Instead of reaching for a second s’more, take a break from your evening campfire this week and join our explorer guides for family-friendly, nighttime education programs at several state parks – from bats and owls to meteor showers and glowing rocks!

In the Upper Peninsula, Marquette County’s Van Riper State Park will host a program about bats July 30. Michigan is home to nine different types of bats, and unfortunately, five of these are at risk of disappearing. This makes it a timely opportunity to learn about these creatures that are becoming increasingly rare.

Harrisville State Park, in Alcona County, will have ultraviolet flashlights available for guests to borrow July 30 and Aug. 3 to aid in searching the beach for yooperlites. Typically found in the U.P., these rocks glow under UV light due to their high sodalite content.

If you are curious about owls and aren't afraid to get your hands a little dirty, join the explorer guide at Houghton County’s McLain State Park July 31 to dissect owl pellets and learn about their hunting habits. You also can try to spot one of Michigan’s 11 owl species in the wild on a guided hike Aug. 2 at St. Clair County’s Lakeport State Park. A double meteor shower featuring the?Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids?is expected to peak this week, offering a chance to see up to 25 meteors per hour. You can watch the showers at any of our dark sky parks, or join a watch party July 31 at Huron County’s Port Crescent State Park. For more information and?weekly nature program schedules,?visit Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms.?Questions about the?DNR’s?explorer guide program? Contact?Shaun McKeon?at 989-370-0789.?