspired Holiday Market and Duck Pond Gift Shop. Donations welcome. Market items, food, and beverage available for purchase.
Interested in being a vendor for our holiday market? Contact Nia at turner@shakerlakes.org

Self-Care Sundays
2023-12-10 12:30 - 16:00 | Ohio
Join New Era Cleveland for Self-Care Sundays at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes! Self-Care Sundays serve as a safe space for healing trauma, learning self-love, conflict resolution, yoga, and meditation. Enjoy beginner friendly meditation, yoga, and self-care activities. Registration optional. Classes are offered on a first come, first serve basis. Free to attend!

WINTER WARMUP: Native Seed Documentary Movie Night
2023-12-01 18:00 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join us for a monthly series to get out of the house and warm up indoors at the Nature Center this winter!
Settle in for documentary Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration and discussion led by the Nature Center and Wild Ones Cleveland. Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration is a nine-part video series that explores the native seed supply chain in the western United States. Find more information about the film here: https://ser-insr.org/native-seed-film
This documentary runs for 1hr. Hot chocolate and popcorn will be provided. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/nativeseedsscreening

AutumnFest: Fairy Tales in the Forest
2023-10-07 15:00 - 19:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join us for a magical evening in the forest celebrating the beauty of nature this fall season!
This FREE magical evening in the forest will be held, rain or shine. Activities for all ages and abilities. Food trucks, libation stations, and vendors
will have items available for purchase. Costumes welcomed and encouraged!
Decorate a magic pumpkin, climb the enchanted beanstalk (tree climbing), take a spooktacular evening hike, join the Shaker Library for story
time and wand making, concoct s’mores a the fire breathing dragon pit, make a fairy or gnome home, feast on fairy food at food trucks or grab
witches brew at libation stations.
Don’t forget to stop by the fall perennial sale from 3–5PM.

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Movie Night
2023-08-30 17:00 - 22:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Season Finale: Outdoor Family Movie Night with THE LORAX: 8-10PM
Help us celebrate the end of summer as we close down the Nature Center Parking Lot and turn it into an outdoor movie theater. Bring a chair and enjoy free popcorn with your ticket purchase. Concessions available. $10 adults, $5 children under 12. Rain date: Wednesday, September 6. BUY TICKETS
Mount Granita – Enjoy refreshing handmade Italian Ice made with fresh fruit! 5-10 PM
SPECIAL LIMTED CAPACITY EVENT: Elderberry Tahini Hike and Cooking Demonstration with chef Doug Katz, Dana Harary and Nick Mikash, NCSL Nature Resources Manager. 5:30-7:30 PM
Join Nick Mikash for a short informative hike all about the edible elderberry. Hikers will be split into two groups: one at 5:30 and one at 6PM. Following the hike, guests will join Doug Katz and Dana Harary for an elderberry tahini cooking demonstration and tasting. $25 per ticket, $20 members. BUY TICKETS

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Wine & Cheese Night with Roaming Violinist
2023-08-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Ohio
Join the Nature Center, the Wine Spot, and Marchant Manor for a unique night of wine and cheese tasting. Light hors d’ouvres included. All guests receive a 10 oz commemorative Nature Center tasting cup. Select wine available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Quantities limited. $35 per person, $30 for members. Purchase tickets here: Wine & Cheese Night Tickets
Megan Sullivan, roaming violinist – Come out to visit the Nature Center after work to hit the trails to hear the roaming musician. FREE.
25% off Ice Cream in the Duck Pond 5-8pm

NATURALIST NOTEBOOK: ALL WE CAN SAVE
2023-08-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
This quarter, Naturalist Notebook is discussing All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson. All We Can Save is a collection of essays by women in the forefront of climate activism from around the world, across generations and from multiple perspectives to include scientists, farmers, lawyers, poets etc. Often missing at the table of decision makers, women bring to the table compassion, connection, creativity and collaboration. Now, as time continues to pass, these qualities become even more important. It is a book about our future that leaves you with a touch of hope. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome. Purchase your book at Loganberry Books for a 10% discount.
REGISTER HERE: https://shakerlakes.doubleknot.com/event/naturalist-notebook-discussion-all-we-can-save/2987173

