MCKINNEY, TX (March 15, 2014) Spring: when nature wakes from its winter slumber. Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary will celebrate this beautiful season with two outdoor events in April: the annual Spring Plant Sale April 11th through 13th and the new festival, Heritage Day on April 26th.
SPRING PLANT SALE
Member Pre-Sale: April 11th, 4-7 p.m.
Open to the Public: April 12th, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. & April 13, 1-5 p.m.
For more than 20 years, veteran and novice gardeners alike have anticipated this rare opportunity to purchase plants from a huge selection of hard-to-find herbs, native and well-adapted plants. This year, the Heard will provide some of the best plants for North Central Texas gardens and an opportunity to obtain many rare plants.
The Member Pre-Sale is open to Heard Museum members only, but memberships will be available at the event. All sales are tax free and proceeds from this fundraiser benefit Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary. Guests are welcome to bring carts or wagons to facilitate their purchases.
Did you know…this January was the driest in over 40 years? So, landscaping with native plants (like the ones in the Heard Museum’s plant sale) is a great way to save water during this drought and beyond. Learn more here: srh.noaa.gov/fwd/?n=drought
HERITAGE DAY
On April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. guests are invited to celebrate the history of the Blackland Prairie at Heritage Day, presented by Clif KiD. The Heard will host demonstrations, entertainment, educational programming, and vendors to give visitors a view into our region’s culture and history.
This event also features the grand opening of the Heard’s new Pioneer Village comprised of eight buildings in playhouse scale that emulate structures typical of prairie settlements in the late 1800s. Kids will be invited to go back in time and have fun playing in and exploring these buildings including a miniature school house, grocery store and settler’s cabins!
Through the Pioneer Village exhibit, the Heard hopes to continue to connect visitors to the history of the prairie and also its ecological significance. Less than 1% of the Blackland Prairie remains, making the tallgrass prairie the most-endangered large ecosystem in North America.
Heritage Day is included in general admission: $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and children (ages 3-12), and free for children ages 2 and under. Heard Museum members get in FREE. City of McKinney residents also get in free with a valid driver’s license indicating McKinney residence, or McKinney water bill accompanied by a valid driver’s license with a matching name.
Upcoming Events
Family Canoe Try-It – March 15, 1PM-4PM
Have you ever wanted to try canoeing? We invite you to give it a try! No experience is necessary for this program. After a safety and paddling instruction, spend about 40 minutes on a guided canoe trail around the Heard wetlands, followed by free time to explore on your own. Pre-registration required.
Scout Badge Workshops – please see scheduled dates; may also be available by reservation (based on group size and date). Earn a badge or just participate in a fun nature-based activity with your group! Each two-hour workshop is specifically geared to meet the requirements for the listed organization’s badge, but they are open to any group.
- Webelos: Naturalist – April 5, May 17
- Webelos: Forester – April 12
- Webelos: Geologist – April 5, May 17
- Bear Cub: Sharing your World with Wildlife – March 22, May 10
- Bear Cub: Water & Soil Conservation – March 22, May 10
- Brownies: Wonder of Water – May 3
- Brownies: Senses – May 3
- Guided Trail: April 12
- Boy Scout Environmental Science Merit Badge: March 29 & April 5 (both dates required)
Zip Line Day – April 6, June 8, August 3, October 5
Soar through the treetops of the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary as you travel down the Ropes Course’s zip line! Purchase one ticket for each time you would like to go down the zip line. Pre-registration required.
Spring Plant Sale – April 11-13
Spring is a great time to start landscaping your yard. For more than 20 years, veteran and novice gardeners alike have anticipated this rare opportunity to purchase plants from a huge selection of hard-to-find herbs, native and well-adapted plants.
This year, the Heard will provide some of the best plants for North Central Texas gardens and an opportunity to obtain many rare plants. Sales are tax free and proceeds benefit Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary. Please feel free to bring your own cart or wagon to facilitate your purchase!
