Abbott's Mill Nature Center - Milford
Ashland Nature Center - Hockessin
Coverdale Farm - Greenville
Abbott's Mill Nature Center Programs
Beach Ecology (Coastal Ecology of Delaware)
3 hours, $7/student
Choose 4 activities to explore the coastal ecosystem: beachcombing, seining, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, salt marsh, or dunes. Compare and contrast these habitats and the unique organisms that occupy each site. Experience the interactions between shorebirds and horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay. Program meets at Slaughter Beach. Available April-October.
Birds in Focus
2 hours, $5/student
Explore the unique and varied adaptations of native birds, including body shape, beaks and feet. Investigate how these adaptations help them survive in their habitats. See mounted specimens and study the diversity of species in the Delmarva region. Use binoculars on a guided bird survey through different habitats. Find out how birds are affected by seasonal changes.
Exploring By Canoe
3 hours, $10/student
Learn basic paddling skills while exploring Abbott's Pond, home to beaver, turtles, waterfowl, and the occasional otter. Use seine nets and microscopes to collect and examine aquatic organisms. Learn how historic Abbott's Mill influenced the environment in the 1800's. Canoes, paddles and life preservers included in cost, no canoeing experience required.
Fantastic Fish
3 hours, $7/student
Discover biological and ecological adaptations of fish by examining external and internal features. Learn how to read a fish by its structure and examine how form relates to function. Don chest waders and use a seine net in Abbott's Pond to collect specimens. Hone your dissecting skills in our wet lab as we explore fish anatomy and biology.
Native Americans in Delaware
3 hours, $7/student
Explore the culture and customs of the early inhabitants of Delaware. Take an interpretive walk to discover pre-colonial Delaware history. Learn how Native Americans used nature for their everyday needs and visit a replica longhouse for a hands-on experience with tools, animal skins, clothing and musical instruments. Program meets at the Lindale Tract Preserve.
Nature Photography
2 hours, $8/student (includes materials fee)
Discover the natural world through a camera lens using digital cameras. Learn photography skills and compose instant photos. Print and frame favorite photos and create a poem to describe the image. The cost of this program includes film, matting, and use of cameras.
Orienteering & Compass Reading
3 hours, $7/student
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn how to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course.
Pond Ecology
2 ½ hours, $6/student
Immerse yourself in Abbott's Pond with dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. Use microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond organisms that help them survive in their environment.
Power to the People
2 hours, $5/student
Discover sources of renewable and nonrenewable energy. Follow energy pathways from its source to homes, cars, and our dinner table. Tour historic Abbott's Mill and examine its water powered milling equipment. Solar and water power and fossil fuel sources are examined. Provide your own power to operate human-powered tools and machines.
Rock Hounds
2 hours, $5/student
Learn about the rock cycle, where Delaware's rocks come from, weathering, and the differences between rocks and minerals. Use a dichotomous key to select and separate types of rocks. Perform a variety of tests to determine what minerals are present in the different rocks. Program meets at Slaughter Beach. April-October.
Stream Ecology
2 ½ hours, $6/student
Use scientific tests to determine a stream's health by examining its biological, chemical, and physical attributes. Collect and classify stream macro-invertebrates and record pH and dissolved oxygen levels. Discover how humans and wildlife impact our stream and identify four basic types of stream pollution. Microscopes reveal the tiniest inhabitants of the stream. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: Biodiversity at Blair's Pond
3 hours, $7/student
Identify conditions that affect biodiversity in three habitats. Investigate and measure the biotic and abiotic components of a lowland moist forest, upland forest and field/forest edge and discuss invasive species at each site, learning to recognize those species that imperil this location. 7th grade students will examine how invasive organisms affect the biodiversity of the watershed.
