ADULT PROGRAMS
Copeland Native Plant Series
Program #: U11-011-AS Max: 30
May 2011 through March 2012
Field Trips:
September 16, 3 - 6 pm - Grass Grammar: Identification and Ecology of Native Warm Season Grasses, Janet Ebert, Botanist. Location: Bucktoe Creek Preserve.
Lectures/Workshops:
November 17, 7 - 8:30 pm. Maintaining Curb Appeal with Native Plants. Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware. Location: Ashland Nature Center
January 12, 2012, 7 - 8:30 pm - Rare and Endangered Plants of Delaware, William McAvoy, Botanist, Delaware Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. Location: Ashland Nature Center
March 8, 2012, 7 - 8:30 pm - Meadow Creation and Management Techniques, Tom Brightman, Land Steward, Longwood Gardens. Location: Ashland Nature Center
Member/Non-Member:$45/$65 for the series
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22 for individual events
Partners: Delaware Nature Society, Mt. Cuba Center, Bucktoe Creek Preserve, University of Delaware, Delaware Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program - Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, Longwood Gardens, and Flint Woods Preserve.
If you are a native plant enthusiast, gardener, professional landscaper, land manager, or restoration ecologist, this is a series you do not want to miss. Improve your plant identification skills, get ideas for home gardening projects, enrich your landscaping business offerings, and get ideas for incorporating native plants in your home landscape. This program series qualifies for Continuing Education Credit for the NJ, DE, and PA Nursery and Landscape Associations.
Dragon Run Canoeing - Dusk to Dark
Program #: F11-001-AS Max: 12
Friday, September 2, 5:30 - 10 pm
Member/Non-Member: $25/$35
Leader: Jim White
Take a leisurely paddle on the Dragon Run, a freshwater marsh alive with birds, wildflowers, and wildlife such as beavers, muskrats, and even otters! Enjoy the experience of paddling into the marsh at dusk, then paddling out after twilight. This is an easy 2 mile paddle and no experience is necessary. Bring a bag dinner and a headlamp if you have one. Lights will not be used unless necessary so wildlife won't be spooked.
Nighthawk and Sunset Watch at Granogue
Program #: F11-002-AS Max: 25
Wednesday, August 31, 6 - 8:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $10/$15
Leader: Bill Stewart
Note: Program meets at Granogue Estate, directions provided.
Spend an evening atop the Granogue Estate water tower overlooking the Brandywine Valley for migrating and feeding Nighthawks, a crepuscular, ground-nesting, insect-eating bird. Watch for them as they migrate through and hope that it is a night that hundreds are swarming past. If nothing else, the sunset will be nice from the tower. Bring a favorite beverage; cheese and crackers provided.
Botany Walk at Bucktoe Featuring Fall Wildflowers
Program #: F11-003-BK Max: 15
Friday, September 9, 1 - 4 pm
Member/Non-Member: $10/$15
Leaders: William Ryan and Janet Ebert
Note: Program meets at Bucktoe Creek Preserve.
Walk the 300-acre Bucktoe Creek Preserve to find and identify fall blooming wildlflowers such as several species of goldenrod, aster, and some rare species. Some of these are confusing and closely related species that will be sorted out by Janet, a professional botanist.
The Broadkill and Beer (21 & older)
Program #: F11-004-AS Max: 10
Saturday, September 10, 9:30 am - 7 pm
Member/Non-Member: $50/$70
Leader: Jason Beale
Enjoy a unique tour of the town of Milton, Delaware. Meet at Abbott's Mill Nature Center and head to the Broadkill River in Milton. Take a kayak tour to the Nature Conservancy's McCabe Nature Preserve and hike around this beautiful riparian woodland. Paddle back to Milton and then roll up the road to Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales for an in-depth tour of this world-renowned brewery. Relax after the tour while enjoying a variety of ale samples in the Brewery gift shop. Pack a bag lunch. Includes van transportation from Ashland Nature Center.
Bird Banding at Bucktoe Creek Preserve
Program #: F11-005-BK Max: 15
Saturday, September 10, 7:30 - 10 am
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leaders: Doris McGovern, Bird Bander and Kelly Schaeffer
Note: Program meets at Bucktoe Creek Preserve.
Accompany a licensed bird bander during fall songbird migration. Witness the procedure of taking birds out of mist nets, weighing and measuring, as well as aging, sexing, banding, and assisting with the release of songbirds. We will probably catch year-round resident birds such as titmice and chickadees, but may also catch migrants such as warblers, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes and other songbirds. This program meets at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve. Bring your camera for good "in-the-hand" photos.