3-Hour Canoe Trail: Sunset Paddle – April 12, 4PM
Have you ever wanted to try canoeing? We invite you to give it a try! No experience is necessary for this program. After a safety and paddling instruction, spend about 40 minutes on a guided canoe trail around the Heard wetlands, followed by free time to explore on your own. Pre-registration required.
Heard Nature Investigators – April 13, May 4
New! Heard Nature Investigators is a nature club designed for children in 1st-5th grade. Kids, come on your own or bring an adult as we investigate a different nature topic each month. Learn about dinosaurs, how animals winter survival, and what lives in Bullfrog Pond. Create a nature journal, plant flowers, meet live animals, explore our trails and more. HNI meets one Sunday a month, as scheduled, from 2:00-4:30pm. Club dues: $17/member or $20/non-member per person for each session.
Heritage Day – April 26
Celebrate the history of the Blackland Prairie. The Heard will host demonstrations, entertainment, educational programming, and vendors to give visitors a view into our region’s culture and history. This event also features the grand opening of the Heard’s new Pioneer Village. Presented by Clif KiD.
Spring Night Hike – May 3
If you’ve ever been on a hike and the sun set before you finished, you know that experiencing a trail at night can be a completely different experience from hiking during the day. Landmarks change, as can your sense of direction. Even if you’ve hiked a trail several times, it can feel completely unfamiliar. Explore the thrilling sights, smells, and sounds of night with Heard Trail Guides. Night hikers will be encouraged to sharpen their senses to be able to spot signs of animal life and learn more about the inhabitants of the Heard. Preregistration required.
Ropes Course Adventure Day – May 4, July 6, September 7 (Please note date changes)
Experience an exciting ropes course program. The ropes course usually requires a group (of 10 or more) in order to participate. On this day, however, individuals or groups may come out the course and get a chance to experience our challenging ropes course! You’ll have a chance to participate in 3 High Rope Elements at least once (possibly more as time allows): Team Power Pole, Bessie’s Tree Climb, and an exciting chance to soar down 500 ft long zip line. Plus, enjoy low ropes elements.
3-Hour Canoe Trail – May 17, 9:30 a.m.
Give canoeing a try! No experience is necessary for this program. After a safety and paddling instruction, spend about 40 minutes on a guided canoe trail around the Heard wetlands, followed by free time to explore on your own. Pre-registration required.
Youth Ropes Course Adventure – June 10, July 11; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Kids ages 7 through 14 will have the opportunity to help plan their own ropes course adventure! This program will allow adventuresome participants to choose from several of the low and high ropes course elements…including the widely-popular zip line. The fee for this three-hour program is $45 per person. Kids are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Pre-registration required.
Summer Mini-Camps – July 1, July 2, July 3; 9:30am – noon
Ages: 5-12 (we are doing each day as a drop-off program, not as an adult-child program this year, will need collect health/emergency information like we do for Nature Club drop offs). Tuition: $20/non-member; $17/members.
- Tuesday (7/1): Reptile Round Up: Discover more about reptiles.
- Wednesday (7/2): What Does the Fox Really Say? Learn about different ways animals communicate.
- Thursday (7/3): Magic Metamorphosis: Learn about the amazing changes some animals go through.
Heard Summer Nature Camps – June – August
Public registration begins March 4
- Summer Nature Camps
9:30AM-2:30PM
$210/members | $235/non-members
Ages: 5-12 Years (as of June 1)
Heard Summer Camps will feature opportunities to delve into the wonders of nature on our 289-acre sanctuary, encounter animal ambassadors, investigate nature-themed topics, and more!
- Camp Raccoon
June 16-20; June 23-27
- Camp Fox
July 7-11; July 14-18
- Nature Art Camp
June 9-13; July 21-25
9AM-Noon
$160/members | $185/non-members
Ages: 6-12 Years (as of June 1)
Youth artists will follow in the footsteps of great artists such as Audubon and Money with unique opportunities to create their own art inspired by nature and live animals. Each day, a different type of medium will be explored. All art supplies are included.