Ashland Nature Center Programs
Big Trees at Burrows Run Preserve
2 hours, $6/student
Discover, classify, and measure the biggest trees of the Burrows Run Preserve. Visit one of the largest black gum trees in Delaware. Take mathematical measurements of tree dimensions to determine the largest tree on the site. Program meets at the Burrows Run Preserve.
Bird Box Biology
2 hours, $6/student
Visit bird boxes to discover the basics of bird biology. Look for eggs, examine nesting materials, observe nestlings and learn about the lives of four species that use boxes regularly. Record observation data which will be used to monitor Ashland's bird populations. Available May-June.
Birds of Two Worlds
2 hours, $8/student (includes materials fee)
Survey mature forest and streamside habitat ecosystems for Neotropical migratory birds. These birds return to Central and South Americas each winter. The Burrows Run and Flint Woods Preserves are nesting sites for some of Delaware's most beautiful, but threatened, Neotropical migrants. Use binoculars, a directional microphone and tape recorder to bring birds close to the group for easy viewing. There is also an opportunity for continuing the experience as your students communicate with a Central American school about the birds and their habitats and add their sightings to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's bird database. Program meets at your choice of Burrows Run Preserve or Flint Woods Preserve. Available May-June.
Exploring By Canoe
3 hours, $20/student
Take your class on an adventure as you canoe Dragon Run, a freshwater marsh near Delaware City, or the Brandywine Creek. Both sites are home to a tremendous diversity of wildlife. Learn basic paddling skills, hike along the shore to survey plant and animal life, and discover the functions and importance of streams and wetlands. Canoes, paddles and life preservers included in cost, no canoeing experience required. Program meeting site to be determined with staff.
NEW! Fall Raptor Migration
2 hours, $6/student
Visit the Ashland Hawk Watch to identify and count some of the 16 species of migrating raptors that pass overhead. Ashland Nature Center is one of the best locations in Delaware to view migrant hawks in the fall. Use maps to track the birds' migration routes. Learn about the ecology and habits of these hawks through taxidermy and take a walk to identify other bird species.
Field Geology
2 hours, $6/student
Investigate the rock cycle as it relates to Ashland's geologic past and our local geology. Hike the trails at Ashland to discover current examples of weathering, erosion and deposition, and use rock hammers and goggles to collect mineral and rock samples for identification.
Field Ornithology
2 hours, $6/student
Explore the unique and varied adaptations of native birds, including body shape, beaks and feet and investigate how these adaptations help them survive in their habitats. View mounted specimens and study the diversity of species and life cycles in our region. Use binoculars and field guides while surveying forest and field ecosystems to classify over 20 species of birds. Examine bird adaptations, how they relate to their role in the environment, and record your findings.
Forest Succession
2 hours, $6/student
Take a successional journey from open meadow to mature forest. Learn about the natural transition of open land to woodland and determine the age of four stages of forest succession using several tree-aging methods. Identify trees, search for examples of dominant plants and animals in each stage, and document the process by making a photographic journal.
Insect Study
2 hours, $6/student
Learn to identify and classify orders of insects using identification keys and guide books. With nets and jars, collect insects to identify them and discover their role in the food chains of meadow, forest and stream ecosystems. Discover what enables them to reproduce, grow, and survive in their environment.
Mining & Minerals
1.5 hours, $6/student
Explore an early mining operation to uncover and classify various rocks and minerals native to Delaware's Piedmont geologic region. Use rock hammers and safety goggles to collect samples for identification and take specimens back to the classroom. Program meets at the Woodlawn Trustees Preserve.
Native Americans in Delaware
2 hours, $6/student
Explore the culture and customs of the early inhabitants of Delaware. Discover pre-colonial Delaware history and learn how Native Americans used nature for their everyday needs. Visit a replica wigwam for a hands-on experience with tools, animal furs and hides, clothing and musical instruments.
Nature Photography
2 hours, $8/student (includes materials fee)
Discover the natural world through a camera lens using digital cameras. Learn photography skills and compose instant photos. Print and frame favorite photos and create a poem to describe the image.
