Programs and Upcoming Presentations
Upcoming Presentations
All programs are designed to teach participants about nature and are fun, fascinating and engaging. Outdoors, we will encounter wild animals and plants in their natural homes. Some programs can be adapted to take place indoors; they include wildlife artefacts and activities along with some live animals, and audio-visual presentations. Hover over “programs” on the main menu for a list of school and community programs.
Amazing Backyard Birds!
Guelph Public Library
Saturday, December 6, 2025: 2:00 – 3:00 pm, main library, program room
Discover birds that spend the winter in your neighbourhood and learn how to attract them to your yard with Dan the Nature Man. For primary and junior grades and their caregivers. Please register.
Past Programs
Magnificent Monarchs
Milton Public Library, Beaty Branch
Thursday, August 14, 2025 1:30 – 2:30 Children 8 – 12 years of age (registration required)
Milton is a summer home for the most famous butterfly in the world. It’s also on their migration path! Join Dan the Nature Man to explore the lives and travels of the amazing Monarch butterfly. We will also explore Beaty’s pollinator garden to learn how we can help Monarchs and other beautiful butterflies.
Amazing Butterflies and Moths
Hamilton Public Library, Barton St Branch
Tuesday August 19, 11:00 – 12:00, School age children (6 – 12)
Join Dan the Nature Man to discover the world of our beautiful butterflies and moths. Learn how to help them, including the endangered Monarch butterfly. Dan will bring some live caterpillars for close-up encounters!
Mighty Pollinators
Milton Public Library, Beaty Branch
Thursday, July 31, 2025 1:30 – 2:30 Children 8 – 12 years of age (registration required)
Did you know that one out of three bites of our food comes from pollinators? Join Dan the Nature Man to explore their world, from bees to butterflies to beetles and even bats. Learn how you can help the ones that live around you. Part of our time will be spent studying pollinators in Beaty Branch’s amazing pollinator gardens!
The Great Bug Hunt
Milton Public Library, Beaty Branch
Friday July 11, 1:30 – 2:30, children 8-12, registration required
Join Dan the Nature Man to learn about the amazing bug world. We will make exciting discoveries both indoors and outside in Beaty’s amazing pollinator gardens. Meet Charlotte, a special and gentle Mexican guest!
Ontario Butterflies
Kortright Centre for Conservation
Saturday, July 12, 10:00 – 4:00
The Awesome Bug Show
Brantford Public Library
Monday, July 14, 2:30
Take a deep dive into the amazing world of bugs! A close-up look with Dan the Nature Man will reveal a fascinating world of insects and their close cousins, including spiders. Meet Charlotte, a special and gentle Mexican guest!
Amazing Butterflies and Moths
Hamilton Public Library, Locke St. Branch
Wednesday, July 16, 11:00 – 12:00
Fantastic Frogs!
Milton Public Library
Friday March 14, 2:00 – 3:00, children 8 – 12
Join Dan the Nature Man to learn about our amazing frogs! We’ll be part of a frog choir, and find out which ones will be singing soon in our ponds and wetlands. Registration required.
Guelph Public Library Family Programs
Fantastic Frogs, Toads and Salamanders!
Saturday, April 13, 2024: 10:30 – 11:30, main library, program room
Come out and experience the sights and sounds of these amazing amphibians! Some of our local species will be special guests at this program. Learn how to find them in your neighbourhood! For primary and junior grades and their caregivers. Please register.
Amazing Backyard Birds!
Saturday, February 3, 2024: 2:30 – 3:30 pm, main library, program room
Discover birds that spend the winter in your neighbourhood and learn how to attract them to your yard with Dan the Nature Man. For primary and junior grades and their caregivers. Please register.
MMMMaple Syrup!
Saturday March 23, 2024 11:00 am – 12:00 am
March is Maple Month! Join Dan the Nature Man to find out about the amazing Canadian product that comes from our forests! Find out how maple syrup is made, and taste your way through different maple syrup grades… we’ll even try rare treats like birch and walnut syrup! It’ll be a sweet experience!
Guelph Public Library Nature Series for Adults
The Magic of Winter Tracking
Monday January 15, 2024 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Discovering tracks in winter’s white tapestry of snow reveals much about who lives here, and even what they were doing. Tracking adds pleasure and intrigue to winter’s wanders. Even if we don’t have snow, we’ll discover many of our animal neighbours’ clues. Please register by contacting the Guelph Public Library.
Guelph Public Library Nature Series for Adults
Fall Colour Walk
Monday, October 16 2023 1:00 – 2:00 University of Guelph Arboretum (registration required)
Discover the glory of autumn colours at the University of Guelph Arboretum with Dan the Nature Man. Find out how to identify trees at a distance by their fall colour, and why our trees are world famous for their autumn show. We will also search out colourful flowers and berries that brighten an October stroll.
Creepy Crawly Creatures
Guelph Public Library
Saturday, October 21: 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Discover spiders, snakes and bats with Dan the Nature Man. For primary and junior grades. Please register each child attending.