Wednesday Evening Walks in the Preserves
Program #: F11-006-AS Max: 15
Wednesdays, 6 - 7:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $10/$15 per walk or $30/$45 for the whole series
September 14 - Coverdale Farm Preserve - Joe Sebastiani
September 28 - Flint Woods Preserve - Mike Weaver
October 12 - Bucktoe Creek Preserve - William Ryan
October 26 - Granogue - David Pragoff
Note: Coverdale Farm Preserve walk meets in the parking lot via the Ashland Clinton Road entrance.
Enjoy nature walks through old growth forest, open meadows, and picturesque streamsides. Look for wildlife and learn about the history and preservation of these special properties. On the final walk, climb the Granogue water tower in the dark and do a little skywatching! Bring a flashlight for walks that will end in the dark.
Fall Migration Birding Series
Program #: F11-007-AS Max: 13
Fridays, 8 - 11 am
September 16 - Coverdale Farm Preserve and Shadowbrook Estate - Derek Stoner
September 30 - Flint Woods Preserve - Joe Sebastiani
October 14 - Middle Run Natural Area - Derek Stoner
October 28 - DuPont Environmental Education Center - Joe Sebastiani
November 11 - Delaware City Area - Jim White
Member/Non-Member (Series): $50/$60
Member/Non-Member (Single Session): $12/$18
Note: Meeting locations and directions will be provided.
Explore birding hotspots that are not open to the general public during fall migration. Start in mid-September with a blizzard of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, raptors and other songbirds migrating south. End the series in November when the sparrows are migrating through and other birds are setting up winter territories. Improve your birding skills and learn more about their natural history.
Birding and Hawkwatch at Granogue
Program #: F11-008-AS
Max: 12
Saturday, September 24, 7:30 am - 12:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leader: Bill Stewart
Note: Program meets at Granogue Estate, directions provided.
Walk the fields, forests and wetlands of the famous Granogue Estate along the Brandywine River to find migrant songbirds during the height of migration. In the late morning, climb the water tower to have lunch and look for Broad-winged Hawks migrating past. This week is in the height of the Broad-winged migration and it is possible to see hundreds or even thousands in a day.
Ashland to Mt. Cuba Loop Hike
Program #: F11-009-AS Max: 15
Rescheduled Wednesday, October 19, 8 am - 1 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leader: Joe Sebastiani
Note: Strenuous hike.
Enjoy this exclusive 5-mile hike from Ashland, through the Red Clay Reservation, and around the Mt. Cuba Center. Pass an American chestnut plantation, walk through open meadows, through extensive old-growth forests, and "smell the flowers" at the Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora. Bring a bag lunch and water.
Coverdale Farm Preserve to Ashland Loop Hike
Program #: F11-010-BR Max: 20
Sunday, October 2, 9 am -1 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leader: Joe Sebastiani
Note: Strenuous hike. Program meets in the parking lot via the main entrance on Way Road.
Take an exclusive hike from Coverdale Farm Preserve, through Oversee Farm, to Ashland Nature Center, and return via a quiet forest to Coverdale via the Burrows Run gorge. The strenuous hike is approximately 4 miles over rolling terrain on private property. There will be one "wet foot" stream crossing. Bring your own water, but a snack will be provided. Afterwards, you may stay at the Harvest Moon Festival, grab lunch, for the rest of the day if you wish.
Ashland to Bucktoe Creek Preserve Hike
Program #: F11-011-AS Max: 12
Thursday, October 6, 12:30 - 5 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leader: Joe Sebastiani
Note: Strenuous hike
Enjoy this exclusive 6-mile hike through land not accessible to the public. Hike along Red Clay Creek, through upland meadows, mature forests and wetlands on private land and closed nature preserves. Road walking is limited. Wear hiking boots and bring water.
Birding and Brunch at Coverdale Farm Preserve
Program #: F11-012-BR Max: 20
Friday, October 7, 8 -11 am
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30
Leaders: Joe Sebastiani and Michele Wales
Note: Program meets in the parking lot via the main entrance on Way Road.
Enjoy a healthy and delicious brunch at Coverdale Farm Preserve after walking the preserve to find migrating songbirds, hawks, and other species. Spend some time gazing skyward. It is the height of falcon migration after all!
Recycling Plant Tour
Program #: F11-013-AS
Tuesday, October 11, 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30
Leader: Sally O'Byrne
We throw our cans, bottles, and papers into a recycling bin and see it put onto a truck, but we don't know what happens to all those items that are so conveniently taken away. Join this first-time trip to the ReCommunity Recycling plant in Camden NJ to find out. After our tour, visit the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge where their visitor center recycles waste water onsite and has many environmentally friendly building features. Walk some of the nature trails to look for wetland wildlife, within the city limits of Philadelphia. Bring a lunch.
