Summer Opportunities

Wildflowers A wide range of classes are offered through our adult and family programs each summer. In addition, summer programs for people of all ages take place at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

 

Shaw Family Adventures

Crayfish
Shaw Family Adventures are a series of summer classes for families with children ages 3 and up. These “adventures” will include hands-on activities that encourage kids to get up-close and personal with nature. Whether netting for aquatic organisms or exploring a rotting log, these experiences are sure to leave a lasting impression on young minds!

These programs are scheduled for weekdays in June. Registration is required. See a listing of upcoming classes at the Shaw Nature Reserve.

Information for Camp Directors

Dragonfly
Attention Summer Camp Directors!
Let us help you give your campers an experience like none other in the great outdoors. Whether spending the night at our Dana Brown Overnight Center or visiting for a daytime field trip, your camp group can have an adventure to remember at the Shaw Nature Reserve.

  • 2,400 acres of native Missouri habitats
  • 14 miles of hiking trails
  • Access to the Meramec River, ponds, streams and wetlands
  • Visit our tipi and sod house in a tall grass prairie
  • Spend the night in historic log lodges with air conditioning and indoor plumbing!
  • Only 35 miles west of St. Louis

Download 2012 fees

For more information about programs, please contact Aileen Abbott:
(636) 451-3512 x 6081
aileen.abbott@mobot.org

SIFT (Shaw Institute for Field Training)

SIFT Participants learn about aquatic ecologySIFT is an informal field-based education program for high school students. Applicants apply during the spring of their sophomore year. Current students attend from schools in the following Missouri counties: Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Louis City.

The SIFT program begins with a one-week summer field training experience at the Shaw Nature Reserve during which participants are introduced to a variety of Missouri ecosystems and gain skills necessary to conduct field research. These skills include plant and animal identification, biotic sampling and census techniques, testing of abiotic factors and training in the use of GPS and GIS.

The program continues during the school year as the participants are involved in important research and restoration activities including invasive species management, prairie reconstruction, wetland mitigation and prescribed burns.

Download a brochure