It's right outside your door — It's nature!
Frog Watch Training
Do you enjoy listening to frogs calling? Learn to identify and count frogs as part of this citizen science program. You can participate at your own home or join the SCNC monitoring team. The monitoring season is February through August. We ask that volunteers make a commitment to monitor at least twice a month at a Sandy Creek Frog Watcher site.
Date: January 31
Time: 3-5pm
Ages: 13-adult
Fee: Free
Pre-registration is required.
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Naturalist's Walk
Join naturalists as we discover the beauty of the season. Bring binoculars, a camera, and a sense of adventure.
Ages: All (children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult).
Dates: April 25th, 2026
Times: 10-11 AM
Fee: free
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Adopt A Stream Workshop
Adopt-A-Stream Workshops-
Interested in adopting a waterway near you? Join us for the chemical and macroinvertebrate workshops to learn more about the qualities of clean water.
Ages: 13 – adult
Date: April 11th, 2026
Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fee: Free.
Pre-registration required by April 8th.
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Open House
Take a walk back in time as we explore the property's past uses and explore the 1790s Log House. Discover what UGA archaeology classes have uncovered about the brick factory. Look for evidence of past farming and take a hike along the former highway 441.
Ages: 3-Adults (children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
Date: April 4th
Time: 2:00-4:00 PM
Fee: $3/person
Special events are not scholarship eligible for events with a fee.
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Babies and Beasties
Babies & Beasties Series
Join us for a series of classes structured for toddlers and their guardians. Explore nature, learn about animals, go on hikes and make nature crafts.
Ages: 18 months - 2 years, with accompanying adult.
Dates:
Winter 2026: February 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Spring 2026: May 7th, 14th, 21st
Time: 10:00 - 10:45am
Fee: Preregistration required two days before start of series. $12/ACC resident; $18/Non-resident; SCNC Members get 10% discount
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Knee High Naturalists
Knee High Naturalist
Join nature center staff every other Wednesday as we explore the property and become green naturalist.
Ages: 3-5 years, with adult
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Fee: $24 ACC Resident, $36 Non-resident, 10% discount for SCNC Member. Preregistration required online
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Journey Through the Stars
Join us for our planetarium program in the Sky Center. We will journey through the night sky, exploring the great beyond.
Ages: Ages 5 and up. CHILDREN UNDER 13 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A REGISTERED ADULT. Anyone under 5 will not be admitted into the program. Children must be able to sit in the dark through the program portion.
Pre-registration is required.
Time: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Fee: $5/ACC resident, $8/Non-resident. This program is not scholarship eligible.
December 20th- Storytime Under the Stars- bring a blanket and snuggle up under the stars. Special stories are told this month.
January 17th- Winter Skies- see what the night sky holds during the winter months.
February 21st- Expedition Moon- see landing spots of Apollo missions, learn about the moon, and how dependent we are on the moon.
March 21st- Spring Skies and Equinox: What is and equinox? See what is visible in our Spring Nite Sky.
April 18th- Name That Planet: Think you know your planet facts? Come test your knowledge with this planet game show. Small prizes will be available.
May 9th- May the 4th be Later: Come compare star wars to our night sky. Costumes and trekkies are welcome.
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Spring Break Family Fun
Clarke County School District spring break week is April 6th-10th. SCNC is offering a variety of activities for families to do while out of school. Some programs have a fee and require pre-registration from everyone attending.
Spring Break Week of activities: Spend spring break week at SCNC! We have a variety of programs happening throughout the week.
April 7th: Family Bigfoot Hike: Go on a family friendly search for bigfoot around the nature center property. Practice calls, find clues, and see what we can find in the woods.
Price: Free
April 8th: Family Planetarium Program: Look at the spring night sky and hear stories of the constellations.
Price: $5 ACC, $8 Non ACC
April 9th: Family Program Froggy Spring Fling: Go on a night hike in search of amphibians. Listen for frogs and search for frogs and salamanders near and around Claypit pond. Please bring a flashlight and wear closed-toed shoes.
Price: $5 ACC, $8 Non ACC
April 10th: Water Open House: Go on wetland hike and learn about wetlands and other water habitats around the nature center.
Price: $3 per person (children under 3 are free)
Do you want an activity to do while visiting the nature center but want to keep your own schedule? Check out a back pack, complete a scavenger hunt and make a craft in the activity cubbies in the classroom. Visit the tree trail, the storybook trail, or go on a scavenger hunt to see the new bug house boxes.
