The Ogden Nature Center

Have you ever been here?

I hadn't been since I was a wee litt'l homeschool lass... which was only like 2 years ago. 

Or 20. 

ahem. 

Groupon had a family pass deal a few weeks ago, so I grabbed one just for kicks. I had been wanting to take my kids for a while, and Caleb has never been.

The birdhouse exhibit is Tweet! I mean Sweet!
Don't tell anyone I said that.

After disposing of your vehicles in the parking lot, you get to walk along this little winding path through the birdhouses to get to the actual Nature Center Lodge, but as with many of our destinations in life, the journey is part of the adventure.

?

There were some very noisy birds on loan to the center for their "Rare and Weird" exhibit.

You really should check it out if you're in the area, these birdies are cuh-yute!

Inside the lodge there are many live reptiles, owls, and critters to see. Plus, lots of hands on stuff, like this magnifying table with feathers to see up-close.

It's all very geared towards kids, but interesting for adults as well. 

The Nature Center is also a wild bird rehabilitation center, and they had so many gorgeous eagles, water birds, and other birds of prey there on display while they healed. Most of them were found in the wild with gunshot wounds or other harm done to them.

All of the ponds there look like this... creepy, right? It looks like slime!

But when you look close, it's just tiny little leaves.

Aren't they the cutest? If you throw a rock in, they ripple apart for a minute, then close right back up.
I know cause I tried it.

The pathways surrounding the Nature Center are narrow and lush and wild - just like they should be. It really is amazing what they have created there, with it being right in the city and all. It feels like you're in the boonies!

If you happen to be in Ogden, and you're easily amused by leaves and sticks and dirt and critters, I recommend this place.
And with a year long pass now, I'm definitely looking forward to incorporating their programs for kids into our home schooling activities.