Education Programs 

The Hormel Nature Center offers curriculum for preschool through high school. We have been serving the Austin community for over 40 years! We also offer classes to home school groups and other public and private schools outside of Austin. 

• We offer half-day programs that run 2 hours long. 
• We also offer full day programs (on a limited basis) that run about 5.5 hours long. 

Curriculum Focus: 

• Preschool: Animals, colors, and senses
• Kindergarten: Number of legs on living things and seasons 
• 1st Grade: Living vs. non-living
• 2nd Grade: Apple cidering and seeds 
• 3rd Grade: Habitats and cardinal directions 
• 4th Grade: Parts of a tree and maple syruping 
• 5th Grade: Prairie ecology and birds 
• 6th Grade: Orienteering and stars/planets 
• 7th Grade: Water ecology 
• 8th Grade: Cross-country skiing, shelter and fire building 

Seasonally Offered Programs:
Fall: Apple Cidering 
Winter: Cross-country skiing / snowshoeing 
Early Spring: Maple Syruping 
Summer: Canoeing and scooping the pond/creek 

*If you are located in Austin and looking to schedule a school program or summer school program please contact Sydney Weisinger at: [email protected] 

*If you are located outside of Austin and would like to discuss school program or summer school program options, please contact Kelly Bahl at: [email protected]
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Thanks to funding from the State of Minnesota's Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center, we are now able to host more environmental education programs for schools outside of the Austin.

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