Get outdoors, explore and discover
May - August 2015
Program Guide
ABOUT PROGRAMS & locations
2
Programs for Families
20
Become a Member
5
PROGRAMS FOR PARENT & ME
25
PROGRAMS AT ABBOTT’S MILL
6
PROGRAMS FOR JUST KIDS
27
PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS BY TYPE
10
Expeditions & eco tours
19
Also view programs & sign up online at
delnature.org/Programs
Coming this Spring...
Walk-in Activities for You Announcing our new weekend hours and new walk-in naturalist-led programs at your favorite Delaware Nature Society sites. Learn more page 30.
New weekend hours
Our locations Delaware Nature Society is a nonprofit membership organization which fosters understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world through education and experience. We focus on ecological preservation, stewardship and conservation of our area’s natural resources. Our programs are open to Delaware Nature Society members and the general public.
3511 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, DE 19707 Mail: PO Box 700, Hockessin, DE 19707 | 302.239.2334 Ashland Visitor Center open: Mon – Sun, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Nature Center Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk Ashland Nature Center serves as Delaware Nature Society’s headquarters. The site is open to the public year-round and offers seasonal programs for all ages. Ashland Nature Center features an overnight lodge for school and public groups, a seasonal butterfly house, hawk watch, picnic area and four self-guided trails on 130 acres.
543 Way Road, Greenville, DE 19807 | 302.239.2334
Coverdale Farm area (not trails) open: May – Sept, Farm Preserve
Wed, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM; Sat, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Coverdale Farm Preserve is a 352-acre property that encompasses an 18th-century stone bank barn, livestock pastures, native meadows, idyllic ponds, woodlands, and panoramic views of rolling countryside. Seasonal programs connect visitors to the farm life cycle. Farming in partnership with nature, our agricultural practices emphasize healthy soil and water for the production of healthy food. Coverdale Farm Preserve hosts many annual events and is the location for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and gourmet teaching kitchen.
15411 Abbott’s Pond Road, Milford, DE 19963 | 302.422.0847 Abbott’s Visitor Center open: Mon – Fri, 9 AM – 4 PM; Sat – Sun, 12 PM – 4 PM Mill Nature Center Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, with its preserved working mill, is owned by Delaware’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and operated by Delaware Nature Society. Part of the 313-acre Milford Millponds Nature Preserve, this diverse property supports a variety of forested, field and wetland habitats. Hiking trails, boardwalks and picnic areas provide unique educational opportunities for discovering the natural wonders of southern Delaware.
DuPont
Environmental Education Center
1400 Delmarva Lane, Wilmington, DE 19801 | 302.656.1490 Visitor Center open: Tue – Sat, 11 AM – 5 PM; Sun, 12 PM – 4 PM Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk
Located at Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge on the Riverfront. Delaware Nature Society operates DuPont Environmental Education Center, showcasing the meeting of city, river and marsh. Our education center is on the edge of the 212-acre refuge that adjoins the tidal Christina River. The facility is open to the public year-round and features indoor and outdoor exhibits and a boardwalk that extends into the marsh.
Our other preserves and other programming locations include: Bucktoe Creek Preserve | 432 Sharp Road, Avondale, PA 19311 | 302.239.2334 Flint Woods Preserve | 350 Twaddell Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19807 | 302.239.2334
From Kayaking to Cooking, enjoy our unique, high-quality programs and expeditions
Parent & Me (ages 1 ½ – 5)
Bring along your little ones for sensory-based nature adventures, live animal presentations, farm life learning experiences, culinary creations, short nature walks, and much more!
and teacher naturalists – all are trained professionals and experts in the outdoors and education who go through intensive training in working with children and pedagogy, environmental education techniques, natural history, van driving safety, canoe and kayak safety and outdoor safety. All instructors are background-checked, and attend first aid and CPR classes and are excited to share outdoor experiences with you.
education, wildlife science, or other formal education, and love nature.
Enjoy program discounts and support the high quality programs, events, conservation activities and advocacy we give to our region.
DelNature.org/Blogs
Programs will be held rain, snow, or shine. In case of inclement weather, programs may be modified and moved indoors. Programs may also be canceled due to weather at the discretion of the Education staff.
Background
Checked
How to register for programs Register online at:
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or fill out and mail the form on page 31
@DENatureSociety
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
Phone: 302.239.2334 Mail: See form on page 31 Web: DelNature.org/BecomeAMember
Inclement weather
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
Become a Member
Please wear comfortable shoes for hiking in the woods on hilly, unpaved paths. Programs will be held rain, snow, or shine so please dress accordingly. We’ll contact you prior to your program about what to bring and wear.
Outdoor Safety
Family Time (all ages)
Enjoy the opportunity to experience nature in a variety of ways: birding, botany, kayaking, canoeing and hiking through diverse, scenic properties not accessible to the public. Visit our farm’s state-of-the-art teaching kitchen for cooking programs focused on local ingredients.
What to wear and bring
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Adults
Childhood Education
Our interns are in the fields of environmental
Just kids: ages 13 – 17
Teens love new experiences. That’s what they’ll find in our Teen Naturalist program which features outdoor and travel adventures. They’ll hike, kayak, canoe, learn how to cook, and participate in community service activities!
CPR
Birds & Insects
Children and tweens experience the outdoors and have a blast canoeing, fishing, hiking, and enjoying campfires in our Parents’ Night Out, day camps, and Young Naturalists Club.
Our instructors are Delaware Nature Society staff,
Adult programs
Just kids: ages 5 – 12
experts in the nature education field. Learn more about our Education Team Leaders at DelNature.org/EducationTeam
First Aid
Gardening for Wildlife
Enjoy time spent together with familyfriendly outdoor activities like fishing, archery, or just taking a nature walk while learning about the local habitats. Enjoy time at the farm doing farm chores and cooking.
Our Education Team Leaders are
Food & Farm
Family time (all ages)
Our highly qualified instructors
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Different programs for different ages
Programs at Abbott’s
Through Delaware Nature Society’s unique themed programs, you learn new skills – everything from cooking to kayaking – and much more! Our programs connect you with nature through hands-on, outdoor experiences with highly qualified instructors in exclusive natural areas and preserves. You and your family will come away with an enjoyable, educational, and often one-of-a-kind outdoors experience. Most programs are open to the public with Delaware Nature Society members enjoying a reduced price. Visit DelNature.org/BecomeAMember today!
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
3
environmental advocacy
Voice It
Speak out and act for our precious resources
Clean Water Rally
Tue, June 2, 2015, on the Dover Green Rally: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, meet legislators option: 1 – 4 PM • Live music Register to join • Food trucks DelNature.org/CleanWater • Meet your state legislators
>
Support our campaign
“Delaware’s Clear Choice” Clean and healthy rivers and creeks are essential to Delaware’s economy and our everyday lives.
Delaware’s progress Delaware has made some progress in addressing water quality by: • creating wetlands in Greenwood and the City of Wilmington to reduce flooding • expanding sewer lines in Lewes and Angola • cleaning up legacy toxic sites
Delaware has more to do Let’s secure funding for clean water projects to remove toxins and contaminants from our waterways and drinking water.
Decreasing federal dollars
+ Increasing polluted runoff Millions $ backlogged
Sign the pledge to show your support
DelNature.org/CleanWater
Get informed and act Keep up on local and national environmental
>
DelNature.org/VoiceIt or call 302.239.2334
View programsemail and sign up at DelNature.org/Programs 4 issues with our Voice-It newsletter
>
>
together we Can Make a difference Join a nature-loving community. Connect with and protect your favorite forests, fields, streams, marshes, wildlife & farm lands. Become a Member or Donate, keep and add to the high quality educational programs, events, advocacy and conservation activities we provide.
