Get Outside This Spring With Our
Upcoming Events!

Celebrate Mother's Day this weekend by spending time together, making new memories as a family.

Make plans to play outside this weekend at our fun family events, or by spending a day at our Wild Wonders Wildlife Park! Our Wildlife Park and the Ambassador Trail are open daily 10:00am - 5:00pm. Alexandria's NatureScape is dependent on weather--call us at (517) 546-0249 before your visit to see if it is open!

Continue reading for our "Tails from the Clinic" section which will highlight a new story from our Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic each week!
FRIDAY, MAY 7th
Family Fun Days: Sunset Paddle
May 7th
6:30pm - 8:30pm
General Admission: $12 per person
Member Admission: $10 per person

Come together as a family at the end of the week with a relaxing sunset paddle. We will teach you how to use our canoes and kayaks and then you can enjoy this leisurely activity at your own pace. (Ages 5+)
SATURDAY, MAY 8th
Ages 5+ welcome! 
Max. weight limit is 250lbs.
Closed toed shoes are required.
Community Zip Lining
May 8th
10:00am - 2:00pm
General Admission
Members: $18 per person 
Walk-ins: $20 per person

Member Admission
Registered: $16 per person
Walk-ins: $18 per person

Soar through the sky on our thrilling zip line! Stretching 500ft across and 20ft high off the ground, our zipline passes over a glacially formed pond which attracts many wildlife. Join us from 10:00am - 2:00pm, with last walk-in accepted at 1:30pm. Participants can show up anytime during the event - the price includes 2 rides down the zip line. 

Discovery Day
May 8th
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Members: FREE
Non-members: $6 per adult, $4 per child. Infants 2 and under are free! 

Join us for a Saturday of family FUN! One of our wildlife experts will lead a tour of our wildlife park. You'll learn about the unique personalities and traits of the animals in our care, and watch our zookeepers give some of the animals enrichment (tasty treats and toys). This will be followed by an up-close-and-personal wildlife presentation with one of our amazing animal ambassadors! What will you discover?
SUNDAY, MAY 9th
Mother's Day in Nature
May 9th
10:00am - 5:00pm
Members & Moms: FREE
Non-members: $6 per adult, $4 per child. Infants 2 and under are free! 

Celebrate Mother's Day in Nature with FREE admission for mothers/grandmothers!

We are so grateful for everything our moms do for us. Spend time with your mom while exploring the Wildlife Park, Ambassador Animal Trail, and Alexandria's NatureScape.
We are open 10am - 5pm. For all other guests, admission is $6 per adult and $4 per child. Infants 2 and under are free!
LITTLE WONDERS ARE ON THEIR WAY
and they need your help!
As spring arrives and more people spend time outdoors, we project the highest rate ever of orphaned and injured wildlife coming into our clinic. In the next 30 to 90 days, we anticipate caring for over 2,000 “little wonders” such as baby songbirds, fox kits, owlets, opossums, fawns, squirrels, hawks, ducklings, eaglets, and many more species. Our goal is always to help return these animals back into the wild.
As 2021 brings forth new hope, we are preparing ourselves for a whole set of unique challenges. With over 65% of our spring bookings cancelling again this
year due to the health crisis, this makes our annual “Baby Shower” appeal more urgent than ever.

Thanks to wildlife supporters like you, we can provide the treatment necessary for animals needing special diets, formulas, warming pads, incubators, medical supplies, and critical specialized and veterinarian care. With your help, thousands of baby animals can have a happy ending like the recently released bald eagle.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 to provide the best possible care for the thousands of baby animals this spring. Thanks to a generous donor, the first $25,000 raised will be matched! Double your impact by donating today and be a Wildlife Hero for critters in need.

We greatly appreciate all who “shower” us with tax-deductible donations in order to provide every animal that comes into our clinic a chance to Heal, Grow and Be Wild!
From the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU!
Tails from the Clinic
This screech owl was found caught in a glue trap. Thankfully, the finder was able to free him by applying mineral oil to the feathers and brought him to us. By the time he reached us, he was dehydrated and malnourished from not eating for a few days. This required being tube-fed to maximize nutrition. He also has skin irritation where his feathers were ripped out.
While the mineral oil did help to free him, it required multiple baths with Dawn dish soap to finally remove all of the oil from his feathers. This was critical in his healing process, as he was unable to thermoregulate while covered in oil.

Now, this little guy is eating well and on the road to recovery. We are optimistic for a successful release back into the wild where he belongs.
Please Do Not Use Glue Traps!

Animals stuck in glue traps often suffer injuries to delicate wings, skin, body, or legs. Bird feathers become damaged and mangled from the glue. The glue trap doesn’t instantly kill the animal — the glue is not toxic. Instead, the animal stays stuck, dying over the course of several days from starvation, dehydration and suffocation.

Learn more about humane rodent control, as well as find a letter you can send to local stores asking them to voluntarily remove their glue trap products, here.
You can be a Wildlife Hero today and help fund the care of animals just like this screech owl! Your donation will go towards covering operating costs and caring of the 2,000+ babies we will see in the next few months, and the 4,200 animals we will treat this year.

Thanks to a generous donor, the first $25,000 will be matched!
Join Our Family!
Take advantage of the warmer weather with an
annual membership!

At the Howell Nature Center (HNC), we rely on the generosity of the community to help ensure that our education, wildlife and camp programs continue to thrive. Our intent is to foster relationships and create a real sense of belonging, to be a part of something fun and amazing, and to partner with the community in helping families grow together and connect with nature.
Your HNC Membership includes:

  • YEAR-ROUND ADMISSION to the Howell Nature Center
  • ADVANCED REGISTRATION for all events and programs.
  • SPECIAL MEMBER EVENTS AND PRICING for community events and programs
  • 10% DISCOUNT off all gift shop purchases, private events and facility rentals.
  • MONTHLY e-NEWSLETTER including all the up-to-date HNC information.
  • FREE ADMISSION and/or discounts at over 180 nature centers in the U.S. and Canada. See participating centers at bit.ly/naturecenters.
  • SATISFACTION of supporting a great cause!
Give Your Child a WILD Summer to Remember!
There's no better way to spend summer than connecting to nature, making new friends, and learning new skills!
Camp Wonder offers unique Summer Day, Overnight and Excursion Camps designed to help children enjoy and connect with nature, while teaching many classic camp traditions, new skills and life lessons.

We offer two-, three-, and five-day Classic Summer Day Camps, five-day Specialty Day Camps, six-day Spirit of Alexandria Overnight Camps and six-day HNC Teen Excursion Camps.

Our intent is to provide your child(ren) with a fun, safe and enriching camp experience, while teaching them to be faithful caretakers of one another and the world around us.
REGISTER FOR SUMMER CAMP TODAY!