NEW! Orienteering & Compass Reading
2 hours, $6/student
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course on the Ashland property.
Plant Kingdom
2 hours, $6/student
Discover the diversity of plant types within the plant kingdom of organisms. Review the functions of roots, stems, flowers, leaves and seeds. Learn about plant life cycles. Investigate the importance of plants in a healthy ecosystem, discover animals that drink nectar, collect nuts, and eat leaves, and learn how important plants are in the cycle of life.
Pond Ecology
2 hours, $6/student
Visit a pond ecosystem and use dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. In the lab, use a video microscope and individual microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond animals that help them survive in their environment and discuss their role in the pond food chain.
Project Reforestation
2 hours, $6/student
Explore the Middle Run Natural Area and learn about the natural process of forest succession. Investigate the impact of White-tailed Deer and invasive plant species on the growth of a forest ecosystem. Examine the forest food chain and discover the variety of animals that depend upon trees for food. Visit the Delaware Nature Society's reforestation plots and plant trees that will help the Middle Run watershed. Program meets at the Middle Run Natural Area.
Reading the Forest
2 hours, $6/student
Hike along trails and historical roads at Flint Woods Preserve. Experience the smells, sights, and sounds of the forest and record observations. Identify and classify trees, stages of forest growth, and compare vertical forest layers.
Reptile & Amphibian Workshop
2 hours, $6/student
Investigate the characteristics and adaptations of snakes, lizards, frogs and turtles in this hands-on experience with live animals. After training for handling these animals, assist with feeding, and investigate their life cycles and histories using field guides. In the spring and fall, explore a nearby marsh to find these animals in their habitats.
Spring Amphibians
1 ½ hours, $6/student
Explore the world of amphibians during the time when they are chorusing and laying eggs. Learn how amphibians in Delaware survive the seasons and use nets and other collecting equipment to look for amphibians and the food they eat. March-June.
Springs & Streams
2 hours, $6/student
Visit and view three sites in a small watershed within the Burrows Run Preserve. Compare and contrast the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a groundwater spring, an intermittent stream, and a perennial stream. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream.
Stream Ecology
2 hours, $6/student
Determine a stream's health by examining its biological, chemical, and physical attributes. Catch and classify stream macro-invertebrates, and use test kits to record pH and dissolved oxygen. Discover how humans and wildlife impact stream health and identify four basic types of stream pollution. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream.
Watersheds and Stream Quality
2 ½ hours, $7 per student
Discover land use in the Red Clay Creek watershed and hypothesize how human activities have impacted the water quality of the stream. Investigate the benefit of forested riparian buffers and conduct visual and biological assessments of the Red Clay Creek and one of its tributary streams. Use physical characteristics and biological indicator species to determine the water quality of the Red Clay and its tributary stream and compare findings. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream.
Coverdale Farm Program
NEW! Farm Photography
2 hours, $8/student (includes material fee)
Discover farm life through a camera lens! Use cameras to learn photography skills and compose digital photos. Create your own "Farmer's Almanac" calendar page to capture the month of your visit. The cost of this program includes photo paper, almanac matting page, and use of camera.
NEW! Springhouse Spies
3 hours, $9/student
Wanted! Eco-investigators needed to uncover the past, capture the present, and predict the future land uses of Coverdale Farm and the Burrows Run Preserve. Dig into the past with an archaeological exploration of a historic springhouse. Measure and assess the environmental quality of groundwater spring, stream, forest, and fields habitats, and create a scientific recommendation for the future use of the farm and nature preserve.
"What's For Lunch?"
2 hours, $6/student
Create a delicious lunch then determine how nutritious it is for your body. "Slice up" your meal to discover how many food groups are represented and what vitamins and minerals are obtained. Trace your meal to the sources by exploring the farm gardens and livestock. Hands-on activities make this the most active meal you've ever "eaten."
