Earth & Environment

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Visit a participating park or nature center near you and join in on a community-led biodiversity survey throughout the month of April. Download the iNaturalist app to share your observations of nature or help us identify the species in others' observations. Join the BioBlitz iNaturlist project and get started today! 

Featured Locations

• Averill Preserve
• Belle Isle Nature Center
• Blandford Nature Center
• Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens
• Capital City Bird Sanctuary
• Chippewa Nature Center
• Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center
• DeVries Nature Conservancy
• Fenner Nature Center
• Genesee County Parks: For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum
• Harris Nature Center
• Sutherland Nature Sanctuary
• Woldumar Nature Center
   

Learn more about BioBlitz

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Download the Litterati app and join the MSU Science Festival’s statewide Cleanup Challenge to help pick up trash in your neighborhoods while contributing to data on Michigan litter.   

While you clean up trash and litter, you can add geo-tagged photos of what you find and add them to the MSU Science Festival’s Litterati challenge. See how much litter you can clean up throughout the month of April! You’ll join hundreds of Michigan community members just like you who are dedicated to keeping Michigan nature clear of refuse.  

Your observations will contribute to open data that helps scientists learn more about what types of litter are most common and where it is most concentrated. The more we know about litter, the more empowered we are to prevent it.  

How to Get Started  

Step 1. Download the Litterati App from the Google Play or Apple App Store 

Step 2. Join the MSU SciFest Cleanup Challenge using code SCIFEST25.  

Step 3. During the month of April, join a local cleanup event or go out on your own to pick up trash in your neighborhood. Be sure to log your trash observations in the Litterati app.  

Step 4. Have fun and invite your friends and family to join the challenge to see who can clean up the most trash!  

More information, including Litterati guides and resources and community cleanup events coming soon! 

Learn more about Community Cleanup Challenge

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Iron, or oak gall, ink was the standard ink used for centuries, but it’s so acidic that it often eats through paper, especially when it’s exposed to light. Join the MSU Libraries and explore the science of this ink! You will have a chance to dissect an oak gall and learn about the wasp that makes the gall, peek through a microscope to explore the damage oak gall ink can cause, use goose feather quills to write with the ink, and pick up a recipe to make ink at home!

Learn more about Nothing Galling Here! The Science of Oak Gall Ink

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Take a tour on the banks of the Red Cedar and learn about the environmental history of the river at the heart of MSU’s campus. This 1.2 mile round-trip walk will start at the MSU Main Library and loop from the Kalamazoo Street Bridge to Farm Lane and back, with stops to describe some interesting historical and environmental features of the river. Please wear comfortable shoes (in case of rain the program will be inside the Main Library).

Learn more about Red Cedar River Environmental History Walking Tour

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join For-Mar Preserve & Arboretum naturalists and seek out plants, animals, insects, and more to add to a community science project! This 1-1.5 mile hike does have some stops, hills, and exposed roots/dips. Please wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather. 

Join the Science Festival's iNaturalist BioBlitz project to get started or request a paper nature journal from For-Mar preserve staff. Please pre-register by calling 810-736-7100 ext 6. 

Learn more about Sunday Stroll: BioBlitz Edition

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us for an evening filled with croaks, trills, and splashes from some of our favorite frog friends. Come learn all about the frogs that call Michigan home. We will kick off the evening with a brief introduction to frog calls followed by a hike to various frog habitats including vernal ponds and wetlands. The hike will include multiple stations spread over approximately 1 mile of uneven terrain. Participants will receive resources on frogs, including a book and fact sheets. While all ages are welcome, this program will require walking off-trail and on old footpaths.

Learn more about Springtime Frog Walk

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

This free, family-friendly event is packed with exciting eco-friendly activities, outdoor adventures and opportunities to protect our planet. Dive into participatory science initiatives that help protect our waterways and connect with local conservation experts through engaging demonstrations that showcase the power of sustainability. Don’t miss this chance to go green!