Phone:
302.239.2334
Mail/Fax: See form on page 31 of this brochure Web:
DelNature.org/BecomeAMember
DelNature.org/Donate Member benefits include free admission to some events and programs, discounts, special member experiences, Native Plant Sale preview days, and more.
at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center Follow us! facebook.com/AbbottsMill
All ages Brunch with Ainsworth Abbott with Stephen Childers
Sat 5/9 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$10 $10
$20 $20
#U15364AM
Over a light brunch of fruit and waffles, storyteller Steve Childers shares his insight about the fascinating life of Ainsworth Abbott. Mr. Abbott bought what we now call “Abbott’s Mill” in 1919 (he was only 24 years old) and operated it by himself for over 40 years. After brunch take a guided tour of his historic old mill and learn what its link is with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Running of the Mill with Stephen Childers
Sat Sat Sat Sat
Non-member 5/16 Member child Child 6/20 FREE $5 7/18 Member Non-member FREE $5 8/15 Pay on Arrival
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Abbott’s Mill
No need to Pre-Register
Take a guided tour of historic Abbott’s Mill with a seasoned mechanic! Learn about the unique history of the mill, dating back to 1795. Experience the rush of the water through the turbine and feel the rumble of the mill stones. Every third Saturday of the month: March through November.
Bioblitz at Milford Millponds Nature Preserve with Delaware Nature Society staff
Sat 6/6 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
Free free Free free #V15305AM
6
Spend time with a scientist and help make history! A Bioblitz is a survey effort to document as many plants and animals as possible in an area during a short time period. You can assist the experts in this volunteer-driven event to explore and discover all the amazing life found in the Milford Millponds Nature Preserve. Help ID birds, insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, plants and more. We will also have children’s activities and crafts.
View programs and sign up at
DelNature.org/Programs
More Bioblitz programs Details on page 21
>
or call 302.239.2334
with Alice Mohrman, Matt Babbitt, & Nora Childers
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Member Family
$30
non-Member family
$50
#U15365AM
outdoors! Test your tracking skills, paddle the pond at sunset, race the lightening bugs, catch a meteor shower and construct a campfire. Roast marshmallows to toast the season.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Wed 8/12 Gather your clan for a festive twilight – Thr 8/13 celebration of adventure in the great
Programs at Abbott’s
Summer Night Naturalists
Gardening for Wildlife
Adult programs
Food & Farm
Discover our trails, picnic grounds (open 7 days/week dawn to dusk) DelNature.org/AbbottsMill
Birds & Insects
Knee-High Naturalists with Delaware Nature Society staff
10:00 aM – 11:30 aM Month of
Individual Classes
Member child
Member child
May
$28
#U15331AM
$3
Non-member Child
$7
#U15331AM
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
$12
Non-member Child
Knee-high Naturalists provides unique hands-on nature-based learning experiences within a familiar preschool format. Come enjoy free play activity stations inside the nature center, then sit for circle time to learn about the weekly nature theme through songs, stories and games. Eat a small snack and make a useful craft before hitting the trail for an interactive outdoor hike. Your child will connect with nature in a familiar and fun way.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
thursdays
Family Time (all ages)
Free for parents and siblings under the age of 1.5 years.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Parent & Me (ages 1.5 – 5)
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
7
at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center Ages 8+ Summer Canoewith Series Programs for families kids of
All ages Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$20 $30 $20 $30
Navigate our local Blueways with Abbott’s Mill Adult participation required. Nature Center and Kent County Conservancy. Snacks, canoes, and water will be provided.
Abbott’s Pond (age 8+) with Matt Babbitt
Sat 7/18 Explore active beaver
dams. Investigate Abbott’s Pond connection to the Delaware Bay, and even navigate into the pond’s Atlantic White Cedar swamp headwaters. Post canoe trip, enjoy an interpretive hike and discover over 200 years of history through a tour of the Nature Center’s preserved, working grist mill. Basic paddling skills and canoe safety included.
10:00 AM – 3:30 PM #U15361AM
Silver Lake & St. Jones River (age 8+) with Matt Babbitt
Marvel Salt Marsh & Slaughter Beach (age 12+) with Matt Babbitt
As freshwater flows towards the Bay, TIME TBD #U15362AM our local rivers travel a course through cities, farms, and wetlands. We’ll jump into our canoes and paddle Silver Lake, in the heart of Dover, and then traverse into the headwaters of the St. Jones River. Included will be a paddle through a hidden Heron rookery!
Sat 8/8
Sat 8/22 Discover the unique
connection and importance of Slaughter Beach to horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds. Then we will launch our canoes from the beach and travel from the Delaware Bay into the guts of Delaware Nature Society’s Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve. 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM #U15363AM
Adults Adults Only Series Join us for some fun nature programs that are made with adults only in mind.
Abbott’s Price per class: Member
$5
Non-member
$10
Going Native
Talk Dirty to Me
with Nora Childers
with Delaware Nature Society staff & Nora Childers
Wed 6/10 You’ve survived the modern world, but do 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM #U15301AM
8
you have what it takes to make it here in Delaware 1,000 years ago? Come with us to the Lindale Tract and find out.
View programs and sign up at
Wed 7/8 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM #U15302AM
DelNature.org/Programs
>
When you want to get a little dirty what words come to mind? pH? Humus? Organisms? If you’re that kind of person, join us at Abbott’s for the nitty-gritty on soil.
or call 302.239.2334
Programs at Abbott’s
Make your yard a SmartYard Programs for families with kids of
All ages
Learn how to create a beautiful yard that benefits birds and butterflies while helping to reduce pollution in our local waterways.
Adult participation required.
with Alice Mohrman & NWF Habitat Stewards
with Alice Mohrman
Non-member
More Wildlife Habitat programs Details on page 14
Family Time (all ages)
*Registration required. 302.239.2334 | DelNature.org/Programs | DNSInfo@DelNature.org
with Delaware Nature Society staff & Nora Childers
Wed 8/12 What is lurking beneath the surface of
Wed 9/9
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
#U15303AM
DelNature.org/Blogs
#U15305AM
@DENatureSociety
Delve into the muck to discover the truth about these low life, bottom dwellers. Are they spineless or what?! What dirty little secrets are hidden at the bottom of Abbott’s Pond?
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
Filthy Muck Raking
with Delaware Nature Society staff & Nora Childers
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
Something’s Fishy
Abbott’s Pond? Your mission is to reel in the fugitive. You’ll gather valuable intel when the captive spills his guts.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
bird-friendly habitat; supporting beneficial pollinators; Soroptimist rain gardens; wet area plants; and low maintenance & Park, healthy lawns. You will have the option to certify their Seaford, DE yard as a NWF “Wildlife Habitat”. (Workshop 9 - 11 am, Member Non-member Free* Free* Free Family Event 11 am - 12 pm). This program meets at Soroptimist Park. Participants from the Chesapeake #V15313AM Bay watershed may be eligible to receive free plants, bird houses, or rain barrels. 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Member
Birds & Insects
Sat 6/13 Topics include: native plants for your yard; creating a
to create a beautiful yard Free* $5 that benefits #U15304AM birds and butterflies while helping to reduce pollution in our local waterways. Smart tips for small yards or larger properties...rain gardens and lawns. Presentation followed by a tour of the Native Plant Garden at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center. 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Gardening for Wildlife
a bird-friendly habitat; supporting beneficial pollinators; Jeff’s rain gardens; plants for wet areas and storm water runGreenhouses off; and low maintenance & healthy lawns. Participants Bethel, DE will have the option to certify their yard as a NWF “Wildlife Member Non-member Free* Free* Habitat”. This program meets at: Jeff’s Greenhouses. Participants from the Chesapeake Bay watershed may be #V15312AM eligible to receive free plants, bird houses, or rain barrels. 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Sat 8/15 Learn how
Adult programs
Sat 5/16 You’ll learn about native plants to suit your yard; creating
Food & Farm
A SmartYard for Clean Water
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Create a SmartYard with a Garden of Colorful Natives
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
9
fitness: hiking & canoeing programs for
Ashland to Bucktoe Creek Preserve Hike
Adults
with Joe Sebastiani & Dan Citron, Historic Site Manager for Auburn Heights Preserve
Fri 5/8 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Ashland Member
Non-member
$15 $22 #U15004AS
Hike through private property and wildlife preserves from Ashland Nature Center to the Bucktoe Creek Preserve. This is a strenuous 6.5-mile hike with hills and some rough trails. Traverse places off-limits to the public, hike past beautiful vistas, through gorgeous mature forest and open Piedmont vistas. Along the way, learn the natural and human histories.
