Environmental Programs

View a list of Standards-Based Life Sciences Programs here.

Request a School Field Trip Program

A School Field Trip program is when a trained environmental educator takes your class on a guided experience through one of our park districts natural areas like Meadowbrook Park or Busey Woods.

Program requests must be made at least two weeks in advance. Complete the request form here and staff will be in contact to review and finalize program details.

Fees:

• $42 for each program up to 25 students
• $1 per additional student to a max of 32 students

Payment is due by the program date. A $10 late fee may be applied to past due balances unless arranged in advance. Program fee will be retained if less than 72-hours notice is given to cancel a program.

Request a Naturalist-in-the-Classroom Program

A Naturalist-in-the-Classroom Program is when a trained environmental educator will bring hands-on materials, interactive lessons, and sometimes a live animal to your classroom.

Program requests must be made at least two weeks in advance. Complete the request form here, and staff will be in contact to review and finalize program details. Virtual options are available! A naturalist can live-stream into your classroom with interactive lessons alongside a special animal guest.

Fees: 

• Kindergarten- $40 per class up to 25 students (30-45 minute program)
• 1st-5th Grade- $48 per class up to 25 students (60 minute program)
• Virtual K-5th Grade- $20 per class up to 25 students (30 minute program)
• $1/student over 25 

Locations outside of Urbana-Champaign will incur an additional mileage fee. Program fee will be retained if less than 72-hours notice is given to cancel a program.

Special Request Programs

A Special Request Program is when a naturalist leads a program at the nature center or in a park district natural area. Programs are 45-60 minutes long.

Program requests must be made at least two weeks in advance. Complete the request form here, and staff will be in contact to review and finalize program details.

Program Fees (due on/before program date):

• PreK: Fees start at $43 for up to a max of 24 children
• Any age other than PreK: Fees start at $43 for up to 15 participants
• $2 per additional participant

Other Fees:

• $10 Late payment fee
• $15 After-hours fee
• $25 Minimum Custom Program Fee (requires at least 4 weeks advance notice)

Program fee will be retained if less than 72-hours notice is given to cancel a program.

Traveling Naturalist Programs

A Traveling Naturalist program is when a naturalist leads a program at the customer's location.

Program requests must be made at least two weeks in advance. Complete the request form here, and staff will be in contact to review and finalize program details.

Program Fees (due on/before the day of the program):

• PreK: Fees start at $48 for a 30-45 minute program for up to 20 children
• Any age other than PreK: Fees start at $58 for a 45min-1hr program for up to 15 people
• Additional charge of $15 for 16-24 participants

Other Fees:

• Locations outside of Urbana-Champaign will incur an additional mileage fee. 
• $10 Late payment fee
• $25 Minimum Custom Program Fee (requires at least 4 weeks advance notice)

Program fee will be retained if less than 72-hours notice is given to cancel a program.

Birthday Parties

Celebrate a birthday at the nature center with a themed program! Available September - May (not available during summer camp season)

Fees:

• $141 (1-12 program participants),
• + $5 each additional participant (24 max)
• $100 refundable damage deposit due at time of booking

Parties include a 45-60 minute kids' program packed with games, activities, and sometimes a live animal. Following the program, use the room to open gifts and eat treats you bring. Standard party length is 2 hours total. The birthday child will receive a gift certificate to the Nature Shop. Wish you could have more party time? Add more rental time at a discounted rate!

To request a party, fill out the Birthday Party Request Form here or call 217-384-4062 at least three weeks before your desired party date.

Mud Kitchen Party Age 4+
Venture outside to the Friendship Grove Nature Playscape to make mud pies, mud stew, and nature art. Remind your guests to dress for mess! (Available April-October, weather permitting)

Reptiles Party Age 4+
S-s-s-slither into another year with a visit from the center’s live snakes and box turtles. Discover what makes reptiles different from other animals.

Dino-Mite Party Age 4+
Dig into the past as you explore the lost world of dinosaurs, uncover fossils, and make your own dinosaur fossils.

Creepy Crawly Party Age 4+
Head into Busey Woods to search for slugs and bugs. Uncover their hiding spots, and catch and release these creepy crawlers. (Available April-October, weather permitting)

Owls Party Age 5+
Have a hoot discovering owl adaptations when a live owl visits your party.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Party Age 5+
Explore the nature playscape, Busey Woods or the nature center in search of wildlife and more!

Going Batty Party Age 6+
Delight in crafts and games that reveal the special lives of bats, the only flying mammal!

