Nature Center at Shaker Lakes

Trekking Together: Winter Hikes with GirlTrek Cleveland
2024-12-28 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join Jo Rattiliff of GirlTrek Cleveland for our monthly Sunday evening hikes! These special winter 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. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
Learn more about GirlTrek here: GirlTrek.org
REGISTER HERE

Winter Warmup: Build-a-Bat House Workshop - SOLD OUT!
2025-01-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Winter Warmup: Build-a-Bat House Workshop
Friday, January 3 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Nature Center
This hands-on workshop invites participants to learn the importance of bats and the positive impact they have on our ecosystem while crafting your very own bat houses by hand! As you assemble your bat house, enjoy delicious hot chocolate with your family and friends!
Please note: No prior experience necessary! To ensure your bat house is dry and ready to be placed outdoors, it will need to stay at the Nature Center for 48 hours before it can be picked up.
Come join us for a cozy crafting night of creativity! One birdhouse can be worked on by an entire family or group of friends. $55 per bat house includes all materials, instruction, and presentation.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/m5zQrQ

Guided Bird Walk
2025-01-05 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
1/5/2025 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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. Rain or shine. Free. $5 suggested donation. Registration required.
REGISTER

Winter Seed Sowing Workshops
2025-01-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Sunday, January 12 | 1PM-3PM | Nature Center
Thursday, January 23 | 6PM-8PM | Nature Center
Starting your garden in the winter can bring plenty of benefits, and an excellent way to kick off this green initiative is by sowing native seeds in January. Winter sowing offers the advantage of providing plants with a head start, winter sown plants will show growth and development far beyond plants sown in spring.
These jugs can be placed straight outdoors where they will provide a secure micro-environment that accelerates germination and growth. The Seed Sowing Workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to sow seeds effectively. Don’t miss this informative workshop to jumpstart your winter garden and enjoy a lush, native landscape come spring.
No prior experience necessary. The workshop is great for all ages! Registration required. $8 per person.
Registration Links:
January 12: https://givebutter.com/SqoMDg
January 23: https://givebutter.com/zK4Yob

Accessible Bird Walk
2025-01-19 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
1/19/2025 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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. Rain or shine. Free. $5 suggested donation. Registration required.
REGISTER

Winter Seed Sowing Workshop
2025-01-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Thursday, January 23 | 6PM-8PM | Nature Center
Starting your garden in the winter can bring plenty of benefits, and an excellent way to kick off this green initiative is by sowing native seeds in January. Winter sowing offers the advantage of providing plants with a head start, winter sown plants will show growth and development far beyond plants sown in spring.
These jugs can be placed straight outdoors where they will provide a secure micro-environment that accelerates germination and growth. The Seed Sowing Workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to sow seeds effectively. Don’t miss this informative workshop to jumpstart your winter garden and enjoy a lush, native landscape come spring.
No prior experience necessary. The workshop is great for all ages! Registration required. $8 per person.
Registration Links:
January 23: https://givebutter.com/zK4Yob

Trekking Together: Winter Hikes with GirlTrek Cleveland
2025-01-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Join Jo Ratiliff of GirlTrek Cleveland for our monthly Sunday evening hikes! These special winter 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. Registration required. Free. Donations welcome.
Learn more about GirlTrek here: GirlTrek.org
REGISTER HERE

Accessible Bird Walk - Rescheduled!
2025-01-26 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
1/26/2025 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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. Rain or shine. Free. $5 suggested donation. Registration required.
REGISTER

Junior Naturalists: Fireside Featurettes
2025-02-01 15:00 - 18:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Saturday, February 1st, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Calling all young explorers- we’re throwing a pajama party! Cozy up indoors for an evening of short, edu-tainment films and kid-friendly documentary shorts, crafting, and a short outdoor hike (weather-permitting). We’ll bring the popcorn and hot chocolate; you bring your favorite stuffed animals!
Registration required. $15 per child under 13, adults free. Includes hot chocolate and popcorn.
REGISTER

Winter Warmup: In-TALKS-icating: Urban Farming & Foraging
2025-02-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Winter Warmup: In-TALKS-icating: Urban Farming & Foraging
Friday, February 7 | 6pm-8pm | Nature Center
Chat and cheers! This community discussion highlights local activists who are walking the walk and talking the talk. Join us for drinks and a panel discussion about farming and foraging in Cleveland and the impact it’s making on the Nature Center and beyond!
Registration required. $35 per ticket includes one drink and light bites with additional drinks per purchase.
Food provided in collaboration with Jeremy Umansky at Larder Delicatessen
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/QJh6UV

