Destination: Drop-in activities at Walnut Creek Wetland Park

Walnut Creek Wetland Park just south of downtown Raleigh has become a regular spot for some families to learn a bit about nature - whether it's visiting the park's menagerie of animals, reading nature stories, playing games or checking out rubber boots to explore the creek nearby.

The park opened in 2009, but its story begins long before that. Once part of a farming community, the land was a favorite location for the Brimley brothers, originally from England, to find specimens. The two would go on to co-found the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at the turn of the 20th century. A century later, a grassroots group called the Partners for Environmental Justice cleaned up the area and lobbied for a nature center in southeast Raleigh.

Today, the park aims to make people aware of the importance of wetlands for clean water, habitat and recreation. Here, you'll find exhibits, drop-in activities and lots of programs.

"I have fathers come and bring kids in and just sit on the couch and read them stories," said Stacie Hagwood, the park's director. "You have families come in and they want to do the craft of the month. We have others that want to come and borrow boots and go out in the creek."

My kids and I spent an hour or so at the park on a fall day, checking out one of the park's explorer backpacks, which focused on bugs. It's one of four backpacks, which you can check out for free at the park. Other topics are birds, trees and amphibians.

The bug-themed pack featured a variety of activities that kept my grade schooler and middle schooler busy. We placed a white sheet under a bush, which we shook to reveal some of the bugs living in the bush. We hunted for items on a scavenger hunt. We put together bug scenes with felt pieces. And we walked out the short trail to the creek behind the park's building.

Other free, drop-in activities include:

• Make and take crafts and games that focus on the theme of the month. In November, it's mammals. In Decembers, the focus turns to migration and what animals do during the winter.
• A large collection of nature-themed books to read, complete with a comfortable couch to read them on.
• Live animals to visit, including two snakes, a turtle and a blind tree frog named Pudge.
• Aquatic nets, binoculars and rubber boots to check out for free. (The park has lots of boots in a variety of sizes).
• A Little Free Nature Library with a collection of nature books and magazines, which park visitors are encouraged to borrow (and then return).

Walnut Creek also regularly hosts nature-themed events, including a Family Naturalist program from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18, which focuses on raccoons. The cost is $2 per person. Pre-registration is required.

A Preschool Swamp Romp is 11 a.m. to noon, Dec. 6, for kids ages 2 to 6, and offers a chance for little ones and their adults to take a guided walk around the park. It's $3.

A Kids Nature Night is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 15. The drop-off program is designed for kids ages 5 to 10 so parents can get some Christmas shopping done. It's $5 per child.

To register for these programs or to find out about other events at the park, call the park at (919) 996-2760.

The park is open 10 a.m. to dark, Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to dark, on Sundays.

"Anytime we’re open, our lobby is open for people to come and explore the lobby," Hagwood said. "We get a lot of families coming in, but it rarely gets crowded. I think we’re still in the process of being discovered."

The next 12 months could mean some big changes for the park. A master plan with more trails and an observation tower is working through officials at Raleigh City Hall. Work will be funded with money from a 2014 parks bond, along with grant money and volunteer labor, Hagwood said.

Hagwood is excited about the future, including the stories the park will be able to tell as plans move forward.

"The trail work in that master plan shows trails going into the wetland," she said. "We have what we presume is an active beaver lodge that exists on an old farm road. We hope one of the new trails will put us along side so you can stick your hand in a beaver lodge."

Walnut Creek Wetland Park is at 905 Peterson St., Raleigh.

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