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Yoga, Live Music and Good Times Food Truck
2023-08-16 17:00 - 20:00 | Ohio
Yoga with Cari Hickerson – There’s nothing like feeling zen surrounded by the sounds of nature! Cari will be leading an hour-long yoga class from 6:30-7:30 on the Marsh Overlook deck. Register for this free class here: https://shakerlakes.square.site/product/yoga-in-the-park-with-cari-hickerson/770
Don’t forget to bring your own yoga mat!
Maxwell Stern – Don’t miss the chance to see Cleveland-born indie/alternative artist Maxwell Stern at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes!
Hailing from the post-industrial shores of Cleveland, Ohio, Maxwell Stern has been writing music and touring in various bands since the early 2000s. He has toured the world and released a slew of full-length records with his bands Signals Midwest and Meridian, as well as numerous one-offs and collaborations. His most recent solo release “Impossible Sum”, released September 2020 on Los Angeles’s Lauren Records, binds his traditional introspective lyrics and punk-rock ethos with the connective tissue of folk, alt-country and the Great American Songbook.

Good Times Food Truck 5-8PM – Plan to have dinner at the Nature Center. Get outside and enjoy a serene walk on our trails and then grab a delicious sandwich at the Good Times Food Truck. https://www.goodtimesmobilecatering.com/

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Pup Playdate in the Park
2023-08-09 17:00 - 19:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Bring your furry friends for a Pup Playdate in the Park! Well-behaved, leashed* dogs are encouraged to accompany you for Summer Wednesday this week. We will also have fellow dog lovers, Mason’s Creamery with us serving up your favorite ice cream treats.

*Please no retractable leashes!

BAT NIGHT
2023-08-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Lake View Cemetery , 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OHIO, 44106
Challenge everything you think you know about bats with naturalists from Cleveland Metroparks and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. The naturalists will discuss the amazing lives of the only mammal capable of flight before leading a hike to spot bats in the sky.
The first half of the program will be a presentation about these tiny creatures followed by a walk through the cemetery seeking bats in their natural habitat. Bring your binoculars!
This leisurely hike will be 1-1.5 miles, on paved road that may be hilly or uneven at points and will last roughly 60 minutes.
Registration required. $25 per person.
Register at Overview | Bat Night | Friday, August 04, 2023 | Lake View Cemetery

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Ballet Under the Trees
2023-08-02 18:00 - 19:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Enjoy an evening of dancing under the canopy of trees! Patrons will be delighted by City Ballet of Cleveland’s performance of Carnival of the Animals. The full performance runs approximately 30 minutes. Audience members are then encouraged to explore the grounds of the Nature Center to see excerpts of the performance in unique spaces among the trails.

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Music for Kids & Italian Ice
2023-07-26 17:00 - 20:00 | Ohio
Jump, Jiggle, and Sing with Jane Tomick– Children’s Musician (2-7 ages)
Mount Granita – Enjoy refreshing handmade Italian Ice made with fresh fruit! Mount Granita will be here on the last Wednesday of every month!

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Literary Performers & Larchmere Fire Works
2023-07-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Ohio
Literary Performers– In partnership with Wick Poetry Center, Literary Cleveland will host contributors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Poetic Inventory. This is a collection of writing by local authors about plants and animals in our region. A number of contributors will read their pieces.
Lemonade & Cookie Night – Walk the trails and then enjoy a lemonade and cookie refreshment. Purchases support the Nature Center!
25% off ice cream in our Duck Pond Gift Shop
Back by popular demand!!
Larchmere Fire Works – Have you been looking for a chance to try your hand at blacksmithing? Here it is! Experience Larchmere Fire Works at The Nature Center at Shaker Lake’s Summer Wednesday! This is a beginner’s class that will teach the basics of blacksmithing using Larchmere Fire Work’s mobile blacksmithing cart! https://shakerlakes.square.site/summer-wednesday-tickets

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Art in the Park
2023-07-12 17:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
We are so excited to collaborate with Studio Chartreuse for their annual summer arts event Art in the Park – Join us to shop arts, flowers, & found materials at the Nature Center. Join us Wednesday night, July 19 from 5-8pm for an evening of arts, nature, and connecting with the community.