Flint Woods to Granogue Hike and Lunch with Joe Sebastiani & Michele Wales
Fri 6/5
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Flint Woods Member
$30
Non-member
$45
#U15007FW
Hike through the biggest old growth woodland in New Castle County and across chateau-country to the famous water tower on the Granogue Estate with amazing views of the Brandywine Valley. Gourmet lunch is served at Flint Woods pavilion at noon. This is a strenuous 3-mile hike with hills.
Urban Nature and Art Ramble with Sally O’Byrne
Mon 6/8 Starting at the Blue Ball Barn visit the Folk Art Gallery before walking 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
DEEC Member
$15
Non-member
$22
#U15208DC
through Alapocas Woods along the Brandywine River to the urban Brandywine Park. From there we head up Franklin Street to the Howard Pyle studios, where the founder of the Brandywine tradition had his studio. Finally, we end at a private porch for wine and cheese while overlooking the newest park in Wilmington, the Cool Spring Reservoir Park. Meets at DuPont Environmental Education Center.
Canoeing Wilmington’s Christina River and Marsh with Ed Rohrbach & John Harrod
with Alison Long & Ed Rohrbach
with Ed Rohrbach & John Harrod
Fri 5/8
Mon 6/8
Fri 8/21
DEEC
DEEC
DEEC
Member
Member
Member
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
$15
Non-member
$20
#U15207DC
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
$15
Non-member
$20
#U15210DC
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
$15
Non-member
$20
#U15213DC
Paddle the urban marshlands of the Christina River. Get a closer look at our sea of green and a unique view of the city skyline as we paddle through winding channels of our freshwater marsh. Immerse yourself in the grassy domain of Great Blue Herons, American Beaver and other marsh creatures.
10
View programs and sign up at
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
fitness: canoeing Adults
with John Harrod & Sally O’Byrne
Sat 6/27 Canoe up the Christina River from Newport 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Member
$25
Non-member
$35
#U15212DC
to the see Churchman’s Marsh and the confluence with the White Clay Creek. See the historic dikes and then head up the White Clay to explore the flora and fauna of the waterway. Bring a bag lunch.
with Derek Stoner & Matt Babbitt
Fri 7/24 Watch dusk fall while canoeing
Sat 8/29 Meet at Ashland Nature Center and travel
Ashland
Ashland you to share a day hiking the trails, canoeing
5:00 PM – 9:30 PM Member
$25
Non-member
$35
8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Member
$50
Non-member
$60
#U15012AS
downstate for a day on the wild side. We invite
Family Time (all ages)
the waterways, and exploring our Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve. There will be opportunities to search for birds, turtles, and marine life. Participants will also discover over 200 years of history through a tour of our preserved, working grist mill. We’ll have a Dutch treat stop at Mispillion River Brewery for happy hour and then Meding’s Seafood for dinner before heading back north.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
#U15011AS
one of Delaware’s outstanding natural areas, Dragon Run Marsh near Delaware City. Birds like Wood Ducks and Great Egrets settle in for the night, while beavers and muskrats come out of hiding to begin their night-time feeding. Pack a picnic dinner to enjoy on the water. No experience required and equipment provided.
Adult programs
with Brian Winslow
Birds & Insects
Discover a Hidden Gem: Abbott’s Mill Nature Center!
Gardening for Wildlife
Dragon Run Canoeing
Food & Farm
DEEC
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Newport and White Clay Creek Paddle
Programs at Abbott’s
programs for
Little ones (ages 1.5-3) Just Kids (ages 3-17)
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
11
food & farm programs for
Adults
Beer Flight, Bird Flight with Sally O’Byrne
Tue 6/23 Enjoy an interpretive stroll of the Wilmington 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Iron Hill Brewery Member
Non-member
$25 $35 #U15211DC
Riverfront’s cultural and natural history with the author of Wilmington’s Waterfront and former Delmarva Ornithological Society president. After working up a thirst, finish at Iron Hill Brewery for a beer tasting and private brewery tour with the brew master. Meet at Iron Hill Brewery on the Wilmington Riverfront.
Cookbook Club at Coverdale Farm Delaware Nature Society and the Hockessin Book Shelf are excited to serve up an evening of cooking, eating, and epicurean conviviality. Each meeting of our cookbook club will feature an “A-list” cookbook, farm-fresh ingredients, a busy kitchen cooking up stellar recipes, and a feast straight from the pages of the book. After you register, pick up the book at the Hockessin Book Shelf – this book is included in your program fee.
May Cookbook Club with Michele Wales
Thu 5/7
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM #U15101CF
August Cookbook Club with Michele Wales
Thu 8/6
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM #U15102CF
Coverdale Price per class: Member
Non-member
$55 $65
12
View programs and sign up at
Heritage, by larger-than-life Low-country Chef Sean Brock, brings his delicious interpretation of Southern Farm to Table to our table! The “Make Cornbread Not War” ball cap wearing chef not only takes a spin on comfort classics like pickled shrimp and hoppin’ john, he spans the spectrum to upscale from his game-changing restaurants Husk & McCrady’s. This book is part inspired recipes, part home grown tales, part invitation to meet the purveyors that fill southern cooking with soul.
A Girl and Her Greens, by April Bloomfield, reflects the lighter side of the renowned Nose-to-Tail Chef. April’s down-to-earth new book celebrates her beautiful method: unforgettable food comes out of simple, honest ingredients, with attention to detail, and love for the sensual pleasures of cooking and eating. Explore and enjoy tantalizing seasonal recipes for a wide range of vegetables from A to Zucchini.
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
food & farm Blacksmith Workshop Sat 6/20 Sat 6/27 Don’t miss this exclusive introduction into the & Sun 6/21 & Sun 6/28 world of traditional metal work with craftsman, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Coverdale Coverdale Non-member
Member
Non-member
$350 $400 $350 $400 #U15104CF
#U15103CF
with Judi VanderWerff 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Member
$55
Non-member
$65
#U15106CF
July – One Farm. One Read. with Michele Wales & Rebecca Dowling
Sat 7/11 Summertime and farm living is..easy? Turn up the heat with
The Call of the Farm by Rochelle Bilow. This memoir follows
Coverdale her seasonal journey on a full-diet farm. Rochelle’s summer Member
Non-member
$20 $30
book cost (if unowned)
+$10
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
#U15105CF
is a life cycle journey, via eggmobile, from chicken to egg! Jump aboard Coverdale Farm Preserve’s eggmobile and care for our feathered ladies: feed, water, collect eggs, and fix a fabulous fritatta. Refuel and enjoy an “eggs-ellent” discussion of the book! This is your opportunity to write your own Call of the Farm.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
10:00 aM – 12:30 PM
Family Time (all ages)
This is a series based on The Call of the Farm by Rochelle Bilow. This memoir follows her seasonal journey and life on a full-diet farm. This is your opportunity to write your own Call of the Farm! Buy the book with your program registration, pick it up at the Hockessin Book Shelf, then come to the program.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
One Farm. One Read. at Coverdale Farm
Birds & Insects
of needle & thread will share her eye for color and fabric, pattern design, cutting and piecing, sewing machine technique, and product completion with precision. Head straight to your home kitchen after class prepared to cook beautiful food in style! All apron materials included, please bring a lunch.
