Girl Scout Workshops
Upcoming Workshops
For general scout information, please visit the Scouts page.
Scout Rules and Registration Policy
Please read carefully prior to registering.
Registration and payment are required prior to the event and can be done online, in person, or by phone with a credit card. Registration is required for all scouts and all adults planning on attending workshops. Walk-in participants will not be admitted.
Public program fees are $10.00 per scout, per workshop, unless otherwise noted. Scout leaders are admitted for free (up to 2 per group); any additional adults are $5 per person.
Private program fees are $80 minimum per program for groups of up to 8 (or fewer) scouts and 2 adults for most programs. Any additional scouts are $10 per scout and additional adults are $5 per person.
To be eligible for a fee refund or transfer, ICNC requires a 48-hour advance notice for all cancellations. Eligible canceled registrations can either be refunded or applied to another registration. All registrations refunded via credit card or check are charged an administrative processing fee of 20%. Registrations refunded via electronic gift card are not subject to a processing fee. Only in cases of extreme weather or other extenuating circumstances will ICNC cancel a scheduled program. All programs canceled by ICNC will receive a full refund via original payment method.
Most scout workshops include outdoor activities. Many program activities can be adapted to the indoors in cases of severe weather (extreme heat, cold or thunderstorms). Weather cancellations or reschedules are mostly limited to cases where the weather makes travel dangerous. In the event of a weather related cancellation or reschedule, ICNC will contact registered program participants. Please dress appropriately for the forecasted weather conditions, and make sure to provide accurate parent guardian contact information with your registrations.
Patches are not sold or awarded on site at ICNC. Scout leaders are welcome to attend workshops with scouts to monitor progress. All participants are provided a list of workshop activities and their corresponding requirements.
Girl Scout Workshops
Our workshops, held throughout the school year, allow Scouts to meet nature-based requirements for badges and journeys. Individual scouts or small groups can participate in one of our public workshops. Alternatively, groups may schedule their own private workshops, subject to the availability of staff – contact the Nature Center for more information or to schedule. Pre-registration is required for all scouts and adults planning on participating in workshop activities.
Don’t see the badge or program activities your group is looking for? We are always looking for ways to improve our program offerings, so please contact us to let us know what you’d like to see and do!
Multi-Age Groups
Location: Penningroth Barn
(6665 Otis Rd SE)
Cost: $5 per person (3 and older)
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Bring the family for a maple syruping experience! Discover how easy it is to tap maple trees and make delicious maple syrup. This is a great family STEM science experience to learn about weather, tree physiology, and the chemistry of syrup making. Use the sugar maker’s tools to tap a tree, visit the Sugar House to learn how sap becomes syrup, and enjoy a taste of ICNC’s real maple syrup. 1 hour.
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 9:30-11:30AM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Daisies, Brownies and Juniors: Learn about what scientists do and see how you can do science in your own backyards and communities by participating in a sampler of citizen science projects. Go on a hike to observe the phenology of the seasons, observe and record bird sightings or help us monitor water quality.
Registration opens January 2, 2024.
Daisies Workshop
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 12:30-2:30PM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Your senses come alive in nature! Come participate in an exciting nature scavenger hunt, listen to nature sounds, sniff out some interesting smells, and feel the different textures found around the Nature Center. We’ll have a snack to explore our taste buds and make nature inspired art creations. Activities from this workshop may be applied towards parts of the Between Earth and Sky Journey and/or the Outdoor Art Badge.
Registration opens January 2, 2024.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Play animal games and explore different animal habitats found at the Nature Center. Search for clues animals leave behind and make your own animal nest or home. Meet animals up close and make a bird feeder to share with the wild animals in your backyard. This workshop will take you on part of the 5 Flowers, 4 Stories and 3 Cheers for Animals Journey. 2 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Nature has lots of different parts. We’ll spend time exploring outside, looking for some of those parts and sorting what we find into categories like plants, animals, clouds, birds and more! We’ll also make our own animal footprint art. This completes most of the Daisy Design with Nature badge. 1.5 hours.
Brownies Workshops
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023
Time: 12:30-2PM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Insects are everywhere and an important part of our world. Become an amateur entomologist and learn all about bugs. Observe bugs in nature and learn the usefulness of many insects. Capture bugs in our prairie and learn about their role in nature. This completes most of the Bug badge.
Registration opens August 15, 2023.
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Time: 12:30-2:30PM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Explore the Nature Center’s trails with an expert hiker to learn to read a map, interpret trail signs, leave no trace and learn what to take on a hike. Make your own snack and enjoy a day in nature! This completes most of the Hiker badge.
Registration opens October 1, 2023.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
“Become” a droplet of water circling around in Earth’s water cycle. Explore a watershed and learn how it works! Create a rainbow and special art using water colors. You will discover that water is our most valuable resource as you explore innovative ways to save and protect it. Visit a bioswale, discover and experiment with cement that soaks up rain and find out what a rain garden is. We will lead you on part of the Wonders of Water Journey. 2 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Make a model of our solar system and a start chart, and model the phases of our moon. Practice using binoculars and telescopes. Listen to constellation stories and create your own constellation and give it a name! This completes most of the Space Science Adventurer Badge. 1.5 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Practice and learn how to tie knots, and how to build a fire safely. We’ll also play and explore near some of the water habitats found at the Nature Center. This completes part of the Outdoor Adventure badge. Contact us to schedule a private program for your group, subject to staff and volunteer availability. 2 hours.
Juniors Workshops
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
Time: 12:30-2:30PM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Who lives in your wild backyard? Discover several animal habitats at the Nature Center. Explore animal homes and create your own bird feeder to help the birds. Investigate endangered prairie habitats. How can we help protect them? Discover who lives in your own backyard habitat. This completes most of the Animal Habitats badge.
Registration opens August 15, 2023.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Energy is an important part of everything from the lights in your room to the food you eat. Explore energy at the Nature Center and determine your ecological footprint. Learn about using solar energy to create electricity. Discover the things the Nature Center has done to build one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in Iowa. We will lead you on part of the Get Moving! Journey. 2 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Come to a geocaching event to learn how the Global Positioning System (GPS) works. Learn to enter waypoints in a GPS receiver and find a geocache! Bring your own GPS unit or borrow one of the Nature Center’s units. This completes most of the Geocache badge. 2 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Learn about what to bring and prepare for your outdoor adventures. Build your skills by navigating with a compass and tying knots. Practice building and lighting a fire, and try your hand at setting up a tent. This workshop will help you get started on the Camper badge. 2 hours.
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Nature has many different patterns and shapes. Explore together outdoors to see which patterns we can find in nature. Create your own symmetrical art based on leaf shapes and patterns, and use various found natural items to create temporary, symmetrical art outdoors. 2 hours.
Cadettes Workshop
Date: Friday, January 26, 2024
Time: 6:30-8PM
Location: Amazing Space (5300 Otis Rd SE)
Learn about and meet a nocturnal animal. Explore the Nature Center trails at night with all of your senses. Examine the night sky and constellation stories. This completes most of the Night Owl badge, except for step #3.
Registration opens October 1, 2023
Contact us to schedule a private workshop.
Trees are far more beneficial to us than we realize. We can’t live without them, but how do they work? What kind of tree is behind your house? Come learn about trees and do art inspired by trees. Find out about how we – and other animals – depend on trees, and how they depend on us. We will complete all but #5 of the Trees badge. 2 hours.