Campfire Party Age 9+
Learn how to build your own campfire, then sit back to roast marshmallows as you learn about nocturnal animals. (Available April-October, weather permitting; additional fees apply for after-hours)

Custom Party All Ages
Perhaps your child has a special nature interest – we can create a party themed with your idea in mind. Additional fees apply, and at least four weeks' notice is required.

Group Visits

Bring your group on a free self-guided visit. Groups of 10 or more people are encouraged to complete a Group Visit Request here or call 217-384-4062 in advance so we can help schedule the best visit possible. Picnic tables outside the nature center can be reserved with enough notice.

The Anita Purves Nature Center has educational items that you can borrow, including bird nests, skulls, pelts, and even a live box turtle in the "Teach with a Turtle" kit (comes with habitat and instructions)!

The nature center is also home to a variety of Resource Trunks from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR):

• IDNR Birds
• IDNR Fossils
• IDNR Insects & Spiders
• IDNR Invasive Species
• IDNR IL Past (People & Animals)
• IDNR IL State Symbols
• IDNR IL Wetlands
• IDNR Mammals
• IDNR Pollinators
• IDNR Pre-K Backpack

Complete this Loan Box Request Form to reserve an IDNR Resource Trunk, natural history items, or other educational materials from the Anita Purves Nature Center's collections. Once a request is submitted, environmental staff will be in contact.  

A minimum of one week's notice is required. Items are loaned for two weeks. 

Fees: All loan boxes require a refundable credit card deposit of $15

Students in Urbana need your help to connect with the environment and learn about nature!

Every year, Urbana Park District hosts hundreds of students on field trips to learn about nature and the environment, and for some students, this is their first exposure to natural areas. Classes can visit several of Urbana Park District’s Natural Areas: Busey Woods, Weaver Park Wetland, or Spomer Prairie at Meadowbrook Park. Each offers something different and unique for students to learn, but securing funding for these field trips is becoming increasingly difficult. Budgets for field trips and transportation are tight, and like many school districts, Urbana schools must rely on a separate company for transportation to and from field trips.

To ensure that all our Urbana classes have the opportunity to visit and learn about our natural environment, the Urbana Parks Foundation is raising funds in support of the Urbana Park District’s Connecting Classes with Nature program. Connecting Classes with Nature helps to eliminate funding barriers for class field trips and provides valuable experiences in Urbana Park District natural areas for Urbana students. Your donation to this program will have significant impact on students’ exposure to the natural world:

• $135 will cover the full cost for one class of 25-30 students to attend a field trip
• $165 will cover the cost for one bus to transport them
• $300 will cover ALL costs for one class to attend a field trip

Our local teachers are excited about getting their classes out into our natural areas and understand the vital importance of learning about our environment. Here’s what they had to say:

“This will be beneficial as we can connect environmental education to the web of life (our science unit) and allows students to connect their daily activities with environmental changes they experience on their own. My students learn best with hands-on activities and being in a new learning environment; I believe this will further their interest and excitement in learning!”

“They would benefit from this education field trip by making connections to real life and having more of an outlook on science, and we can mesh it into our curriculum.”

“My students would truly love to be engaged in an environment where hands-on activities are interactive. They love to explore and ask questions, which leads me to believe that they would truly benefit from learning outside of the classroom setting.”

Both students and teachers enjoy these field trips, so let’s get Urbana students outside and learning about their environment! 

Click here to donate!

The Urbana Park District houses a number of education animals at the Anita Purves Nature Center. Most have injuries that would compromise their survival in the wild, or were hatched in captivity and are non-releasable. All of the animals are on exhibit and are featured during educational programs with schools, scouts, and the general public.

A great gift for yourself or someone else, Animal Sponsorships support the education animals  by covering some of the cost of their food, housing and medical care. Sponsorships are available for one, six, or twelve months, with varying benefits (see below). Call 217-384-4062 or stop by the Anita Purves Nature Center to sign up!

One Month Sponsorship

• Sponsorship certificate
• Animal fact sheet with the animals history & photographs
• Your name or group displayed in the Field Station for the period of sponsorship
• An optional photo opportunity with your sponsored animal

Six Month Sponsorship

• All of the above, plus...
• A private animal care pass on feeding day for the sponsor and up to one guest

One Year Sponsorship

• All of the above, plus...
• A private animal care pass for an entire animal care shift, which includes animal feeding, for the adopter and up to three guests
• A special animal visit/program to your class or group

You can also help us feed the wildlife that visit the Anita Purves Nature Center’s Habitat Gardens by donating birdseed!

You can learn more about this season's environmental programs and events in the current Program Guide here, or check out the list of upcoming programs below.