Family Nature Explorers Program brings Clinton community together outdoors

Families in Clinton will have a new opportunity to connect with nature—and each other—later this month through the Family Nature Explorers event.

The free community event is set to take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. at Clinton Lions Park, offering an accessible and engaging outdoor experience for families with children.

Led by Janneke Vorsteveld, owner and lead facilitator of Seeds Rooted in Youth, the program focuses on bringing the community closer together while encouraging families to experience the outdoors in a simple, approachable way. “It gives a really good way for parents who might be able to meet other parents that they’ve never met before because it’s going out and being with their kids,” said Vorsteveld. “They can meet other families. I believe there’s a just a natural connection that happens between people when we’re outside playing and exploring together.”

The program includes a mix of nature-based activities such as building structures, crafts, games, and guided exploration along local trails. Participants will gather near the gazebo before heading out for a short walk, making the event manageable for families with young children.

Beyond recreation, the initiative aims to break down barriers some families feel when spending time outdoors.

“One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that some people don’t know what to do with their kids when they go outside,” Vorsteveld explained. “So, it’s about giving them ideas and showing that it doesn’t have to be complicated, there’s an ability to slow down and explore and just be curious.”

The event is free to attend thanks to support from local organizations, including the Optimist Club and Rural Response, which will also provide snacks. Scheduling the program shortly after school hours was a deliberate choice to make it more accessible.

“Doing it right after school gives them [the parents] something that they can take their kids to before they have dinner,” Vorsteveld noted.

Organizers also hope the program will have a lasting impact by encouraging a deeper connection to nature and environmental awareness.

“If we can create even a curiosity for the beauty of one single plant, then that spreads,” Vorsteveld stated. “As we build a relationship with the land, we naturally become protectors and stewards of it. Everyone that’s come back more than once says it’s an amazing time. Their kids have a lot of fun, and they get to engage,” she said. “It’s important for us to remember how to play just as much as it is for kids to play.”

To reach a broader audience, organizers have partnered with multiple community groups and continue to promote the program through local outreach.

Vorsteveld encourages anyone curious to attend, even if it feels outside their comfort zone.

“Whether people come and try it or not, I just encourage anybody to spend more time outside,” she said. “Even if it means sitting in a park or on your front porch, watching the birds.  Any way you can spend outside, try to take it on—in any weather.”

The Family Nature Explorers event runs rain or shine, with cancellations only in extreme conditions.