Vendors include:

Susan Hazel Rich – Hazelmade

Meredith Hahn – Meredith’s Ink

Megan Breehl – The Sunday Collection

Sean Herman – Li’l Boîte Pâtisserie

Shannon Vance – Stash Style

Vimbayi Katso – Koshesa

Robin Payne – EarthLight Art Source

Emily Pek – Frayed Knot Farm

Jennie and Andrew – Room Service

Kathy Hayes – Santa Rosa Stitches

Alicia Costello – Noble Fawn Jewelry

Mariah Roj – S’il Vous Play

Gregory Vasquez-Norman – Bellefaire JCB

HAWK WALK
2023-07-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Lake View Cemetery , 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OHIO, 44106
Perched in our lush tree canopy or soaring overhead, many birds of prey call Lake View home, including hawks! Join naturalists from Lake Metroparks and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes as they teach us about these amazing birds and lead us on a hike in hopes of spotting a hawk or two.
The first half of the program will be a presentation with live hawks followed by a walk through the cemetery seeking hawks in their natural habitat. Bring your binoculars!
This leisurely hike will be 1-1.5 miles, on paved road that may be hilly or uneven at points and will last roughly 60 minutes.
Registration required. $25 per person.
Register at Overview | Hawk Walk | Saturday, July 08, 2023 | Lake View Cemetery

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Music, DIY Craft, & Hike
2023-07-05 17:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Charlie Mosbrook – Cleveland-born, award-winning American folk and blues singer Charlie Mosbrook will perform in the Ampitheater. Pack a picnic and bring your lawn chairs! Times approximately 5:45 – 6:30, 6:45 – 7:30
DIY Water Bottle Stickers with Heights Libraries – Decorate your reusable water bottle with a customized sticker.
Family Hike a Naturalist – Join our knowledgeable Natural Resources Manager Nick Mikash for a short interpretive hike throughout the Nature Center’s 20-acres discovering and learning about native species in bloom throughout the summer and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into keeping our grounds and habitats pristine. All ages. The trail will be of natural surfaces (paved, boardwalk, sidewalk, and dirt with some stairs) Register: https://shakerlakes.square.site/product/summer-wednesdays-family-hike-with-a-naturalist/771?cs=true&cst=custom

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Yoga & Mount Granita Italian Ice
2023-06-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Yoga with Cari Hickerson – There’s nothing like feeling zen surrounded by the sounds of nature! Cari will be leading an hour-long yoga class from 6:30-7:30 on the Marsh Overlook deck. Register for this free class here: https://shakerlakes.square.site/product/yoga-in-the-park-with-cari-hickerson/770
Don’t forget to bring your own yoga mat!

Mount Granita Italian Ice – Enjoy refreshing handmade Italian Ice made with fresh fruit! Mount Granita will be here on the last Wednesday of every month!

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: Mobile Blacksmith & Ono Brew Cafe
2023-06-21 16:00 - 20:00 | Ohio
Larchmere Fire Works Mobile Blacksmithing Class -$25 Ticket (Ages 4 & Up)
Have you been looking for a chance to try your hand at blacksmithing? Here it is!
Experience Larchmere Fire Works at The Nature Center at Shaker Lake’s Summer Wednesday! This is a beginners class that will teach the basics of blacksmithing using Larchmere Fire Work’s mobile blacksmithing cart!
This class is available for children and adults aged 4 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Safety glasses will be provided at the start of class. Due to the nature of this class, we are not accepting refunds. Text Tina with any questions at 216-246-4716.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Ono Brew Cafe
Serving 100% Kona coffee bean based coffee drinks, teas and flavored lemonades, stop by & say “Aloha!” to this new mobile beverage truck and sip on something refreshing while enjoying our trails.

Lemonades are regular and frozen with flavors such as raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, coconut, Hawaiian islands, pineapple, white peach, & lavender.

SUMMER WEDNESDAYS: JUNE 7
2023-06-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Every Wednesday through August 30, our building and welcome desk will remain open until 8 pm. The trails and habitats at the Nature Center are FREE and open to all dawn until dusk.
To encourage guests and visitors enjoy these extended hours and spend more time outdoors, each Wednesday night throughout the summer will be programmed with a special attraction for our visitors.
The summer kicks off with acoustic musician John Thayer, who will perform from 5:45-7:30 pm. Our Duck Pond Gift Shop will also offer 25% off ice cream. Pack a picnic, grab a lawn chair, and bring the whole family outdoors to enjoy the acoustic sounds of John Thayer on our Marsh Deck.