Naturalist Notebook: The Age of Deer by Erika Howsare
2025-02-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH, 44120
Naturalist Notebook: The Age of Deer by Erika Howsare
Sunday, February 16 | 1pm-3pm | Loganberry Books/Virtual
Escape the chilly weather and join Loganberry Books and The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes for our quarterly, cozy book discussion!
The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors by Erika Howsare is a book that touches all of us here in NE Ohio, the tale of our complicated relationship with a wild animal that now lives among us. Part mythology, part natural history, the book asks us to consider these paradoxes and how we have come to find ourselves in this situation.
Free. Buy your copy from Loganberry Books for 10% off and join the conversation on November 17, from 1-3pm at Loganberry Books (located at 13015 Larchmere Blvd) to discuss the book.
This is a hybrid book discussion; join us in person at Loganberry Books or online! Zoom link will be sent in an email prior to the meeting.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/k87ubW

February Build-a-Birdhouse Workshop
2025-02-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
February Build-a-Birdhouse Workshop
Friday, February 28 | 6:30PM – 8PM | Nature Center
Back by popular demand! Join us with your family and friends for a fun, winter craft- a gift that keeps on giving back to nature! We’ll be creating sturdy birdhouses that provide safe havens for local bird species and learning the role they play in supporting our feathered friends.
Come join us for a cozy crafting night of creativity! One birdhouse can be worked on by an entire family or group of friends. $32 per birdhouse includes all materials, instruction, and presentation.
REGISTER

Guided Bird Walks
2025-03-02 08:00 - 09:30, 2025-03-16 08:00 - 09:30, 2025-04-06 08:00 - 09:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Ongoing | Select Sundays: March 2 & March 16* (ASL), April 6, May 25 | 8AM –9:30AM | Nature Center
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. For all hikes, meet in the Nature Center parking lot. Binoculars are available to borrow. Rain or shine.
The second walk of each month (marked with ASL) is fully accessible and includes an ASL interpreter.
Free. $5 suggested donation. REGISTER HERE.
https://shakerlakes.org/birding-programs/

For Kids! Beautiful Native Butterflies
2025-03-04 12:00 - 12:45 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Beautiful Native Butterflies and Their Native Host Plants
Tuesday, March 4 | 12–12:45PM | NCSL
Led by Kathryn Marshall (Education Coordinator) and Amy Fredricks (Communications Director) at Native Landscapes & Gardens
During this FREE class, children will read, move, and create while learning to identify a few local butterflies and the importance of native host plants to butterfly life cycles. Come have some “flutterby” fun!
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/Fx4aej

Simplify Your Landscape Design with Native Plants
2025-03-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Simplify Your Landscape Design with Native Plants
Part of our Bringing Nature Home Series! In Partnership with the Youth Climate Institute
Thursday, March 6 | 12–1PM | NCSL
Led by Jesse Smith (Conservation Biologist) at Native Landscapes & Gardens
This FREE presentation invites you to transform your outdoor space by harnessing the power of native plants. You’ll learn how to identify and tackle invasive species that threaten your home habitat, setting the stage for a thoughtful and vibrant garden. The talk highlights creative design resources, practical preparation, and management strategies. You’ll discover how planting natives elevates the beauty of your space and bolsters biodiversity.
https://givebutter.com/fd5YiL

Winter Warmup: Wine & Cheese Night
2025-03-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Winter Warmup: Wine & Cheese Night
Friday, March 7 | 6PM-8PM | Nature Center
Join us for our last Winter Warmup, as we look forward to brighter spring weather! Enjoy a unique night of wine and cheese tasting at the Nature Center, while enjoying conversation with fellow Nature Center lovers! Justin Croniser, Board Chair will provide remarks at the beginning of the event and share updates about the Nature Center.
Tickets include three tastings of wine and a reusable branded Nature Center wine tumbler. Quantities limited. Additional wine is available for purchase by the glass or bottle.
Registration required. $35 per person, $30 for members with member discount code WINTERWINE25. Please enter your member ID when prompted. If you are unsure of your member ID, please email cara@shakerlakes.org.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/twm5sU

Winter Tree ID Hike
2025-03-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Winter Tree ID Hike
Sunday, March 9 | 3PM – 4:30PM | Nature Center
Join the Natural Resources team on a winter tree identification hike and learn about the other features like buds, twigs and bark that can help you identify trees all year round. You’ll get to know hickories, oaks, maples and more.
The hike will be approximately 60 minutes on and off trail, getting up close and personal with trees. All participants will receive a copy of Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves. $7 per person. Registration required.
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/sWjGiF