What to Expect:

• Sustainability education stations
• Nature hikes
• Eco-friendly arts and crafts
• Conservation presentations
• A Michigan State University BioBlitz
• Beekeeper talks
• And much more!

Learn more about Experience Greenfest!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Celebrate all things reduce, reuse, recycle with a day at the campus recycling center and thrift store. Go secondhand shopping, tour the material recovery facility and vermicompost hoophouse, make upcycled crafts, deconstruct electronics to discover more about e-waste, and enjoy some freecycling! Details and additional activities TBA at msurecycling.com/event-details/. Let's go green!

Learn more about Earth Bash

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join For-Mar Preserve & Arboretum naturalists and seek out plants, animals, insects, and more to add to a community science project! This 1-1.5 mile hike does have some stops, hills, and exposed roots/dips. Please wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather. 

Join the Science Festival's iNaturalist BioBlitz project to get started or request a paper nature journal from For-Mar Preserve staff. Please pre-register for this event by calling 810-736-7100 ext 6. 

Learn more about Sunday Stroll: BioBlitz Edition

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the MSU Bug House for a free open house in partnership with the MSU Science Festival! Visitors will be able to observe museum displays featuring insects from around the globe, plus meet and handle live beetles, isopods, cockroaches, and more! Our knowledgeable guides will be available to introduce our live bugs and answer questions about their biology.

Learn more about Explore the Amazing World of Insects at the Bug House!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us for a casual-paced bike tour of MSU's campus! Along the way you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at many of MSU's gardens, museums, and research facilities.

This event is open to all skill levels. Bikes will be available to rent through MSU Bikes. 

Learn more about Pedal Through Science!

Appropriate for: High school age, 18 years and above

Building on a series of Climate Cafes hosted at MSU over the past few months, we are following up with a workshop on actionable steps to deal with the climate crisis. Join The Graduate School's Office for Wellbeing's Graduate Assistant and climate resilience PhD candidate Clara Graucob in this interactive workshop to strengthen our head-heart-hand connection - moving from climate emotions to actions. If you are feeling stuck, don't know where to start, or feel like nothing you could do would make a difference, this workshop is for you!

What to Expect

• Shift the narrative on the climate crisis
• Learn about individual and systemic action
• Connect with others who are wanting to act on climate change
• Walk away with actionable strategies you can immediately implement

Learn more about Climate Change Action Workshop

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Gather around the campfire for a fun evening of s'mores, flashlight hikes, and exciting hands-on activities at Woldumar Nature Center focused on science in nature. Come hike the trails after dark, dissect owl pellets, learn how to identify trees, and more! We’ll end the night with a colorful fire presentation around the campfire, so come join us to learn more about the nature that’s right in our backyards! Presented by Woldumar Nature Center and Graduate Women in Science Mid-Michigan.

Learn more about Campfire Science

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

MSU’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center is a hub for natural resources education, research, and public engagement located just 20 minutes from campus. Join us for a fun morning of science demonstrations, interactive activities for all ages, guided marsh exploration, an art show, and more! The Corey Marsh Bird Banding Station will also be open (weather permitting) – come learn about how we capture and band migratory birds – you might even get an opportunity to have a bird placed in your hand during the release process!

Learn more about Ecology Extravaganza

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Let's celebrate all things nature! March is reading month and April is for the Earth! This Earth Day and Arbor Day event puts literacy in the spotlight and features guest readers, a pop-up shop by Turn the Page Books, and guided hikes. If you love adventure and imagination, join us for at this open house-style program. 

Storytime Schedule

Readers will start on the half hour between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Guided BioBlitz Hike Schedule: 

• Bird is the Word: 11:30‒12 p.m.
• A Bug's Life: 12:30‒1:30 p.m.
• It's an Arboretum, not a Burrito: 2‒3 p.m.

Learn more about Dear Earth: Literacy in Nature