Nature Photography and Videography Series: Getting Started
Program #: F11-014-AS Max: 10
Sunday, October 16, 2 - 6 pm
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30
Leaders: Derek Stoner and Hank Davis
Are you interested in improving your skills as a nature photographer? Join us for an introduction to digital photography and videography, as we begin a series of programs dedicated to improving your capabilities with camera technology. A presentation of photographs of wildlife, plants, and scenery will whet your appetite for the field trips to follow in this series. After our classroom session, head outside to explore the fields at Ashland at the height of fall color and capture great photos with your camera. Editing techniques and digital file storage will be discussed to help you better organize your growing photo library!
Autumn Astronomy at Bucktoe Creek Preserve
Program #: F11-014-BK Max: 12
Friday, October 21, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leaders: Greg Weaver and Sheila Vincent
Note: Program meets at Bucktoe Creek Preserve.
October's crisp, chilly evenings and the dark, clear skies of Bucktoe Creek Preserve promise ideal conditions for astronomy. Join us as we use telescopes, binoculars, and naked eye to observe Jupiter dominating the southeast, the Andromeda galaxy glowing overhead, and countless deep-sky objects in the rich star-fields of the Sagittarius Milky Way.
Hawk Mountain Raptor Migration
Program #: F11-015-AS Max: 10
Thursday, October 27, 8 am - 5 pm
Member/Non-Member: $30/$45
Leader: Sally O'Byrne, Hawk Mountain and DNS Board Member
Visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the birthplace of modern hawk-watching and enjoy the gorgeous scenery and one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the east...fall hawk migration! Learn to identify common hawks such as Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Cooper's, and Sharp-shinned. Look for Bald and Golden Eagles, and Northern Goshawk as they wing their way south along the Kittatinny Ridge. Bring a lunch. The walk to the North Lookout is 1 mile over rocky terrain with a very steep ending. Bring a pad to sit on the rocks more comfortably.
Astronomy at Granogue
Program #: F11-016-AS Max: 12
Saturday, November 19, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $15/$22
Leader: Sheila Vincent
Note: Program meets at Granogue Estate, directions provided.
Join us for astronomy in one of Delaware's most spectacular settings - the stone water tower on the historic Granogue estate. Enjoy breathtaking views of Jupiter blazing bright in Pisces, Orion rising, and a host of ghostly nebulae and glittering star clusters. Binoculars and telescopes will expose unseen features and reveal hidden celestial gems.
Hoopes Reservoir Hike
Program #: F11-017-AS Max: 20
Wednesday, November 30, 8 am - 12:30 pm
Member/Non-member: $15/$22
Leaders: Joe Sebastiani and Sally O'Byrne
Note: Moderately difficult
Join us for an exclusive nature and history hike around the picturesque Hoopes Reservoir. This area has been closed to the public since 1971, and your hike will take you approximately 3 miles through wooded coves and small hills. Waterfowl and Bald Eagles should be using the reservoir at this time. Wear hiking shoes, bring binoculars and water.
Snow Goose Extravaganza
Program #: F11-018-AS
Max: 10
Thursday, December 1, 3 - 7 pm
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30
Leader: Sally O'Byrne
Visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge with an expert birder to experience thousands of Snow Geese returning to roost for the night. Tremendous clouds of white geese will present great photographic opportunities, especially if there is a nice sunset. Bring a folding chair and a bag dinner. We will provide hot chocolate and cookies for dessert.
Flint Woods to Granogue Hike and Lunch
Program #: F11-018-FW Max: 12
Friday, December 2, Noon - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $30/$40
Leader: Joe Sebastiani and Michele Wales
Note: Strenuous hike; program meets at the Flint Woods Preserve
Enjoy a crisp, late-fall day on a 3-mile walk from the Flint Woods Preserve to the water tower at the Granogue Estate. The exclusive view from the tower is one of the best Delaware has to offer. Before the hike, enjoy a seasonal, fireside lunch served at the Flint Woods Preserve pavilion.
FAMILY PROGRAMS
All Family Members
Free Children's Bird Walk
Registration: RSVP to the Delaware Nature Society at 302-239-2334
Location: Bucktoe Creek Preserve 432 Sharp Road, Avondale, PA 19311
The Monthly Children's Bird Walks at Bucktoe Creek Preserve are designed to introduce children ages 3 to 12 to birding by gentle instruction from an expert birder. We will be looking and listening for bird species that are commonly found at Bucktoe, as well as identifying uncommon species. The short walks cover fields, thickets, wetlands, and woodlands in order for the participant to become familiar with the connection between bird species and habitat. Come out and discover a hidden interest or strengthen an existing passion for bird watching!
