Programs | City of Elkhart

Programs

Environmental/Sustainability Programs

The Elkhart Environmental Center offers a variety of programs for adults, kids, and families throughout the year!

Learn new skills or discover a new hobby in one of our workshops. Our staff host a variety of programs throughout the year--some are so popular we hold them twice! Join us for crafts, holiday celebrations, guest speakers, demonstrations, and more.

Don't see something that fits your interests? Let us know! We're always looking to add new programs.

Details for upcoming programs can be found on our Facebook page or registration site.

Download our Monthly Program Flyer to see what's happening at the EEC all month long!

Monthly Program Flyer

Family building a rain barrel at program at EEC

Group studying macroinvertebrates at program at EEC

Group making bat house at program at EEC

Group making upcycled wind chimes at program at EEC

Volunteers helping assemble wood duck box at program at EEC

Family making crafts at Eco-Valentine's Day program at EEC

Participants making bird houses at program at EEC

Group making concrete leaf casting at program at EEC

Fabrics dyed with natural resources at program at EEC

Participants choosing supplies for Hummingbird Yard Art program at EEC

Family enjoying crafts at Nature Play Day program at the EEC

Kid playing in mud kitchen at Nature Play Day program at EEC

Upcoming EEC Programs and Events

Bat House Workshop at Woodlawn October 07, 2026 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
One of the EEC's most popular workshops is BACK this year, and this time, it's going on the road!
Our Bat House Workshop is happening at Woodlawn Nature Center on Wednesday, October 7th, from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

Participants will learn about local bat species, their habits, and conservation during an informative presentation, then assemble their very own bat house to put up at home!
Kits cost $10/kit with a limit of 1 kit per household.

Advanced registration is limited and required by October 1st.
This program is recommended for ages 8+.

For more information and to register, go to https://www.eventeny.com/company/elkhartenvironmentalcenter
Tree Planting Event October 11, 2026 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

We're planting trees in the community! Join Trees for the Hart as we plant trees across the city of Elkhart!
This program is grant-funded and aims to plant 2,000 trees around Elkhart by 2028. For more details about Trees for the Hart, visit www.cityofelkhartin.gov/trees.

Our next goal is to plant 600 trees by the end of 2026! We're continuing our efforts by planting 100+ trees on October 3rd.

📅Sunday, October 11th

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

📍Check in at 1400 Hudson Street

No need to bring any tools—tools and gloves will be provided. Just bring yourself and your family, your friends, or even your coworkers!

Can’t make it to this tree planting? No worries! There are more planting dates coming up, with locations to be announced soon.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more info.

Planting trees beautifies neighbors, shades homes and sidewalks (which can help residents save money on cooling costs), absorb stormwater (which helps reduce flooding and erosion during heavy rain events), and provides a ton of other services that helps our city grow healthier and more resilient every year.

Sign up and learn more at https://elkhart.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1297730
Registering ahead of time lets us know how many trees and tools to bring with us for the big day.
Tree Planting Event October 12, 2026 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

We're planting trees in the community! Join Trees for the Hart as we plant trees across the city of Elkhart!
This program is grant-funded and aims to plant 2,000 trees around Elkhart by 2028. For more details about Trees for the Hart, visit www.cityofelkhartin.gov/trees.

Our next goal is to plant 600 trees by the end of 2026! We're continuing our efforts by planting 100+ trees on October 3rd.

📅Monday, October 12th

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

📍Check in at 608 Oakland Avenue

No need to bring any tools—tools and gloves will be provided. Just bring yourself and your family, your friends, or even your coworkers!

Can’t make it to this tree planting? No worries! There are more planting dates coming up, with locations to be announced soon.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more info.

Planting trees beautifies neighbors, shades homes and sidewalks (which can help residents save money on cooling costs), absorb stormwater (which helps reduce flooding and erosion during heavy rain events), and provides a ton of other services that helps our city grow healthier and more resilient every year.

Sign up and learn more at https://elkhart.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1297730
Registering ahead of time lets us know how many trees and tools to bring with us for the big day.
Monthly Bird Hike October 13, 2026 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Let's look for birds at the EEC!

Walk with an EEC staff member around the EEC to look for birds and any other cool wildlife we might come across. 😊

These hikes will take place the second Tuesday of the month (October 13th, November 10th, and December 8th) from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM.
We will meet at the outdoor pavilion next to our Visitor's Cabin before we hit the trails. 👣

If you need to borrow binoculars, that's not a problem! Just let us know when you arrive, and we can lend you a pair.

Most of these hikes are easy, and we encourage participants to dress for the weather 🌧️ and wear hiking boots or good shoes to hike in. 🥾

Registration is FREE and required by the second Monday of each month (October 12th, November 9th, and December 7th).
This program is recommended for those ages 10 and up.

To sign up, fly on over to https://www.eventeny.com/company/elkhartenvironmentalcenter/
Haunted Walk Through the Woods October 22, 2026 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Haunted Walk Through the Woods is returning for its 7th year at the Elkhart Environmental Center this Halloween season! This year, the event will be held over three days:

Thursday, October 22nd | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Kids’ Night)

Friday, October 23rd | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Saturday, October 24th | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Our 2026 event will feature:

A kid-friendly decorated trail (open every night)

A scary, wooded trail with trail actors (open Friday & Saturday nights)

LIVE music by That Homegrown Halloween Show

Local food vendors

Local artisan vendors

A kids’ costume parade

Kids’ Night is Thursday, October 22nd! We will have our kid-friendly trail decorated for our younger audience (our scary trail will only be open Friday and Saturday) and there will be a costume parade at 6:30 PM that kids of all ages are invited to participate in.

Advance registration is recommended, but not required. Let us know you’ll be joining us this spooky season by signing up at https://www.eventeny.com/events/hauntedwalk2026-31822/

This year’s event is FREE, but donations are always appreciated.

Be sure to bring a flashlight to help you navigate our trails in the dark!

We will be adding more details about this year’s Haunted Walk as they become available – be sure to check out our Facebook Event page or visit https://cityofelkhartin.gov/haunted-walk/ for more information leading up to the event.

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Interested in volunteering for Haunted Walk this year? Check out our available volunteer shifts by visiting https://elkhart.galaxydigital.com/need/index?s=1...

Elkhart Environmental Center

1717 E Lusher Ave, Elkhart, IN 46516
Phone: 574-293-5070
E-mail: EECmail@cityofelkhartin.gov

Send us a message!

Staff Hours: Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Trail/Grounds Hours: Dawn - Dusk Every Day