NATURE & OUTDOORS Birding: Coffee with the Birds (Ages 18 & Older)
Boating: Sailing I (Ages 18 & Older)
Map & Compass: Orienteering Workshop (Ages 16 & Older and Children accompanied by Parent/Guardian)
Wellness: Fitness in Nature (Ages 18 & Older)
Park Trails Open Dawn to Dusk Daily
Looking for a quick escape from the city blues? Visit Ernie Miller Park and Nature Center. A walk through the 116-acre park will take you through a diverse range of habitats: tallgrass prairie, upland meadows, bottomland forest, and stream. View birds from the wildlife viewing room as they visit the feeders and water features. Learn more about native fish as you observe them in a 500-gallon aquarium. Discover more about the park’s wildlife and history through exhibits and live animal displays. Ernie Miller Nature Center provides a laboratory for learning, understanding, and admiring nature. Programs offer experiences that help to create awareness and respect for wildlife and habitat. In addition to the listings in this brochure, Park Police and Naturalists present a variety of fun educational programs for all ages. For more information about the center’s school, youth, and preschool programs call (913) 764-7759.
Ernie Miller Park & Shawnee Mission Park Orienteering Courses
The Possum Trot Orienteering Club has designed two orienteering courses for different skill levels. There is no fee to use any course. Ernie Miller Park is a short course which is easy for the beginner to navigate, while the “Trim” orienteering course at Shawnee Mission Park is a great education facility for school and youth groups. Full-color park maps are available for $2 for Ernie Miller Park, $4 for Shawnee Mission Park. Call (913) 764-7759 for more information on the Ernie Miller Park course, or (913) 888-4713 for more information on the Shawnee Mission Park course.
Wilderness Skills: Yukon Pack (Ages 18 & Older, children 12 and older must be accompanied by Parent/ Guardian)
Spring is here - let’s go outside and explore. Learn how to make a Yukon pack to take on your next adventure. We will be using simple supplies to create the pack. Then take a hike on some secret trails in the nature park. Supplies included in cost of class. For more information contact Senior Park Naturalist Molly Postlewait at (913) 826-2804. Registration fee is nonrefundable. 1 - 60 min. class - $22 / $24 nonresidents 41291 Ernie Miller Nature Center 4/14 Sat 9 am
www.JCPRD.com
(913) 831-3359
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Locations on Page 66
Winter Hours Nov. 1 through Feb. 28 Monday - Saturday 9 am to 4:30 pm (Closed Noon to 1 pm for Lunch) Sunday 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
50 PLUS
Get moving at the nature park. This class will combine the positive effects of being in nature with the benefits of an outdoor workout. We will travel on the trails for an easy to moderate cardio challenge then finish with stretching and yoga. For more information contact Park Naturalist Molly Postlewait at (913) 826-2804. In case of inclement weather activities will be indoors. 8 - 60 min. sessions - $59 / $65 nonresidents 41424 Ernie Miller Nature Center 3/6 Tue 6:30 am
Summer Hours March 1 through Oct. 31 Monday - Saturday 9 am to 5 pm (Closed Noon to 1 pm for Lunch) Sunday 1 to 5 pm Closed Sundays from June 1 - Aug. 31
ADULT
Do you like to hike cross-country but fear losing your way? This beginner’s workshop introduces you to orienteering, a fun way of learning the basic skills for using a topographic map and a magnetic compass. This class includes a practice orienteering hike in the park. Workbook and loan of compass are provided. Dress for the weather. Instructor: Possum Trot Orienteering Club. Earns JCPRD U Environmental credit 1 - 3 hr. class - $15 / $17 nonresidents 41284 Ernie Miller Nature Center 4/28 Sat 9 am
(913) 764-7759 www.erniemiller.com
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Learn the basic skill of sailing. Types of boats, launching techniques, docking, maintenance, and safety will be examined and studied in this class. Sailing I consists of two indoor lecture sessions and four water sessions. Indoor sessions will be held Tuesday and Thursday at the JCPRD Administration Building in Shawnee Mission Park and the outdoor sessions on Saturday mornings at Shawnee Mission Park Lake. If you wish to use your own boat, please call Officer Seth Salmans at (913) 826-3491. Basic swimming skills required. Instructor: Johnson County Sailing Society. 6 - 2 hr. sessions - $69 / $75 nonresidents 41283 JCPRD Admin. Bldg. 4/24 T,Th 7 pm Shawnee Mission Park Lake 4/28 Sat 9 am
909 North K-7 Highway Olathe, Kansas, 66061 (1 mile north of 135th Street)
YOUTH
Winter is a wonderful time for bird watching. Chickadees, woodpeckers, juncos, cardinals, and more can be seen busily eating at the feeders to warm their little bodies. Enjoy the comfy Wildlife Viewing Room at Ernie Miller Nature Center every Tuesday in January and February to sit, drink free coffee, and visit while watching our feathered friends. For more information call (913) 764-7759. 9 - 90 min. sessions - FREE (Come and go as you please) Ernie Miller Nature Center 1/2 Tue 9 am
ERNIE MILLER NATURE CENTER
PRESCHOOL
LOW INTENSITY: Improve circulation, regulate your metabolism, increase flexibility and coordination with this Yoga class. You will lengthen your muscles while increasing both muscle and bone density. Yoga participants of all levels are welcome. Join us for this class, and find out all the benefits of Yoga in your life. For additional information please contact (913) 826-2950. No class 1/16. Earns JCPRD U Physical Credit 6 - 50 min. sessions - $45 / $50 nonresidents 42043 Mill Creek Activity Center 1/8 Mon 5:30 pm 42044 Mill Creek Activity Center 1/17 Wed 5:30 pm 42045 Mill Creek Activity Center 2/26 Mon 5:30 pm 42046 Mill Creek Activity Center 2/28 Wed 5:30 pm 42047 Mill Creek Activity Center 4/9 Mon 5:30 pm 42048 Mill Creek Activity Center 4/11 Wed 5:30 pm
FUN FOR ALL
Yoga: Yoga (Ages 14 & Older)