Gardening for Wildlife
a flock of beginning “stitchers” to shepherd through the process
Coverdale of making a farmhouse apron from stitches to strings. Our master
Adult programs
Sat 7/18 Coverdale Farm’s “Queen of Quilting,” Judi VanderWerff, seeks
Food & Farm
Farmhouse Aprons: From Stitches to Strings
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Member
Zach Starke. Trained in the UK with a degree in artist blacksmithing, Zach will provide this small class hands-on instruction in forged metal work. Working with a live forge and anvil over two days make beautiful decorative and functional pieces to take home and integrate into your decor. A unique experience to learn a traditional art form! All materials included, bring a bagged lunch both days.
Programs at Abbott’s
with Zach Starke
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
13
food & farm programs for
CSA Farm Shares now available!
Adults
Summer Farm Camp for Adults
Buy local
with Dan O’Brien, Evan Gruber, Michele Wales, & Rob Wiest
Sat 8/22 Why should the kids have all the summer fun? – Sun 8/23 Spend the weekend living “la vida-local” at
Eat fresh
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (overnight)
Coverdale Farm Preserve! Milk our cow, bottle feed calves, care for chickens, sheep, goats, and pigs. Coverdale Inspect honeybee hives and dig into 7-acres of organic Member Non-member $300 $400 vegetables. Cook true gourmet farm to table meals in our kitchen; hike the preserve and relax in the shade. #U15107CF “Camp out” at the Ashland lodge and learn to read the night sky. Join Coverdale Farm Preserve Staff for a fun weekend down on the farm.
Organically grown produce, flowers, and herbs Weekly share pickup Jun – Oct
delnature.org/CSA
>
or call 302.239.2334
gardening for wildlife programs for
Adults
New Castle County Habitat Steward Training with Lori Athey
Saturdays Do you love your wildlife habitat? Do you wish more 7/11, 7/25, people had wildlife habitats? Do you want to help & 8/1 others create wildlife habitats? This fun, 3-day training 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM which will focus on wildlife habitat creation in the Various residential garden. Topics include site analysis, native Locations plant selection, designing with plants, sustainable Member Non-member gardening practices. Students each receive a Habitat $65 $85 Steward resource notebook. Students must attend all #U15010AS 3 dates to be certified. For more information contact Lori Athey at LoriA@DelNature.org.
Certified Wildlife Habitat Tour with Lori Athey
Sat 5/16 Take this tour of local backyard gardens 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Ashland SmartYards for Clean Water Details on page 9
14
View programs and sign up at
Member
$15
Non-member
$22
#U15005AS
DelNature.org/Programs
>
that are certified wildlife habitats. Learn how the owners have planned their gardens and how they incorporate native plants with winter interest. Get ideas to help you plan your own garden. Van transportation provided.
or call 302.239.2334
birds & insects programs for
Sixth Annual Bucktoe Bird Blitz
Programs at Abbott’s
Adults with Larry Lewis 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Bucktoe Member
Non-member
Free* Free* #V15606BK
Spend time with a scientist and help a survey effort to document as many plants and animals as possible.
Gardening for Wildlife
Sat 6/6 Abbott’s Sat 7/11 DEEC
Adult programs
FREE Bioblitz events
Food & Farm
Creek Preserve every two hours starting at 6:00 AM to see how many species can be found on the property in one day. A complimentary light lunch will be served at noon. No registration required.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Sat 5/9 Bird walks will begin at the Bucktoe
Details page 15
Birds & Insects Expeditions & Eco Tours
Brown Bag Lecture Series Ashland 12:00 pM – 1:00 pm Member
Non-member
FREE Free
Bring your lunch and enjoy a noon lecture at Ashland Nature Center with Delaware Nature Society staff and other special guests. Meet in the Ashland Nature Center Auditorium.
Family Time (all ages)
last Fridays each month
Just show up, no registration needed
Top 20 Native Plants for the Backyard
Birds and Natural Wildlife of History the Big Bend Mystery Region of Texas with Jim White
with Sheila Vincent
with Kristen Travers
with Lori Athey
with Joe Sebastiani
Fri 4/24
Fri 5/29
Fri 6/26 Fri 7/31
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Fri 8/28
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
Stream Macroinvertebrate Identification and Natural History
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
Dragons, Damsels and Demons: Tales of the Night Sky
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
15
birds & insects programs for
Adults
Bird and Tree Tour at Scott Arboretum with Joe Sebastian & Andrew Bunting, Curator at Scott Arboretum
Wed 5/20 Visit the Scott Arboretum on the campus of Swarthmore 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
College and enjoy a tour of specimen trees and other plantings
Ashland while looking for migratory songbirds. Scott Arboretum is set Member
$20
Non-member
$30
#U15006AS
up to realize Mr. Scott’s dream: “To help horticulture by visual demonstration. They have believed that the dream can be best realized by the planting in a public place of such trees, shrubs, and flowers as can be used by people of average means living in the Philadelphia suburban area.”
Beginning Birding Everyone can go birding to enjoy, seeing birds and even identify them. We will discuss how to watch birds and will observe their behaviors that are both interesting and important for identification. We will learn how to listen to songs and the best way to describe them and discern them between species. Some birds will need binoculars to really get to know, while some you can use your naked eyes and understand what they are. All birding levels are welcome, especially those just starting out. Absolute beginners will learn all about what it is to be a birder and what to look for when watching them, while advanced birders still will learn about the special birds that call the DuPont Environmental Education Center their home.
After Work Beginning Birding Series
Beginning Birding – Height of Migration
with Damon Orsetti
with Damon Orsetti
Wed 5/13 Stroll the refuge to find
Wed 5/30 Spring bird migration’s main push is in May
DEEC
DEEC
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Member
$5
Non-member
$9
#U15201DC
16
migrating birds like warblers, thrushes, and flycatchers in the marsh and the woods. Binoculars available.
View programs and sign up at
8:30 AM – 11:00 AM Member
$5
Non-member
$9
#U15205DC
DelNature.org/Programs
>
so come out and find wonderful warblers and other birds in the morning light at DuPont Environmental Education Center. Binoculars available.
or call 302.239.2334
Thursday Morning Birding at Ashland Nature Center
with Delaware Nature Society staff
with Joe Sebastiani, Derek Stoner, & Judy Montgomery
Sundays Take a guided walk around the
Thursdays Join us on a guided walk around the
Gardening for Wildlife
with Damon Orsetti
with Damon Orsetti
Wed 6/3
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
DEEC Member
Non-member
$9
#U15202DC
Sat 6/13 Spring is coming to a close 8:30 PM – 11:00 aM
DEEC Member
$5
Non-member
$9
#U15206DC
and summer is hot on its tail. There are plenty of nesting birds to find. Binoculars available.