Butterflies and Dragonflies at The Mill
Program #: U11-082-DM Max: 15
Rescheduled Sunday, September 18, 2 - 4 pm
Member/Non-Member: $8/$14
Leader: Phylicia Schwartz
Note: Program meets at Cooch-Dayett Mills, Newark
Monarchs, fritillaries, jewelwings, and darners--butterflies and dragonflies abound in the meadows and wetlands around Cooch-Dayett Mills. With nets and collecting jars, catch these beautiful insects and learn about their unique life cycles. Take part in a tagging demonstration as we mark Monarch butterflies to help scientists track their migration. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Parent and Child Yoga at Bucktoe Creek Preserve (children ages 2 - 5)
Min: 6 Max: 10
Mondays, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Program #: F11-080-BK September 12, 19, 26, October 3
Program #: F11-081-BK October 17, 24, 31, November 7
Member/Non-Member: Session 1 - $40/$48; Session 2 - $40/$48
Leader: Disha Mattive, 200 RYT and ChildLight Certified
Note: Program meets at Bucktoe Creek Preserve. Non-participating children under 2 years are welcome and free. No charge for adults. During inclement weather, an alternative location will be given.Join us for a unique yoga experience for families.
This program is designed with children in mind and includes age and developmentally appropriate yoga poses, incorporating nature, playing, and storytelling. The program runs 1 hour with a short walk to the location. Bring a mat or towel, water and sun protection. A light snack is included. Rain or shine.
Family Pond Fishing Max: 20
Program #: F11-082-AS Thursday, September 15, 5:30 pm - Dusk
Program #: F11-083-AS Friday, September 16, 5:30 pm - Dusk
Member/Non-Member: $7/$11
Leaders: Jim Jordan, Managing Director, BVA and RCVA, and Derek Stoner
Try your luck at fishing for bluegill and bass at a nearby private pond while learning basic fish biology. Bring your own pole and tackle or use the Nature Center's. Bait and instructions provided. Bring a picnic supper or snack and, if you wish, a container to take home your catch. Meet at the Ashland Nature Center to car pool to the nearby site. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Come to Your Senses
Program #: F11-084-AS Max: 15
Saturday, September 17, 10 am - Noon
Member/Non-Member: $8/$14
Leader: Austin Conley
Test your sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell with different activities that highlight each sense. Try to figure out what an animal is just by the touch and guess what you are drinking in the taste test. Participants will get to use all five senses on a delicious reward!
Family Campout at Bucktoe Creek Preserve
Program #: F11-085-BK Max: 15
Date and Time: Saturday, October 15, 4 pm - Sunday, October 16 10:30 am
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30 (first adult)
Member/Non-Member: $10/$15 (other campers)
Rent a Tent: $10
Rent a shelter (sleeps a family of 5): $15
Leader: Mary Ann Levan and Phylicia Schwartz
Note: Program meets at Bucktoe Creek Preserve. Bring your own tent, dinner, and breakfast
Try camping at the Delaware Nature Society camping area, where you will find a beautiful landscape, your own private camping spot, group activities, and helpful camping instructor/naturalists. Take a night hike and listen for owls in the forest. In the morning, explore the forests and meadows of the preserve as we take a walk to find wildlife. This is a "bring your own food and drink" family event so you will need to bring a bag dinner and something for breakfast (items you don't have to cook). We will provide a fun camp snack for the fire.
Animal Defenses
Program #: F11-086-AS Max: 12
Sunday, November 13, 3 - 5 pm
Member/Non-Member: $8/$14
Leader: Austin Conley
Animals have some interesting ways to protect themselves. Explore amazing adaptations like perfect armor and even shooting blood out of their eyes! We will also attempt to see through amazing animal camouflage and other defenses on a hike through Ashland.
Holiday Craft Making Max: 15
Program #: F11-087-AS Saturday, December 3, 3 - 5 pm
Program #: F11-088-AS Sunday, December 4, 3 - 5 pm
Member/Non-Member: $12/$18
Leaders: Shannon Tilmon and Derek Stoner
Have some holiday fun creating your own crafts and decorations from natural materials. Make a wild grapevine wreath and weave in fragrant pine and hemlock boughs. Create a unique decorative glass ball filled with nature's treasures. Roll colored beeswax sheets to create holiday candles. Bring your imagination and creative side with you. Finish with a warm holiday snack by a crackling fire. Fee includes materials.
Owl Prowl and Campfire at Flint Woods
Program #: F11-089-FW Max: 15
Friday, December 9, 6 - 8 pm
Member/Non-Member: $8/$12
Leader: Phylicia Schwartz
Note: Program meets at Flint Woods Preserve.
Who hunts in the dark on silent wings and plucks rodents from the ground? Listen for the Eastern Screech-owl and the Great-horned owl as we explore the night forest at Flint Woods. Sit around a campfire and roast marshmallows while listening to the sounds of a cool autumn evening.
