SENSE OF NATURE

A Sense of Nature is an interactive wildlife education experience offered by Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund that brings learning beyond the classroom and into the natural world. This program is designed to deepen understanding of local ecosystems by engaging participants in hands-on exploration using authentic animal biofacts and sensory-based discovery.

Rooted in the wildlife of Northern Michigan, A Sense of Nature helps participants build observation skills, curiosity, and ecological awareness while learning how animals interact with their environment. It is used in schools, libraries, and community events to inspire connection, stewardship, and respect for local wildlife.

A young boy and an elderly woman are smiling and looking at a small object the boy is holding, in a well-lit room. This is a program called "Sense of Nature" that is put on by Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund

Become a wildlife detective and explore the natural world using your senses! A Sense of Nature is a hands-on program where participants use touch, smell, sight, and sound to uncover the identities of five mystery animals: beaver, raccoon, opossum, skunk, and fox.

For ages 6 to Adult

- Classroom Program

- Event Style Program

- Library Program

A young girl in a blue jacket looking at her data sheet while participating in an environmental educational program called Sense of Nature put on by Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund. 
More About the Program

Participants rotate through interactive sensory stations and record their observations on their worksheets:

  • Touch: Feel inside mystery boxes containing animal pelts and describe the texture—soft like a fox, coarse like a raccoon, or thick like a beaver?

  • Smell: Take a whiff of unique animal scent samples and note your guesses—can you identify the skunk?

  • Sight: Examine animal tracks and describe what you see—long claws, large toe pads, or hand-like fingers? What about the scat replicas

  • Sound: Listen carefully to recorded animal calls and jot down your observations—do you hear hissing or chittering?

For students in the classroom program, each rotating group will collaborate, share their observations, and present their conclusions about which animal matches each sensory clue. Through teamwork and discussion, students will discover how to use the clues around them to come up with their hypotheses.

Download Our Sense of Nature Coloring Activity
A cartoon illustration of a sitting fox with orange fur, white chest, and black outlines, facing slightly to the right.
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Cartoon image of a young girl with dark hair lying on the floor with her eyes closed and mouth open, dressed in a gray shirt and beige pants.
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Logo for 'Sense of Nature' featuring cartoon illustrations of a raccoon, hamster, beaver, fox, and skunk above the brand name.
Illustration of a bear with a friendly facial expression.
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Stylized illustration of a raccoon's face with bold black, beige, and dark brown colors.
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Stylized cartoon raccoon face with black, gray, white, and beige colors.
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A young girl with blonde hair and a blue shirt focusing on paperwork at a table in a busy indoor setting with other children and adults in the background.
Children gathered in a classroom, engaging in an activity at a table, with a window in the background letting in natural light. 
Interested in hosting a program? Contact us today!