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Tales on the Porch
Transport yourself to a time of the past when sitting by a fire and listening to a story was the entertainment. Storyteller, Jackie Elsner, will share a couple of tales for the group. Before the story begins, visit the inside of the 1810 log house and enjoy a fire and a hot beverage.
"Tales On the Porch 2026 introduces Nature Center folks to the story of Harriet Powers, Athens' internationally famous African American quilter of the nineteenth century. Jackie Elsner, storyteller, will share all the known Athens locations where Harriet Powers lived, worked, quilted, and raised her family with her husband Armstead Powers. Her quilts are exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Boston (MA) Museum of Fine Arts. We will share the afternoon together at the Nature Center just spitting distance from their farm on Old Commerce Road! We are thrilled to share her story with you!"
Date: January 17
Time: 3:00-4:30pm
Ages: 16 years and up
Fee: $3, pre-registration
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Valentine's Day Planetarium
Come to the nature center this Valentine’s Day and share a magical evening with your beloved beneath the shimmering night sky. Let celestial stories whisk you away on a journey of love and wonder, as soft music fills the air around you. Together, relax under the stars, then warm your hearts with cozy drinks and sweet cookies, creating memories as timeless as the heavens above.
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Oconee Rivers Audubon Society Monthly Meeting
The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society meets the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Sandy Creek Nature Center from October - May. Meetings are open to the public.
Check our calendar to confirm the date and location (we occasionally meet on the UGA campus). We invite speakers from a wide spectrum of backgrounds to present on topics ranging from conservation to paleontology.
http://www.oconeeriversaudubon.org/
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Night Explorers: OWLS
We'll adventure out into the night to see what becomes active after dark. Our focus will be in search of owls. We will learn about owls in the area then call for them on the trails. Bring a flashlight. Children under 13 must be accompanied by a registered adult.
Ages: 5 years and up (children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
Date: Feb. 27
Time: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Fee: $5 per ACC resident, $7 Non-Resident. Pre-registration is required.
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First Saturday Park Play
Join Leisure Services staff on the first Saturday of each month discovering the wonders of nature. Family groups will engage in hikes, games, and activities where we learn, build, and explore. Activities will rotate throughout the seasons. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
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Bring Back Your Backyard: Invasives 101
Join us to learn more about Athens' most unwanted yard guests and how you can safely and effectively evict them. We will discuss what an invasive species is, why they aren't the best yard plants, and how to identify some of the most common invasives in Athens. Then we will offer up some practical ways to treat and remove them from your yard.
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Women in Science
Celebrate the incredible contributions of women in science at our upcoming event at the Nature Center! Join us for an inspiring program that highlights the stories and achievements of women who have shaped the fields of biology, ecology, astronomy, and beyond. This event is a wonderful opportunity for learners of all ages to discover, explore, and be inspired by the trailblazing women who continue to make a difference in science today.
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Kite Day
Celebrate National Kite Month with Leisure Services! Take part in the high-flying whimsical fun of kites while enjoying the Spring weather. Kite-making stations, kite-flying demonstrations, and other fun activities for all ages. Bring your own kite or borrow one of ours. This program is designed as a drop-in activity for anyone and everyone to participate in kite-themed fun!
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Public drop-in program
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Kite Day
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N/A
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N/A
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Sa
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04/18/2026
11:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Sandy Creek Park - Pavilion #2
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$0.00 Res, $0.00 Non-Res
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Enjoy National Kite Month at Sandy Creek Park with kite-flying and other kite-themed activities.
No registration is required. Loaner kites are first-come first-served. Staff will be available to assist with program activities for the duration of the event.
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Quiet Paws
This program is designed for kids aged 6-12 that thrive in a quiet, low-stimulus environment. We will meet some of our ambassador animals and do an activity together, all in a small group and a sensory friendly atmosphere.
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Senior Craft & Chat
Meet community while you get your garden ready for spring and make a mosaic garden stone.
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Tween Nature Art
Ages 10-13, join us during Spring Break to make a few nature crafts!
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Teen Hike
Grades 6-12, join us for a hike on the Birchmore Trail and enjoy the last day of Spring Break outside! We’ll begin and end in the Memorial Park Rec Hall, where we will have some snacks!
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Nature Crafting
Let’s get outside and get crafty as we make cyanotype rocks!
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WATER You Painting?
Join Memorial Park and the Water Conservation Office for a paint-by-numbers watercolor evening on April 21st, from 6-7pm. Participants will receive a watercolor goodie bag and giveaways from the Water Conservation Office while learning tips on saving water at home.
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