After Work Beginning Birding Series
with Damon Orsetti
with Damon Orsetti
Wed 7/1
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
DEEC Member
$9
#U15203DC
DelNature.org/Blogs
Wed 8/5
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
DEEC Member
$5
Non-member
$9
#U15204DC
@DENatureSociety
Come out after work and find many summertime birds among the butterflies and dragonflies of the marsh. Binoculars available.
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
$5
Non-member
Look for nesting birds, including Indigo Bunting, Yellow Warblers, Marsh Wrens and multiple flycatchers. Binoculars available.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
After Work Beginning Birding Series
Family Time (all ages)
$5
See ‘em before they’re gone. Enjoy an evening looking for those challenging warblers and other migrants who won’t be around much longer. Binoculars available.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Beginning Birding - The End is Near
Birds & Insects
After Work Beginning Birding Series
Adult programs
April – May Ashland Nature Center property for a look 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM at the birds throughout the season. Search Ashland for birds in our old growth forest, meadows, Member Non-member and thickets during spring migration. If Free Free you attend, we encourage you to consider Just show up! becoming a DelNature Member at DelNature.org/BecomeAMember.
Food & Farm
year round Bucktoe Creek Preserve to enjoy 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM the diverse birdlife of this private Bucktoe Creek 300-acre nature preserve near Preserve Kennett Square, PA. If you attend, Member Non-member Free Free we encourage you to consider becoming a DelNature Member at Just show up! DelNature.org/BecomeAMember.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Sunday Morning Birding at Bucktoe Creek Preserve
Programs at Abbott’s
Weekly morning birding – FREE guided walks
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
17
birds & insects programs for
Adults
Kennett Heronry at the Wyndmere Estate with Joe Sebastiani
Fri 5/22 Visit an active Great Blue Heron rookery near 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Kennett Square on the beautiful private wildlife
Ashland preserve known as Wyndmere Estate. Take a Member
$12
Non-member
$18
#U15007AS
walk around the extensive woodlands and pit mine to find birds and observe the herons at their nests. This site also has an historic lime kiln and is a fantastic place to find migrant songbirds at this time of year.
Spring Butterfly Count with Delaware Nature Society staff
Sun 5/31 Join Delaware Nature Society experts in the 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Various Member
$3
Non-member
$3
#V15010AS
North American Butterfly Association (NABA) spring butterfly count. Explore gardens, meadows, marshes, and forests at Delaware Nature Society sites tallying the butterflies in each habitat. Have fun while making a difference! Our findings will help scientists understand butterfly population dynamics.
Ashland Nature Center Moth Club
Wear Your Art on Your Sleeve!
with Alyssa Molin-Graves
with Alyssa Molin-Graves
Wednesdays Join us for Ashland’s first ever “Moth Club” and 6/17, 7/22, go mad about mothing! Discover moths from & 8/5 every color of the rainbow, ranging from the 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM size of a seed to the size of your hand! Learn Ashland different lighting techniques, sugar baiting, Member Non-member identification and more. Attend all three fun, $30 $45 informative evenings, one of which coincides #U15008AS with National Moth Week. After you register at DelNature.org/Programs, learn more about National Moth Week at NationalMothWeek.org.
Sat 6/20 Have you ever wondered how to get your
18
View programs and sign up at
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
own nature art on to clothing? Learn how to
Ashland wear your art on your sleeve in this 4-hour Member
$16
Non-member
$24
#U15009AS
DelNature.org/Programs
>
workshop that includes a session on nature photography, tutorial on print and nature drawing and creating a custom t-shirt with your very own unique design! Price includes materials. Bring a bag lunch.
or call 302.239.2334
expeditions & eco tours Adults
Great Lakes, Grasslands, and the Kirtland’s Warbler Mon 6/1/ 2015 – Sun 6/7/2015 Members only
$1,000
Trip#: T15835AS
DelNature.org/Travel
>
Gardening for Wildlife
Kiptopeke Migration Adventure Leaders: Derek Stoner & Judy Montgomery
Members Only
$299
(Register by 8/25/2015) Trip#: T15820AS
Explore the southern tip of Delmarva to enjoy fall bird migration at its best. Boat to Wreck Island, located 7 miles offshore for a guided tour of this wild island of marsh, beach, and oyster shell. Learn how the State of Virginia is protecting land and managing preserves in the area. See plenty of shorebirds, diving pelicans, and wading birds. DelNature.org/Travel
>
Leader: Derek Stoner
Sun 10/25/2015 – Enjoy a journey to Costa Rica to experience a broad array Thr 11/5/2015 of wildlife, vast rainforest, national parks, a volcano, and Price by occupancy:
$3319 Triple $3349 Double $3549 Single ($500 Deposit)
Full details & registration:
Trip#: T15801AS
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
DelNature.org/Travel
>
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
To learn more, Call 302.239.2334 x134
plenty more! You’ll look for over 200 species of tropical birds, plus amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, sloths, bats, and other mammals of the rainforest.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
Members only
Family Time (all ages)
Costa Rica: A World of Nature
Expeditions & Eco Tours tours
Full details & registration:
Birds & Insects
Sun 9/27/2015 – Tue 9/29/2015
Adult programs
Full details & registration:
Food & Farm
($250 deposit. $250 single supplement)
Get ready for an epic adventure ranging from savannas and grasslands of Ohio, to stunning views of Lake Huron and Michigan, and of course, our quest for the Kirtland’s Warbler. This trip will take you to northern forests to see nesting species such as Blackburnian Warbler and Evening Grosbeaks to towering sand dunes and bluffs along the Great Lakes.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Leader: Derek Stoner & Judy Montgomery
Programs at Abbott’s
expeditions & eco tours for
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
19
family time Programs for families with kids of
Throw your kid a nature-themed
All ages
Birthday Party DelNature.org/Birthdays
Children must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Sunday Family Series
Afternoon Chores & Dinner (age 6+)
Strawberry Jam Making (age 6+)
with Ellen Bacino
with Jessica Shahan
Sun 5/17 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Coverdale Member Family
$25 per pair $5 per Additional Non-member Family
$35 per pair $10 per Additional
Help end the farm day with afternoon chores. Roll up your sleeves and lend a hand feeding and milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs, chickens, chicks and sheep. We’ll clean water tubs, scrub the milking machine and sweep the barn. After chores cook and enjoy a hearty dinner straight from the farm.
Strawberry jam is a delicious toast topper, cookie filler, and even dinner dressing. Coverdale Get your hands sticky making your own Member Non-member batch of this delicious sweet treat! Find out child Child how strawberries are grown at Coverdale $10 $15 Member Non-member before making and enjoying the fruits of $10 $15 your labor. Take your own jar of jam home #U15161CF for the whole family to enjoy.
Sun 6/7
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
#U15160CF
Coverdale Pond Adventure (age 6+)
Bread and Butter (age 6+)
with Nancy DeLong
with Mary Boeni
Sun 7/12 The pond at Coverdale Farm Preserve
Sun 8/9
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
is teeming with wildlife in mid-summer. Coverdale Join Miss Nancy in a search for what Member Non-member swims beneath the surface, explore the child Child surrounding woods and field finding frogs $7 $12 Member Non-member and beautiful wildflowers, and then relax on $7 $12 the dock for a fun story! Don’t miss out on #U15163CF the summer family fun!
