National & International Excursions

Capture the experience of a lifetime during excursions with the
Delaware Nature Society!

leisurely pace

For over 30 years, the Delaware Nature Society has offered trips throughout the world. Our staff leaders coordinate with topnotch travel agencies and the country's/region's best naturalists to present experiences that cannot be matched by any other group. We invite you to review the information about our listings and contact the registar at 302-239-2334, ext. 134 or Email for detailed itineraries or other information.

Note: Most of our trips depart from Philadelphia, PA (air) or Hockessin, DE (van). If you would like to meet us at the destination, we will modify your costs. Please add a note to your itinerary request.

2009 Trips

(Please note trip deposit and fee deadlines)

West Virginia Cross Country Ski Trip
Trip #: T08-836-AS        Max: 10
Travel Dates: Thursday, February 26 to Sunday, March 1, 2009
Member/Non-member: $385/$440
Registration Deadline: January 19, 2009
Led by David Toman, Associate Director, Business and Finance & Dave Pro, Ashland Property Steward

Nestled in the 900,000 acre Monongahela National Forest - West Virginia's Canaan Valley provides an ideal setting for cross country skiing with over 100 km of trails and 150 inches average annual snowfall! Novice and skilled skiers alike will experience a unique habitat associated with climates much further north. Enjoy the serenity of meandering trails through mature spruce and hemlocks and valley meadows. Ski into the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and to Bald Knob for a breath-taking view at 4,300 ft! Snowshoeing is also available to explore the snow covered mountainside. Price includes double-occupancy lodging in a comfortable park cabin; White Grass ski area fees; van transportation from AshlandNature Center; three breakfasts and lunches and apr�s ski refreshments. Dinners are Dutch treat at nearby restaurants. Equipment rentals are $15/day additional; and ski lessons are $15/day additional.

Crane Migration on the Platte River - Chickens on the Prairies
Trip #: T09-837-AS        Max: 10
Travel Dates: Tuesday, March 24 to Saturday March 28, 2009
Members/Non-member: $900 /$955
Deposit: $300 deposit due by December 23, 2008

Nebraska in late March is the battleground between spring and winter. With these first winds of spring arrive hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Crane. Riverside farmland is transformed into crane feeding and dancing grounds, and the Platte itself becomes their night-time roost. This annual staging of half-a-million cranes along the Platte River is one of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles.�Blinds will be used along the river to closely view cranes leaving their roost in the morning and coming back in the evening.�Join trip leader Joe Sebastiani, Delaware Nature Society Members Program Team Leader, on his fourth trip to the Platte for this migration spectacle. Visit the Rainwater Basin to witness waterfowl and shorebird migration and look for flocks of migratory White Pelicans.�The group will also stop by one of the Prairie Dog towns that exist in this part of Nebraska.

In addition to experiencing the Cranes, we will spend two nights at a 12,000-acre ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills region to see Greater Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse on their display grounds at very close range. We will spend the early morning hours watching these species strut, boom, display, and jostle on their traditional leks, where males display in groups. Seeing this phenomenon at close range will be a cherished highlight of the trip and will allow good opportunities for photographs. Enjoy the beauty of the rolling hills and vast grasslands of the Sandhills region while we look for waterfowl, Burrowing Owls, and Prairie Dogs.�Take a leisurely walk through the trails and paths of the ranch to appreciate the natural beauty of the Nebraska Sandhill Prairie region. Included in the trip are visits to the Museum of Nebraska Art and the Great Platte River RoadMuseum. Meals at the Lodge, lodging, ground transportation, and guide services are included.�Breakfast is included in Kearney, but lunch and dinners are Dutch treat for that part of the trip. This trip does not include airfare. The trip will start in the Lincoln, NE airport on Tuesday, March 24.

Fallingwater and the Laurel Highlands
Trip #: T09-838-AS
Travel Dates: Tuesday, May 19 - Thursday, May 21
Times: Depart Ashland Nature Center at 7:30 am, May 19. Return ~ 6:00 pm, May 21
Member/Non-Member: $400/$450

Leaders: John Harrod, Backyard Habitat Coordinator and Jason Beale, Abbott's Mill Nature Center Manager

Join us as we tour the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, a region of high mountains, low valleys, forests, waterfalls, and much natural beauty. Tour two Frank Lloyd Wright houses, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, both exhibiting unique architectural design. Take part in bird banding at the Powdermill Nature Reserve. Visit Ohiopyle State Park and feel the power of the spectacular falls along the Youghiogheny River. Explore the unique Spruce Flats bog, a unique habitat home to 2 carnivorous plant species and a wide diversity of breeding warblers and other birds. Fee includes van transportation from Ashland, leadership, entrance fees, double-occupancy lodging, breakfast and lunch.

The Wonders of Iceland
Course #:U09-835-AS
Travel dates: Sunday, May 24 to Sunday, May 31, 2009
Leader: Smithsonian Journeys
Host: Joe Sebastiani, Members Program Team Leader

For a detailed itinerary, Click Here.

An Island of dramatic contrasts, Iceland is a landscape forged by fire and ice. Steaming lava fields and hot pools reflect its volcanic nature, while massive glaciers continue to sculpt the mountains and valleys, leaving thundering waterfalls and plunging fjords. See the sights of the city of Reykjavik. Head out into the beautiful countryside to tour the scenic landscape of the Reykjanes Peninsula and explore an ancient Viking site. Travel to the "Golden Circle" to visit Thingvellir National Park, the hot springs of Geysir, the two-tiered Gullfoss Waterfall, and Skaftafell National Park. If you would like to participate in a web-based interactive tour of this trip where you can speak to other participants and ask questions, please email your name and email address to joe@delawarenaturesociety.org. An evening presentation will also be offered regarding this trip.

The Heart of Denali National Park, Alaska
Date: September 6-13, 2009
Leader: David Toman, Associate Director, Business and Finance

Discover the sense of true unspoiled wilderness in Alaska's 6 million acre national park! Marvel at the boreal forest and sub-artic tundra wildlife including moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolf and grizzly bear. Lodge at the exclusive Camp Denali, 89 miles into the center of the park with spectacular views of "The High One," North America's tallest peak! Return to Anchorage on one of the most scenic railways in the glass domed cars of the Alaska Railroad.

Family owned and operated for more than 30 years, Camp Denali lies in the heart of Denali National Park, just 29 air miles from Mt. McKinley. Eighteen cozy cabins are carefully situated along the ridgeline to capture superlative mountain views. Delicious meals and fresh-baked goods are featured in the dining room. Daily activities have a strong natural history focus including wildlife observation and hikes led by staff naturalists. Canoeing, fishing and biking are also available. Evening programs focus on various aspects of Denali's natural and cultural history. Camp Denali is an authorized National Park concessionaire. (Cabins are rustic with privy; full facilities at the lodge.)

Participants will book their own airfare round-trip to Anchorage, AK. Four nights at Camp Denali, all meals included; three nights in Anchorage at the Copper Whale Inn, breakfasts included.

Photos courtesy of Camp Denali, the Alaska Railroad and David Nix

Member/Non-Member: $2,975/$3,075
$500 non-refundable deposit due 1/30/09