Maplewood Nature Center Preserve (Maplewood, MN) has a small natural play yard near the parking lot that includes a tunnel maze through a willow hedge, boulders (natural and man-made) to climb in a woodchip fall-zone, a cute trellis arch, and plenty of picnic tables. Look closer and you’ll see that the marshy planted wetland next to the parking lot is fed by a rain garden leading from the building’s rain gutters. Walk around the building and find the head of the Green Heron Trail open dawn to dusk, including multiple loops through the woods and around the shallow lake. Take a look from the boardwalk trail and you can see the bottom of the lily-rich lake, which is excellent for hearing frogs and spotting turtles! This park is tucked away in Maplewood, two blocks behind Snake Discovery’s educational zoo, so it’s a great spot to stop and get outdoors after a short visit. Green Heron Trail is off-limits to dogs and bikes
Nature In Your Nurture 