Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Want to get moving with your family? We've got two options for you to explore this month!

💪 Family Fitness with Buff Birds - 6/21 - Buff Birds Fitness is a personal training studio located in North Center that focuses on sustainable and inclusive fitness, aiming to help people move through space with confidence and greater ease. This class is designed for families with children age 8+. https://bit.ly/4xbcJ6H

🧘 Family Storybook Yoga - 6/14 - Join our friends Brain to Belly Kids Yoga for a cozy storybook yoga class with your family! This imaginative yoga class will flow through a sequence of fun & creative poses that embody the story. Perfect for kids 2-8 & their caregivers. https://bit.ly/3g1huJC

Head to the links to sign up your group today!

🌈 Be true to your nature. 🪻🌼

For over 169 years, we've been dedicated to inspiring nature champions and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds to the wonders of nature and science. We are proud to be a space where everyone can come together to learn, explore, and be inspired by the natural world.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, including the range of genes, species, and ecosystems. Just as our exhibits celebrate and inspire us to protect the rich tapestry of life that makes our world so vibrant and beautiful, we celebrate the diversity of our community.

We’re also excited to show a sneak preview of our upcoming exhibit, From Seed to Sanctuary: Native Gardening in the Midwest. Opening on July 11, this exhibit was created by our incredible in-house graphic designer and exhibit developer Flip City Design. This interactive art exhibit invites guests to discover the power inside every seed. Whether you're curious about helping monarch butterflies, or looking to transform your own backyard into a floral sanctuary, this exhibit shows how small seeds can grow into big change for both people and nature.

We hope you'll stop by the museum next month to experience From Seed to Sanctuary, get inspired to preserve and nurture the biodiversity all around us, and see how small actions in our own backyards and communities can grow big change.

Happy Pride from the Nature Museum!

Our next block of Free Days starts on Monday! Illinois residents can enjoy free general admission June 1-3 and June 22-24! Head to the link in to reserve your tickets online, or get tickets in person with proof of residency. Plan your visit and explore our immersive exhibit By A Thread: Nature's Resilience before it closes on June 28! https://bit.ly/3uf5USg

Looking for programs and workshops for all ages? We've got you covered! Check out what's coming up in June, and then head to the links for more information and to register!

🦆 Creature Connoisseurs Day Off Camp - 6/5 - How does a heron catch its food? What tells a squirrel where to hide its nuts? Campers ages 4-8 will explore into these questions, and more, during this one-day camp! https://naturemuseum.org/camps

🧘 Family Storybook Yoga - 6/14 - Join our friends Brain to Belly Kids Yoga for a cozy storybook yoga class with your family! This imaginative yoga class will flow through a sequence of fun & creative poses that embody the story. Perfect for kids 2-8 & their caregivers. https://tickets.naturemuseum.org/events/017dfdf1-d860-e781-31d8-9db64b0f9a7e

🏛️ Taxidermy 201 - 6/14 - Ready to take your taxidermy to another level? Join us for an intermediate class where you will get to take home your work! Receive one-on-one guidance from museum collections professionals while completing the preparation of a life-mounted specimen. https://tickets.naturemuseum.org/events/019dac37-caf1-bbfc-6a65-0d57bbb03f23

⭐ Sensory Friendly Morning - 6/17 - Join us for a sensory friendly morning event for guests with disabilities and Veterans. Guests will explore our exhibits and experiences in a relaxed and accepting environment with their family members and companions. https://tickets.naturemuseum.org/events/2373ee15-add0-fe29-d3bc-ae36ed2b0d9a

🌱 C3 Explorer Volunteer Workday with Just Roots - 6/27 - C3 is hosting an Explorers volunteer day! We're partnering with Just Roots and will be helping with maintenance at Saint James Community Farm. Additional details will be provided upon registration. https://naturemuseum.org/events/volunteer-workday-5

🐢 Happy World Turtle Day! It's no secret that we love our local turtles, and this is the time of year where you'll see many of them on the move! By why? We asked Dr. Callie to share why the reasons why a turtle might try to cross a busy road and what you can do to help their journey!