20
View programs and sign up at
Spice things up this August with creative ways to flavor breads and butter. Join us in the CoverdalE Coverdale kitchen to cook up flavorful bread Member Non-member recipes using ingredients that you harvest child Child yourself from the farm! Top it off with your own $10 $15 Member Non-member hand made butter for a tasty summer treat. $10 $15 Learn the sources of your snack by visiting #U15164CF animals, gardens and crops. Bread and butter will never be the same again! 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
50th Anniversary Bioblitz Series
with Delaware Nature Society staff
Sat 6/6 Member
Non-member
Free* Free* #V15305AM
with Delaware Nature Society staff 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
DEEC Member
Non-member
Free* Free* #V15222DC
the amazing life found in the Russell Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge with a Bioblitz. Help ID birds, flowers, butterflies and more. We will also have children’s activities including crafts and dip netting in the water for critters.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
A special thank you to our 50th Anniversary sponsors
Family Time Time (all ages) ages)
*Walk-ins accepted. Pre-register to ensure we have space & materials for you: 302.239.2334 | DelNature.org/Programs | DNSInfo@DelNature.org
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Sat 7/11 Assist the experts, explore, and discover all
Birds & Insects
It’s Fun to Be a Scientist
Gardening for Wildlife
ABBOTT’S
Assist the experts, explore, and discover all the amazing life found in the Milford Millponds Nature Preserve. Help ID birds, insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, plants and more. We will also have children’s activities and crafts.
Adult programs
7:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Food & Farm
Milford Millponds Nature Preserve
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Join a variety of naturalists, birders, botanists, herpetologists and Delaware Nature Society staff and explore our preserves to observe and record the wide variety of plants and animals that exist. How have our preserves changed over the past 50 years? We’ll search for rare plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and more. Spend time with a scientist and help make history! A Bioblitz is a survey effort to document as many plants and animals as possible in an area during a short time period. Assist the experts in this volunteer-driven event
Programs at Abbott’s
A series of special events throughout the year where we’ll honor our 50th Anniversary by joining together to record the variety of plants and animals in our preserves. Open to families and adults.
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
21
family time Programs for families with kids of
All ages
Children must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Cool Frogs and Hot Dogs
Dad’s Day Treasure Hunt
with Jessica Shahan
with Mary Ann Levan
Fri 6/5
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Ashland Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$8 $8
$14 $14
#U15060AS
Hop to it! Come join us for a campfire dinner on the banks of the Red Clay Creek as we roast hot dogs while the sun sets. The frogs will be calling while we search the marsh for Green Frogs, Pickerel Frogs, and American Toads. Be prepared to get wet and bring your flashlight.
Sun 6/21 Nobody outgrows the thrill of a hunt for 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
treasure. Bring dad out on Father’s Day
Ashland to look for treasures in the ancient hills of Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$8 $8
Ashland. Follow the clues to find real rock and mineral specimens hidden away in secret hollows. Colorful quartz, glittering mica and more! You’ll even use hammers and goggles to gather some real gems. Hunt is lead by a real rock enthusiast!
$14 $14
#U15061AS
Your Artistic Nature Summer Art Series (age 5+) with Alison Altergott
DEEC Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$10 $15 $10 $15 Pay per session
Wild about art? So are we! Take your skills to the next level this summer and let the marsh be your muse. Learn techniques of print making such as collograph, sun photography and more. Taught by local artist Alison Altergott. Register for programs per session.
June
July
August
Thu 6/18
Thu 7/23
Thu 8/6
#U15265DC
#U15266DC
#U15267DC
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
22
View programs and sign up at
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
with Jim Jordan
Fri 6/26 Try your luck fishing for bluegills and 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
pumpkinseeds at the beautiful pond
Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$6 $6
$10 $10
#U15162CF
Farm Preserve. Bring your own pole and tackle or borrow the nature center’s equipment. Bait, tackle, and instructions provided. Bring a picnic supper and snack if you wish.
with Derek Stoner & Matt Babbitt
Sat 7/25 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Ashland Member Family
$40 per pair $10 per Additional Non-member Family
#U15062AS
Family Canoe Trips
Running of the Mill Monthly Details page 6 Abbott’s
Details on page 8
Gardening for Wildlife
Abbott’s Mill Pond (SAT 7/18) Silver Lake (SAT 8/8) Marvel Salt Marsh (SAT 8/22)
Adult programs
Join our family canoe trips to
Food & Farm
$60 per pair $15 per Additional
Meet at Ashland Nature Center and travel downstate for a day on the wild side. Share a day of hiking trails and touring a grist mill at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center before heading to Slaughter Beach. There the group will seining in the bay and discover the life in the Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve. Bring a bag lunch. Participants will need to be called or sent a list of what to wear or bring.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Coverdale hidden amidst the hills at Coverdale
Discover a Hidden Gem: Abbott’s Mill Nature Center (age 10+)
Programs at Abbott’s
Coverdale Pond Fishing (Ages 6+)
Birds & Insects
DEEC Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$15 $15
$20 $20
Pay per session
Learn how to canoe or improve your paddling skills while taking in the beautiful Riverfront view. Become an expert on how to prepare for a paddle, travel down the river, and basic paddling techniques as you canoe on the Christina River. Watch for herons, beavers, bald eagles, and more. Adult participation required. Register for programs per session.
Family Time Time (all ages) ages)
Member child
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Canoeing the Riverfront (age 8+)
July
August
with Alison Long & Ed Rohrbach
with Ed Rohrbach & Lesley Bensinger
with Alison Long, & Ed Rohrbach
with Ed Rohrbach & Lesley Bensinger
Sat 5/30
Sun 6/14
Sat 7/18
Tue 8/18
#U15261DC
#U15262DC
#U15263DC
#U15264DC
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
DelNature.org/Blogs
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
@DENatureSociety
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
June
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
May
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
23
family time Programs for families with kids of
All ages
Children must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Family Campout at Bucktoe with Delaware Nature Society Staff
Sat 7/25 – Sun 7/26 5:00 PM – 10:00 AM
Bucktoe Member Family
$25 per household $10 per individual Non-member Family
$35 per household $15 per individual #U15O63BK
Camp at Bucktoe Creek Preserve where you’ll find a beautiful landscape, group activities, and helpful camping instructors. Take a night hike and listen for owls in the forest. In the morning, explore the forests and meadows to find wildlife. We will provide a fun snack for the campfire and breakfast. Bring your own bag dinner. Use your own tent (or borrow ours). Stay in an Adirondack shelter. Program is in partnership with The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County.
with Jessica Shahan
5:30 PM – 10:00 AM
Ashland Member Family
$25 per household $10 per individual Non-member Family
$35 per household $15 per individual #U15064AS
Spend a night camping out at Ashland Nature Center! Enjoy a carefree experience while introducing children to the thrill of camping in tents, discovering nocturnal life and “roughing it” . All the hassle of food planning, packing, assembling equipment and figuring out what to do after dinner is eliminated. The group will set up provided tents, go for a twilight hike and cook a campfire supper. The next morning campers will enjoy breakfast and explore the pond and marsh.
DEEC Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
$8 $8
$14 $14
Hunt the Riverfront for hidden treasures and experience a new, fun hobby. Create a unique trail name, fire up the GPS, and be the first to find the hidden geocache. GPS units are provided. Wear comfortable shoes for walking on paved and unpaved trails.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Coverdale Member child
Non-member Child
Member
Non-member
FREE $3 (age 2+) FREE $5
Morning animal chores and self-guided tours of the farmstead (animals, garden, observation bee hive) & CSA fields. Additional cost for produce and U-Pick herbs, flowers, tomatoes, hot peppers.
Saturday’s highlights
June 20: Cooking demo: early spring greens & great homemade dressings, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM July 18: Tractors, Trucks, and Tools: what makes the farm work?! Self Explore-All Day August 22: Celebrate National Honeybee Day – meet our bees & their keepers, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM September 12: Bioblitz, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
#U15269DC
24
Saturdays 5/9 – 9/30
May 16: Sheep Shearing at 9:30 AM
with Suzanne Keenan 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Details on page 30
May 9: Kickoff Celebration featuring our new Eggmobile
Geocaching the Riverfront Sat 8/1
Enjoy the new expanded hours and activities at your favorite Delaware Nature Society sites.