Spectacular Spiders
Milton Public Library
Tuesday, August 8 11:00 Kids age 6 – 8 Sherwood Branch
Tuesday, August 8 1:30 Children age 9-12
Hunters, fishers and trappers…spiders are about the world’s most impressive predators. Join Dan the Nature Man and discover wolf spiders, jumping spiders, crab spiders, nursery spiders, fishing spiders and more….we’ll learn some amazing stories and how to tell these creatures apart. In addition to pictures and videos, we’ll head outside to look for our eight-legged neighbours. Meet and shake hands with Mexican gues Charlotte, a gentle and harmless tarantula, who would love to teach you about her relatives!
Mighty Pollinators
Milton Public Library, Beaty Branch
Wednesday August 9 10:30 – 11:30 children age 6 – 8 (registration required)
12:00 – 1:00 children age 9 – 12 ( registration required)
Do you know that one out of three bites of our food comes from pollinators? Join Dan the Nature Man to explore the world of pollinators, from bees to butterflies to beetles and even bats. Learn how you can help pollinators that live around you. We’ll have games, pictures and videos, activities and we’ll also head outside to look for local pollinators at work!
The Great Bug Hunt
Guelph Public Library
West End Branch 2:00 – 3:00 JK to grade 6 (registration required)
Have an adventure with Dan the Nature Man. Go on a bug hunt to discover some of Guelph’s most amazing insects and spiders.
Guelph Public Library Nature Series for Adults
Spring Wildflower Hike
Monday, May 29 1:00 – 2:00 Adults Meet at the University of Guelph Arboretum (registration required)
We will discover and learn fascinating stories about our woodland wildflowers. Which ones are edible? Which ones are poisonous? Which ones add beauty to spring walks (all of them!).
Maple Syrup
Saturday, March 25 2:00 – 3:00 Adults (registration required)
Join Dan the Nature Man and learn about spring’s favourite treat. We’ll have a taste test, which will also include birch and walnut syrup! Learn which maple trees are good to tap , and discover some tips about making maple syrup and maple sugar at home.
Backyard Winter Birds
Saturday January 14 2:00 – 3:00 (registration required)
Trees in Winter
Discover the beauty of trees in winter, and learn how to identify them with the three B’s (bark, buds, branching) with Dan the Nature Man.
Saturday, February 11 2:00 – 3:00 Adults. Meet at the University of Guelph Arboretum (registration required).
Who Goes There? (Animal Tracking)
Friday January 6 10:30AM – 11:30AM
Milton Public Library main branch, age 7 – 10 (registration required)
Become a nature detective! Join Dan the Nature Man to learn about clues, such as tracks in the snow, chewings, nests and even scats! We’ll solve the mystery of which animals live all around us but are not often seen. Make your winter hikes way more fun! See actual artifacts, do some quizzes and games and take home some fun identification challenges. Let’s get tracking!
Cool Birds
Friday January 6 1:30PM – 2:30PM (registration required)
Milton Public Library, Sherwood Branch, age 7 – 10
Join Dan the Nature Man to learn about our amazing winter birds. With pictures and sounds we’ll learn which bird is which, and hear some great stories about them. We’ll build bird feeders from recycled materials, and find out how to responsibly feed our backyard feathered friends.
FESTIVE TREATS FOR ANIMAL FRIENDS
Saturday, December 10
Guelph Public Library in-person program (registration required)
Join Dan the Nature Man to learn how to make your back yard or nearby park a better place for wild animals. We’ll use containers that would normally be thrown away or recycled to make shelters and bird feeders.
SENSATIONAL SNAKES!
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:30 – 3:30
Guelph Public Library in-person program (registration required)
Join Dan the Nature Man to explore the fascinating world of snakes. We’ll focus on our neighbour snakes in Ontario and around Guelph. Meet some live creature teachers!
THE GREAT SPIDER HUNT!
Saturday September 17, 2022 2:30 – 3:30
Guelph Public Library in-person program (registration required)
Join Dan the Nature Man to learn about the amazing world of spiders (and their insect friends) that live all around us! We’ll head into a local meadow to catch many incredible “bugs” with sweep nets, and we’ll play bug bingo as we do this. Meet Charlotte, a special Mexican guest – she’ll give you a “high five!”.
Weird, Strange and Unusual Animals of Ontario
Saturday, February 12 2:30 – 3:30
Guelph Public Library Virtual Program (registration required – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/6114090
All of our wildlife is fascinating, but some are way out there! Join Dan the Nature Man to discover who swallows with their eyeballs, who pretends to be a cobra, who does the timberdoodle dance, who poops on their legs to cool off, and much more! As with all of his programs, Dan will give tips on where to see these amazing animals and behaviours. During this program, we’ll vote to decide which animal is Ontario’s weirdest! Please register with the library for this program.
Kids grade JK-6 and parents
Animal Tracking!
Saturday January 22 1:00 – 2:00
Guelph Public Library Virtual Program (registration required – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/events?v=list)
Kids grade JK-6 and parents
Winter is the best time for animal tracking! We'll check out tracks in the snow and other clues to what animals live around us, and learn about these amazing wildlife neighbours! Each participant will receive an animal tracking scavenger hunt to do in their neighbourhood or on hikes. JK to Grade 6 (please register with the library for this program.
Dan the Nature Man 