Spring Hikes with GirlTrek
2025-03-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Trekking Together: Spring Hikes with GirlTrek Cleveland
Select Saturdays: March 29, April 26, May 24, June 28 | 10-11AM | Nature Center
Join Jo Rattiliff of GirlTrek Cleveland for our monthly evening hikes! Spring is here! As everything comes to life, we invite you to move with us and appreciate the beauty of nature as the weather warms up.
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. 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

Yard Tool Tune-Up
2025-03-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Yard Tool Tune-Up
Saturday, March 29 | 1PM-2:30PM | Nature Center
Thinking green? Join our Natural Resources team as we discuss how to properly maintain your outdoor tools. Spring is a great time for things like annual pruning and trimming and in this timely workshop we’ll cover basic maintenance, what tools we use and recommend, and how to properly care for those tools.
Then you’ll learn proper technique with a hands-on portion of the class as we apply what we learned and sharpen and recondition your tools. Feel free to bring your own hand tools, such as loppers, pruners, shovels, soil knives, folding saws and work gloves.
Registration required. $8 per person, $6 per person for members with code SPRING25 and member ID (please enter when prompted).
Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/nvfRw5

Teen Climate Social
2025-04-03 17:30 - 18:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Teen Climate Social
April 3 | 5:30-6PM
PIZZA WITH THE PRESENTER a pre-presentation social for teens only at our Bringing Nature Home lecture series.
Followed by the presentation 6-7:30PM | Soil Health
Teens join us 30 minutes before a climate-themed presentation for pizza. Meet other teens interested in conservation and climate action while chatting with the presenter directly about what they do and why they do it. No cost to attend. Youth Climate Institute credit hours available. Open to all teens. You do not need to be a member of Youth Climate Institute (YCI) to participate. Want to learn more about YCI? Reach out to prange@shakerlakes.org
REGISTER

Soil Health and Growing Native Plants
2025-04-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Soil Health and Growing Native Plants
Led by Joe King (Rust Belt Riders & Tilth Soil)
Thursday, April 3 | 6pm-7:30pm | Nature Center
Soil is one of the key components to a healthy and happy garden- the nutrients, oxygen, and life within the soil directly affect how well your plants thrive in your yard. Joe King Botanist & Educational Outreach Coordinator with Rust Belt Riders/Tilth Soil will present on soil health and the relationship with native plants.
REGISTER https://givebutter.com/6l9jJ9

All About Animals: Turtles
2025-04-05 11:00 - 12:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
All About Animals: Turtles
Saturday, April 5 | 11AM-12PM | Nature Center
Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep our animal ambassadors here at the nature center happy and healthy?
Join us seasonally for a “behind the scenes” look at our animal care program. Each program 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.
Registration Link: https://shakerlakes.doubleknot.com/event/all-about-animals-turtles/3093457

Historic Homes Tour: Parkland Proximity
2025-04-06 10:00 - 14:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
HISTORIC HOMES TOUR: Parkland Proximity
Presented by NCSL & Shaker Historical Society | Sunday, April 6 | 10AM–2PM
Step back in time and experience the history of Shaker Heights, the Shaker Parklands, and the Freeway Fight of the 1960s. With sweeping views and access to preserved parklands, this year’s
homes will not disappoint. The program begins with a brunch and presentation high-lighting the significance of the freeway fight on our local homes and greenspaces. Next, guests will jointrolley tour of four stunning and unique homes that were once in the path of the proposed freeway. Each home on West Park, South Park, and Shaker Boulevards is rich with history, which will be detailed on this tour.
REGISTER: https://givebutter.com/homestour2025
$160 per person, $125 for Nature Center or Shaker Historical Society Members.
NCSL Members: use promo code HHT2025 along with your member ID when prompted at registration for a 20% discount. Reach out to cara@shakerlakes.org if you need your member ID number. Inclement weather date: April 13.
Please list any food/drink allergies or restrictions during registration. Booties provided, or bring house shoes. Attendees must be able to navigate stairs.