Farm Fun Saturdays
Family Campout at Ashland Sat 8/1 – Sun 8/2
FREE walk-in weekly programs
View programs and sign up at
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
little ones: parent & me Check out our FREE weekly family programs
Parents with little ones
Details on page 30
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
(ages 1.5 – 3) Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free for parents and siblings under the age of 1.5 years.
Thu 5/14 Spring is here – time to look
Wed 7/15 Flutter into Ashland’s Butterfly House and
Ashland
Ashland of colorful butterflies. Look at a butterfly’s
Member child
$6
Non-member Child
$10
#U15032AS
9:30 aM – 11:00 aM Member child
$6
Non-member Child
$10
#U15036AS
explore the meadow to discover a variety
scales and find out about its special tongue for drinking nectar. Meet the caterpillars, chrysalids, and butterflies that are growing up just like you!
Birds & Insects
for newborn or newly hatched animals! Search for nests, eggs, and babies on a beautiful spring hike. Meet a frog and its tadpole and a butterfly and its caterpillar. Play a game pretending to be a mom, dad, or baby animal!
Adult programs
with Helen Fischel
Gardening for Wildlife
Butterfly Flutterby
with Helen Fischel
Food & Farm
Animals and Their Babies 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Programs at Abbott’s
programs for
Pond Pirates Wed 8/12 Arrr maties, come to DuPont Environmental 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
DEEC Member child
$10
#U15234DC
Birthday Party
Little ones ones (ages 1.5-3)
Throw your kid a nature-themed
Family Time Time (all ages) ages)
$6
Non-member Child
Education Center for a pirate adventure... if you dare! Dress like a pirate and follow the clues to a hidden treasure. Make crafts to take home and enjoy a salty snack.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
with Lesley Bensinger
DelNature.org/Birthdays Just Kids (ages 3-17)
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
25
little ones: parent & me programs for
Parents with little ones (ages 1.5 – 3) Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free for parents and siblings under the age of 1.5 years.
Hop, Hop, Croak! with Valerie Walters
Wed 5/20 Explore the amphibious world of frogs at toads 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
DEEC Member child
$6
Non-member Child
$10
around the DuPont Environmental Education Center pond. Catch tadpoles, touch a toad and hop around the marsh for an adventure. Leap into a craft and enjoy a froggy snack.
#U15231DC
Turtle Tails and Fish Scales with Lesley Bensinger
Wed 6/24 Take a walk around the boardwalk in search of 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
DEEC Member child
$6
Non-member Child
our most sought after aquatic residents. Feel a slippery Mummichog and take home a turtle craft. Check our fish traps for close looks.
$10
#U15232DC
Splish-Splash Water Bash with Lesley Bensinger
Wed 7/22 Wondering about water? Dip your toe in the 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
DEEC Member child
$6
Non-member Child
$10
#U15233DC
26
DuPont Environmental Education Center pond and use nets to see what animals live in the river. Play splashy games and cycle through a water craft. Enjoy a refreshing snack before you sail home.
View programs and sign up at
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
just kids programs for
Programs at Abbott’s
Just kids (ages 3 – 5)
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Great Trees with Judy Montgomery
Tue 5/5
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Member child
$7
Non-member Child
$12
Gardening for Wildlife
with Judy Montgomery
Mon 5/11 Birds are singing magnificent songs
Thu 5/21 Can you help “rescue” animals in trouble?
Ashland
Ashland scientific tools to find and “rescue” three
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Member child
$7
Non-member Child
$12
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Member child
$7
$12
#U15033AS
Birthday Party to remember
@DENatureSociety
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
See our themes & learn more:
DelNature.org/Birthdays
different animals! We can find out about each animal’s sound, movement, habitat, diet and family AND learn a few Spanish words along the way!
Little ones ones (ages 1.5-3)
Throw your child a
DelNature.org/Blogs
Non-member Child
We’ll use our observation skills and cool
Family Time (all ages)
#U15031AS
in May! Learn to identify five spring birds by their songs and their size, shape and color. Look and listen for these colorful singers as we enjoy a hike along our bluebird trail.
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Go Animal Rescuers!
with Rebecca Wadman
Birds & Insects
Birdsong Walk
Adult programs
#U15030AM
Food & Farm
Ashland
Enjoy a reading of the colorful Great Kapok Tree, then hike to Ashland Nature Center’s great sycamore tree! Learn how to measure and tell the age of a large tree, and try climbing the sycamore’s enormous branches. Meet a tree climbing snake and a tree frog, and learn about all of the animals that depend on these huge trees. Bring a picture of yourself, standing by a Great Tree that is found near your house! This is a Community Read program in collaboration with Longwood Gardens.
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
27
just kids programs for
Just kids
(ages 3 – 5)
Looking for Ladybugs with Judy Montgomery
Fri 5/29 Let’s look for and learn about little 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
ladybugs! Find out what these polka dotted hunters eat and how they grow. Search for them in their hiding spots, then create a ladybug to “fly away” to your home. Stories and songs included!
Ashland Member child
$7
Non-member Child
$12
#U15034AS
Pirate’s Summer Party with Judy Montgomery
Shiver-me-timbers! Join our crew as we search for skulls and crossbones that lead to a pirate’s treasure! Picnic by the Red Clay Creek, use a spyglass, and watch everyone “walk the plank.” Meet an alligator and listen for the watch ticking. Treasures and surprises included. Bring your own picnic lunch and pirate hat!
Thu 7/9
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Ashland Member child
$7
Non-member Child
$12
#U15035AS
Jedi Night with Judy Montgomery
Sat 8/8
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Ashland Member child
$7
Non-member Child
$12
#U15037AS
28
Join forces with other Star Wars fans for an outdoor learning session that’s out of this world! Awaken your senses in a quiet field, and learn moves for strength, balance, and agility. Feel the power of the Force. Use your lightsaber skills as the skies darken. Our Jedi night will be complete as we search the skies for stars, planets, and a galaxy far, far away.
View programs and sign up at
DelNature.org/Programs
>
or call 302.239.2334
just kids programs for
Programs at Abbott’s
Just kids (ages 5 – 17)
Price per Night: Member
$15
Non-member
$20
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
DEEC
with Lesley Bensinger
Fri 5/8
Fri 6/12 #U15252DC
Join us for an evening of treasure hunting.
Things with Wings
with Lesley Bensinger
with Lesley Bensinger
Fri 7/10
Fri 8/14
#U15253DC
How many fish can you find in our pond?
#U15254DC
Search for our winged inhabitants: Insects, birds, and bats.
Sat 6/20 Fish for Mummichogs, Bluegills, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
DEEC Member child
$14
#U15268DC
DelNature.org/Blogs
@DENatureSociety
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
$8
Non-member Child
Pumpkinseeds and more using cast nets, dip nets and fish traps. Measure fish and learn about their body parts. Make a fish print t-shirt to take home.
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
with Lesley Bensinger
Family Time (all ages)
Casting for Catfish (ages 5+)
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Fish Finder
Birds & Insects
##U15251DC
Take photos of what you discover in the Marsh and River.
Adult programs
Letterboxing
with Lesley Bensinger
Gardening for Wildlife
Nature Photography
Food & Farm
Set mom and dad loose to have dinner along Wilmington’s Riverfront while you stay at DuPont Environmental Education Center and have all the fun with games. Dinner provided. Parents receive a coupon for Timothy’s Riverfront Grill.
Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
Parents’ Night Out (age 5 – 12)
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
29
Walk-in Activities for You
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center 15411 Abbott’s Pond Rd., Milford, DE 302.422.0847 Visitor Center open: Mon – Fri, 9 AM – 4 PM; Sat – Sun (Apr – Nov), 12 PM – 4 PM Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk
DuPont
Environmental Education Center
1400 Delmarva Ln., Wilmington, DE 302.656.1490 Visitor Center open: Tue – Sat, 11 AM – 5 PM; Sun, 12 PM – 4 PM Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk
No registration required. Just show up! No registration required. Just show up!
543 Way Rd., Greenville, DE 302.239.2334 Farm area open May – Sept: Wed, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM; Sat, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Trails not open
No registration required. Just show up!
Farm Preserve
Naturalist Weekend programs Saturdays Join a naturalist and become a citizen & Sundays scientist. Explore the trails in search of 4/11 – 11/29 birds, nests, eggs, butterflies, salamanders, 10:00 aM – 11:00 aM frogs and more. Each weekend join us and & 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM explore how the natural world is changing.
Brown Bag Lecture Series Last Fridays Bring your bag lunch and enjoy a lunchtime 4/24 – 8/28 lecture the last Friday of each month. 12:00 pM – 1:00 PM Details on page 15.
The below programs are FREE for Members. See at right for Non-member pricing.
Farm Fun Saturdays
Member child
Non-member Child
FREE
$3 (age 2+)
Member
Non-member
FREE
$5
Saturdays Morning animal chores, feeding, watering, 5/9 – 9/30 self-guided tours, produce sale, U-Pick 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
garden, and more. Details on page 24.
Farm Fun Days
Wednesdays Take a self-guided visit of our farm animals 5/6 – 9/30 and more. DelNature.org/FarmFunDays 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Naturalist Weekend Programs Saturdays Explore nature through hands on & Sundays activities such as pond seining, 4/11 – 11/29 scavenger hunts, bird identification and 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM, spontaneous Abbott’s Mill trail discoveries. 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM, & 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Each weekend discover what is changing.
Paddles, Pollywogs and Panfish Sat 5/16 Children’s Fishing Tournament (bring a rod), 9:00 aM – 1:00 PM Canoe tours, nature hikes, and kids activities.
Lunch with Live Animals No registration required. Just show up!
Coverdale
Walk-in weekly programs
3511 Barley Mill Rd., Hockessin, DE 302.239.2334 Visitor Center open: Mon – Sun, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Sat & Sun hours only Apr – Nov) Trails open: Mon – Sun, dawn to dusk
FREE walk-in weekly programs
Nature Center
FREE walk-in weekly programs
Ashland
FREE walk-in weekly programs
Announcing our new weekend hours and new program offerings.
Saturdays Join us in our snapper lab to help feed our 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
black ratsnake, snapping turtle and more.
Netting in the Marsh Tue-sun
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Explore the marsh with nets to see how many animals and insects you can catch and identify.
Binocular Walk
Tue-sun Take a stroll with binoculars and a naturalist to 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM look for animals in the refuge and see our live animal collection.
date
Family Time (all ages)
Little ones (ages 1.5-3)
Just Kids (ages 3-17)
Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
Exp. Date _____/______(mm/yy)
Credit Card: ¨ Visa ¨ MC ¨ Disc ¨ Amex (payable to Delaware Nature Society) 3-digit Security Code (from back of the card) ____________
¨ Check
Child: _________________________Birth Date:_______________¨ M ¨ F
Child: _________________________Birth Date:_______________¨ M ¨ F
Child: _________________________Birth Date:_______________¨ M ¨ F
Child: _________________________Birth Date:_______________¨ M ¨ F
Work Phone: _____________________Cell Phone: __________________
Adult:_______________________Email:____________________________
Work Phone: ____________________Cell Phone: ____________________
Adult programs
Expeditions & Eco Tours
Authorized Signature:________________________________________________________________________________
Birds & Insects
Credit Card #: __________________________________________
¨ Guardian $1000+
Adult:_______________________Email:____________________________
Full Names of all Household Members:
¨ Patron $500
Protector $150
¨ Grandparent $55
¨ Super Saver Individual $30 (Over 60 or F/T Student) ¨ Household Plus $85
Household $55
Individual $40
Not a Member? Sign up below and save:
Enclosed for programs: $___________, for memberships $__________ Total enclosed: $__________
Payment Information:
(parent/guardian signature)
_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________ receive first aid and be transported to the nearest hospital by professional, emergency personnel. I understand I will be financially responsible for the cost of such treatment.
¨ Yes ¨ No: In case of emergency, I give permission to have my child(ren),
Policy #:____________________________________________________________
My child’s medical insurance is: _____________________________________
____________________________________________________________
My child’s physician’s name & phone #:____________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
under 18 without parent supervision): Please let any medications, allergies, physical disabilities or restrictions that the instructors should know about:
Confidential Medical & Required Emergency Information (For children
For additional registrants, attach additional pages to this form.
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Registrant’s Name:___________________________________________________________Child’s Birth Date:_________________________¨ Male ¨ Female
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Program Title: ________________________________________________________Code:______________________Date:_________________Fee: $_____________
Registrant’s Name:_____________________________________________________________Child’sBirth Date:_________________________¨ Male ¨ Female
Address:___________________________________________________City:_______________________________________State:________ Zip:____________
OK to receive Email from us: ¨
Home Phone: (______)________________________________________E-Mail:_______________________________________________________________
Person Filling Out Form: ________________________________________________________
Mail or fax form to: Ashland Nature Center, P.O. Box 700, Hockessin, DE 19707 Fax: 302.239.2473 Fiona@DelNature.org Abbott’s Mill: Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, 15411 Abbott’s Pond Road, Milford, DE 19963 Fax: 302.422.1849 Matt@DelNature.org
Seasonal Program Registration Form
Gardening for Wildlife
@DENatureSociety Food & Farm
DelNature.org/Blogs Fitness: Hiking & Canoeing
DelNature.org/Programs
Programs at Abbott’s
You may also register online at:
All programs must be paid in full at the time of registration either by check or credit card. We cannot hold spaces pending receipt of payment. To receive member discount rate, your membership must be current through the date of your scheduled program. Delaware Nature Society reserves the right to charge the non-member rate for programs that occur after the expiration date of your membership. Refunds and Cancellations: Requests for withdrawal 5 business days or more prior to the scheduled program date will be honored. Requests less the 5 business days will be issued if the slot is filled or at the discretion of the Education staff. Programs may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Full refunds will be issued for program cancellations. Photographs/Video: Delaware Nature Society reserves the right to use any photos/video/artwork of program participants to promote our mission unless otherwise notified in writing.
31
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
Delaware Nature Society P.O. Box 700 Hockessin, DE 19707
PAID
PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604
“ Cooking, nature exploration, camping, canoeing, kayaking, survival skills, and more
Sign up for camps now
>
“
DelNature.org/SummerCamp
My son enjoyed the highly creative offerings of this camp.
- Summer camp parent, 2014
Summer Camp
Proceeds support Delaware Nature Society
Save the Date
Saturday, Sept. 19
Coverdale Farm Preserve DelNature.org/FarmToFork
>
A special thanks to contributing photographers! See our featured photographers at DelNature.org/Photographers
Follow us! Facebook.com/DelawareNatureSociety
Visit and subscribe to our
Nature of Delaware Blog Your source for local natural happenings, tales from the outdoors, expert naturalist photos, and field trip reports.
DelNature.org/Blog
>