On June 10-11, 2023, the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum staff and volunteers participated in the Nature Play for All Weekend at the Morton Arboretum. This event is co-sponsored by the Morton Arboretum, Benedictine University, and SEASPAR. The event highlights the importance of nature in children’s lives by providing engaging activities for children of all abilities to play, wonder, and explore nature.

The museum Director/Curator, Karly Tumminello, and BenU Professor, Dr. Leigh Ann Harden, host the Macroinvertebrate Exploration and Sampling Station (MESS) at Wonder Pond for this event. The equipment used is partially funded through a mini-grant received from the Environmental Education Association of Illinois. The station highlights the unique life cycles of the variety of organisms that live in the pond, including dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, and toads. Participants were also encouraged to explore Wonder Pond and catch tadpoles.

This event was born out of an idea that flourished in 2022 when the museum invited the staff of the Children’s Garden of the Morton Arboretum to collaborate on a BenU Teach-In on Social Justice Session. We co-presented “Inclusive Nature Experiences: Accessibility for All” on Monday, March 7, 2022. One of the main goals of our presentation was to put these ideas into action and create a major new event at the Morton Arboretum. The inaugural Nature Play for All Weekend was hosted June 11-12, 2022 and served over 2,200 patrons. We are excited and honored to have this become a successful annual event and we look forward to maintaining our partnership with the Morton Arboretum for years to come.