Nearly 120,000 guests took advantage of free educational activities at state parks last summer, courtesy of the DNR’s explorer guide program. This season, you can do the same at 30 state parks with similar programming that everyone in the family can enjoy!

If you want to join the fun and learn something new, here’s a peek at what’s happening around the state.

Many explorer guide programs focus on wildlife, with topics ranging from scat identification to ecosystem diversity. Want to learn about the world’s only flying mammals and how to help protect them? Check out the bat programs happening June 28 at Lakeport State Park, near Port Huron, and at Van Riper State Park, near Ishpeming.

“Bats are super cool creatures that do great things for our ecosystem,” said Paige Setzer, the explorer guide at Lakeport State Park. “They help us by eating hundreds of mosquitoes each night. They also do a lot of pollinating for agave, which is used to make tequila, and cacao, which is used to make chocolate.”

In addition to teaching about wildlife, many explorer guides lead hands-on activities in which you can pick up new skills or form a deeper connection with nature. For instance, at Wilderness State Park, located near Mackinaw City, you can learn how to tie knots in an emergency, and at Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area, near Flint, you can make a pollinator kite.

“Art is a great way to get the attention of different types of people, because creativity has no limitations,” said Margo Gilbert, the explorer guide at Metamora-Hadley. “Because recognizable pollinators like bees and butterflies fly, using a kite to showcase pollination allows for connections to be made in the participants’ minds as they’re interacting with the hands-on craft.”

Guided hikes are another way to enjoy the explorer guide program this summer. Hikes can focus on topics such as tree or bird identification or simply enjoying nature in a group setting, like the sunset hike June 27 at Van Buren State Park, by South Haven.

“Our park has an incredible view of the sun at sunset, especially as it reflects off the lake surface,” said Sam Burgess, the explorer guide at Van Buren State Park. “We have many programs that focus on biological or geological elements, but I want to make sure we have dedicated time to enjoy the beauty of our park as well.”

For more information and?weekly nature program schedules?at the 30 explorer guide parks, visit?Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms.?Questions about the?DNR’s?explorer guide program? Contact?Shaun McKeon?at 989-370-0789