Park and Recreation and the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center summer programs begin this week. If you have not signed up, call our office or the nature center at 1-507-437-7519 and ask about availability.

The nature center has openings for the Heritage Survival Class for ages 10-11. Cost is $60 or $55 for Friends of the Nature Center members. Half scholarships are also available.

This class starts at 9 a.m. on Monday, so if you are interested call the nature center and leave a message and a return number. Class continues for the week: 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday; 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday; 9 a.m. to noon Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

Other nature center classes that still have some openings include Little Wonders and the Zoo in My Back Yard with Billie Jo Wicks, Little Explorers with David Stokes, Junior Ranger Rick and the Junior Naturalists with Tom Butusov, Monarch Magic, and the August Bison Class with Maria Anderson, Nature Photography and Monarch Tagging. Call the Nature Center to see which times and dates are available.

The Austin Municipal pool will also open at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 8. Season memberships are available for purchase at the Park and Recreation office or at the pool when it opens.

 

Explore the water

The Nature Center rents canoes and kayaks for use on Dobbins Creek to East Side Lake or on our pond. Rentals are available Monday to Saturday (no rentals on Sundays or city of Austin holidays), now through Sept. 26.

Rentals are first-come, first-served. No reservations. Patrons who are 16 and older may rent canoes and kayaks and children must be accompanied by an adult. Single kayaks can be used by children who are in first grade and older. We have six single and two tandem kayaks. Life jackets and paddles are provided.

Patrons are responsible for transport of the canoe or kayak to and from the pond or Dobbins Creek. Canoe/kayak rollers will be available.

Individual canoe or kayak rentals are $10 for up to three hours. New this year you can purchase a canoe/kayak punch card for $25 and receive five canoe or kayak rentals for half the fee. Check or cash only. Punch cards are available in $25 increments only. We are not responsible for lost or stolen cards. Our special thanks go to Gary and Pat Ray for their generous donation and to the Austin Area Foundation for awarding us a grant to purchase the eight kayaks, paddles, trailer and equipment

 

Nature Play

Nature Play afternoons are from 1 to 4 p.m. so get outside and discover nature with your child. Enjoy free canoe and new kayak rentals, a guest presenter with a nature program or music theme, pond scooping for aquatic critters, netting butterflies and dragonflies, archery, geocaching, crayfish hunting, self-guided nature trail activities, and more on eight select Thursdays: Thursday 18, 25, July 9, 16, 23, Aug. 6 and 20 and one Friday on July 31. For more information go to www.hormelnaturecenter.org or call 507-437-7519.

 

Tennis camp

Are you interested in tennis camp? We have opened the camp up to those in ninth through 12th-grade. Camp starts Monday with fifth and sixth-graders at 9 a.m. and seventh to 12th-graders at 10:30 a.m. Our office will open at 8 a.m. Monday if you are interested.