Art on View: Dick Dawson
2025-04-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Opening Reception | Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 5:30–7PM
Dickson Robert Dawson is a retired Counseling Psychologist, and is now an artist and musician, who has focused on pastel landscapes with an “impressionistic” touch. He creates landscapes and florals that beckon the eye toward light and color. His paintings highlight woods, gardens, individual flowers, or fields, and provide a sense of serenity. Art has always been a part of Dickson’s life. His father was a professional photographer, his grandfather a lithographer, and his great uncle was a graphic artist with paintings on covers of The Saturday Evening Post. Dickson lives in Cleveland Heights and has previously shown his work at Steinway Piano Gallery, Little Italy, and Trinity Cathedral. Art available for purchase and a percentage of sales support the Nature Center.

The Story of The Land: How Literature Confronts the Climate Crisis
2025-04-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
The Story of The Land: How Literature Confronts the Climate Crisis
in partnership with Orion Magazine, Literary Cleveland, and Mac’s Backs

How does language shape our relationship with the land? What is literature’s role in the future of our planet?

Join Literary Cleveland and Orion Magazine for a discussion with local writers about how fiction, nonfiction, and poetry can shift cultural perception about the environment, reconsider our relationship to nature, and galvanize us to address the climate crisis. Presented as part of Climate and Health Month in Cuyahoga County.
Books will be available for purchase from Mac’s Backs. While supplies last. Free. Registration required.https://givebutter.com/IPMJbW

Deborah Fleming is a novelist, poet, scholar, and essayist. Her latest collection of essays Ghosts of an Old Forest: Essays on Midwestern Rural Heritage is scheduled to be released later in April. The essays reflection on Ohio’s natural and cultural history as inspired by her farm. She also received acclaim for Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape (2019) which won the PEN-America Diamonstein/Spielvogel Art of the Essay Award in 2020.
Alison Stine is a novelist and journalist. Her first novel Road Out of Winter won the Philip K. Dick Award. Her second novel Trashlands was long-listed for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and her third novel Dust was published by St. Martin’s Press in December 2024. Recipient of an NEA Fellowship, she works as the Climate Justice Senior Editor at NPQ.
Jon Wlasiuk is a professor, writer, and native of Ohio. His book An Alternative History of Cleveland was released in October 2024. In it, he explores how nature and culture are intertwined throughout the city and region.

Teen Climate Social
2025-04-17 17:30 - 18:00 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Teen Climate Social
April 17 | 5:30-6PM
PIZZA WITH THE PRESENTER a pre-presentation social for teens only at our Bringing Nature Home lecture series.
Followed by the presentation 6-7:30PM | The Everyday Conservationist
Teens join us 30 minutes before a climate-themed presentation for pizza. Meet other teens interested in conservation and climate action while chatting with the presenter directly about what they do and why they do it. No cost to attend. Youth Climate Institute credit hours available. Open to all teens. You do not need to be a member of Youth Climate Institute (YCI) to participate. Want to learn more about YCI? Reach out to prange@shakerlakes.org
REGISTER

The Everyday Conservationist: Nurturing Nature at Home
2025-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
The Everyday Conservationist: Nurturing Nature at Home
Thursday, April 17 | 6-7:30PM
Traditional landscaping practices are accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss—often without us even realizing it. The good news? Small, intentional changes can turn our backyards into thriving havens for wildlife and powerful tools for conservation. In this talk, conservation educator and photographer Danae Wolfe reveals how rethinking our outdoor spaces can help combat global environmental challenges. Through eye-opening insights and practical solutions, you’ll discover how to create a home landscape that nurtures nature—one that’s not just beautiful but also resilient, sustainable, and teeming with life.
FREE. Register.
ABOUT DANAE
Danae Wolfe is an award-winning conservation photographer, writer, and TEDx speaker passionate about helping people see backyard bugs in a new light. A firm believer in the power of small actions, she inspires gardeners to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and embrace their role in its protection. Her work has been featured by CNN, The American Gardener, and Nature Conservancy Magazine, and she was named Garden Communicators International’s 2022 Emergent Communicator. Through her homegrown conservation initiative, Chasing Bugs, Danae connects global audiences with the wonder of insects, and her upcoming book, Grass Isn’t Greener (2025), shows how simple changes in our yards can create lasting impact for the planet.

Annual Stream Sweep
2025-04-19 10:00 - 13:00 | 7 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44106, 7 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44106
Annual Stream Sweep
Saturday, April 19 |10AM-1PM | Cultural Gardens: Rockefeller Lagoon 7 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Join the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership and the Nature Center as we clean up winter’s accumulation of trash. Volunteer as an individual or as a group. Groups with school-age children welcome.
REGISTER: https://doanbrookpartnership.org/event/doan-brook-stream-sweep-2/