- Keeper Camps
9:30AM-2:30PM
$260/members | $285/non-members
Ages: 10-15 Years (as of June 1)
- Keeper 1
June 9-13; July 21-25
Campers experience a behind-the-scenes, hands-on adventure with our education and exhibit animals. Learn about our different animals and what it takes to properly care for them.
- Keeper 2
July 28-August 1
Want more? Continue your adventure and discover even more about taking care of animals and enriching the lives of our animal ambassadors. Prerequisite: must have attended Keeper Camp 1 or a previous Animal Adventure Camp.
Homeschool & Preschool Natural Science Programs – Fall classes begin in September
Now is the time to encourage your child’s love of nature! Preschool and homeschool children will have the opportunity explore all that Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary has to offer. In each class, your child will be engaged in hands-on learning that promotes a connection to nature.
Permanent Features and Programs Available by Reservation
Permanent features:
– 289 acres with five habitats: Blackland prairie, ephemeral wetlands, bottomland forest, upland forest and white rock escarpment
– 6 nature trails (Jogging stroller only, please. Carriers available to borrow, while supplies last.)
– Native Plant Garden
– Native Texas Butterfly Garden
– One of the best and most popular locations for bird watching in the region
Permanent Exhibits:
- Pioneer Village – NEW Included in seasonal general admission. School teachers check website for special pricing for groups and guided-tour opportunities.This exhibit features eight playhouses that emulate structures that would have been typical in prairie settlements in the late 1800s. Kids will love going back in time and have fun playing in and exploring these buildings including a miniature school house, grocery store and settler’s cabins! Through this exhibit, the Heard hopes to continue to connect visitors to the history of the endangered tallgrass prairie and its ecological significance. Less than 1% of the Blackland Prairie remains, making the tallgrass prairie the most-endangered large ecosystem in North America.
- Cave Room – NEW Included in seasonal general admission. School teachers check website for special pricing for groups and guided-tour opportunities.
Go spelunking at the Heard! The new Cave Room at the Heard gives visitors a chance to explore fascinating animals that live or specimens of minerals that are discovered below ground. Highlights of the exhibit include fluorescing minerals under black light and hands-on minerals that visitors may touch. - Animals of the World
The mission of the Heard Museum is to motivate visitors to care enough about the natural world to take interest in restoring and preserving the earth’s ecosystems. By utilizing wild animal ambassadors that emotionally connect our visitors to the places these animals live, we can inspire children and adults to take a more proactive role in conserving wild spaces.
- Native Texas Snakes More than 12 species of venomous and non-venomous snakes call the Heard home and educate visitors about their importance in our eco-system.
- Shell Room – The Shell Room hosts a fascinating collection of preserved invertebrate marine specimens and artifacts collected by Miss Heard over decades. Two of the most unique features are the complete lifecycle of the Conch and the giant marine clam – a favorite place for little people to sit.
- Fossil Dig
Your budding paleontologist is invited to discover the fun of fossil excavation and pretend to search for fossils. - Living Lab
The Living Lab allows people of all ages to explore the natural sciences including biology, ecology and geology and invites a better understanding of The Heard’s most valuable asset—the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary. The Living Lab features three dioramas, which provide a glimpse into the major ecosystems found at The Heard, a seasonal working bee hive and more.
Available by reservation:
- Earth Science Outreach Program
The Heard’s hands-on, investigative, and informative Earth Science Outreach Programs are led by a professional geophysicist with years of teaching experience. These programs will also help to improve your students’ comprehension of key Earth Science topics and raise test scores. - Ropes Course
- Outreach Programs
- EcoAdventures Paddle Program
Temporary Exhibits:
Native Texas Butterfly House & Garden – May 24-September 14
Included in general admission
Walk among free-flying native butterflies and other pollinators in our Native Texas Butterfly House & Garden. The butterfly house includes native species, which vary by season and what is available from suppliers. Our butterfly garden is filled with host plants that naturally attract these lovely creatures. You may even find a few ideas to try in your own garden! This area is also a great setting for nature photography.
About Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
The Heard was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard. Miss Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. Today, the Heard’s mission of bringing nature and people together is carried out through education, particularly of young people, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation. For more information, visit heardmuseum.org.
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