Dr. Callie: "Many turtles are moving from their permanent bodies of water to find mates, food, and most often, nesting locations. Around North Pond, many of the adult female painted turtles, snapping turtles, and red-eared sliders are leaving the pond to find a spot on land to dig a hole to lay eggs. During this time, they may cross trails or roads looking for that perfect spot, but also putting them in harm's way."

If you spot a turtle that needs help, Dr. Callie has some quick tips!

🚨 Your safety always comes first. If in a car, park safely. If by a road, check for cars and have a spotter while you help the turtle. If you are not comfortable handling the turtle, do not attempt to do so as you may injure yourself or the turtle.

🚨 Determine the direction the turtle is going. Before approaching the turtle, figure out which way it is going and this is the direction you will take it. If you try to put it where you think it should go, the stubborn turtle will just turn around and go back across the road.

🚨 Ask yourself, does this turtle actually need help? Sometimes they don't! If they are crossing a busy road, this is a good time to be a turtle hero. But if they are crossing a nature trail, they can find their way without your help. Give them space and they will go where they need to go.

🚨 Pick up the turtle from the back of the shell and do not grab the legs or tail. Once you have a secure grip on the back on the shell, you can carry the turtle (low to the ground) in the direction it was traveling. For larger turtles, you may put a piece of cardboard/car mat/etc below the turtle to rest the front part of the turtle. Then holding the back of the shell and the cardboard, you can gently drag the turtle across the road.

🚨 Move them to safety, but no further. Place the turtle a few feet across the road, but do not bring them any further.

We're turtle-y excited for Nature Night Out this Thursday! 🐢 🍺

Join us starting at 6pm to enjoy paint-and-sip activities, adults-only access to our exhibits, live music in the Butterfly Haven, and the chance to enjoy Golden Chin Pale Ale! Brewed by our friends at Pig Minds Brewing Co., this pale ale is crafted with Michigan-grown Bergamot™️ hops! Plus, a portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting the museum!

Head to the link to grab your tix 🎟️ : https://bit.ly/467V5oQ

📸 : Pig Minds Brewing Co.

😎 Summer's just around the corner, and so is Summer Nature Fest! ☀️

Join us Friday, June 12, for live music, local food, drop-by crafts, face painting, and more at Summer Nature Fest! Plus, explore our exhibits and grounds after hours. It'll also be one of your last chances to explore By A Thread: Nature's Resilience before it closes!

We can't wait to celebrate the start of summer with you! Head to the link in our bio or naturemuseum.org/snf for tickets!

Happy Amphibian Week! At the museum, we train our community scientists to collect important ecological data on our loudest amphibians, frogs and toads! Our volunteer frog monitors carry out at least three field surveys each season in local natural areas, corresponding to peak breeding activity for different suites of frog species. The rounds of sampling occur in late winter/early spring, late spring, and in the summer. These activity rounds are typically associated with the types of wetlands that different frog species use, with early species calling in temporary wetlands, late spring species calling in semi-permanent wetlands, and summer species calling in permanent wetlands. Frog Monitors listen for frog calls after sunset, from many species along an assigned route in a natural area. These observations help us which sites are being used for breeding, how frogs are responding to habitat restoration and climate change, and they help us understand timing of mating for different species across years. You can contribute to this important research too for next year by signing up at: https://bit.ly/3OR9qAu

Our training workshops are held online in late January and early February each year.

Swipe through to see examples of frogs and toads mid-call, as well as a shot of Dr. Allison in the field conducting a monitor survey!

Thanks to our friends Midwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation for hosting Amphibian Week 2026!

We are closed tomorrow, May 1, 2026, for our annual gala, the Butterfly Ball! Click the link to make a contribution and support all that we do to connect Chicagoans to nature and science! https://bit.ly/3EnL24c