A large caterpillar sitting on a leaf in the Lloyd Center’s butterfly garden caught the attention of Bridger Thorsteinson and Jack Duponte, who were searching the center’s trails for interesting animals. Outreach Specialist Jen Wimmer arrived and identified the creature as a monarch butterfly caterpillar.

The two boys were enjoying the Nature Discoveries drop-in program for kids, ages 2-6, on September 10. The Lloyd Center hosts the program on the second Saturday of every month. The hour-long program features a new topic about nature, and educates kids through nature walks, story time, arts and crafts projects, and more.

“We always have a main theme based on what’s happening at the Lloyd Center,” Wimmer said. “We like to incorporate what’s going on around us.”

This month’s program featured the topic of animal habitats and homes. Wimmer began the program with a story, reading from "A House is a House for Me” by Mary Ann Hoberman, which describes various animals and the places they call home.

After the story, Wimmer introduced the four people who attended the program to several animals the Lloyd Center keeps in its visitor center, including a mouse, box turtle, and salamander. She then led the group outside to search for natural habitats of animals that live on Lloyd Center grounds.

The enthusiastic youngsters were quick to find chipmunks, monarch butterflies, blue jays, spiders, and other insects. Wimmer identified each animal and explained how they live at the center.

After the program ended, Thorsteinson noted that his favorite part of the program was seeing animals up close and learning about how they live.

“We got to learn all about animals and their homes,” Thorsteinson said.

The next Nature Discoveries program is scheduled for October 8 at 9:30 a.m. Visit lloydcenter.org for more information.