Download Join our upcoming homeschool programs

Spring 2017 Homeschool Program Series
GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:
To register contact Candy Farr at 302-239-2334, ext. 113 or email at [email protected].
Programs meet at Ashland Nature Center unless otherwise noted.
Programs meet every other Tuesday starting January 31st from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. unless otherwise
noted. The overnight will be held during the last week of March.
Homeschool programs are designed to support state and national content standards and are
appropriate for students ages 6 – 12 years. Parents are welcome to drop their children off or stay for
the lesson. Parents attending a lesson may bring siblings along who are younger than 6 years, but
those children are not able to participate in the lesson. (Please see our Green by Nature Preschool
Series for programs for younger students.)
We also accept group registrations for field trips, overnight experiences, or to bring a program to you.
See our school program list on our website for homeschool groups of 12 students or more. Please
contact Carrie Scheick at 302-239-2334, ext. 120 or email at [email protected] to register your
group.
Program #1: Winter Nature Photography
Tuesday, January 31, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Ashland Nature Center Visitor Center
Participants will learn to explore Ashland’s wintery trails with the eyes of an artist as they
capture photos of the magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Delaware piedmont. They will learn
photography skills and create a winter collage with photos taken and natural objects found on
our hike.
Program #2: Maple Sugaring
Tuesday, February 14, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Ashland Nature Center Visitor Center
Discover the history of making maple syrup from tree sap and learn to identify maple trees and
discover the function of roots, branches and leaves. Practice tapping a tree to experience how
early Americans made maple syrup. Observe the changes in maple sap as it is boiled to become
maple syrup. Finish up by tasting your final product!
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Program #3: Microscope Study
Tuesday, February 28, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Ashland Nature Center Visitor Center
Come explore the unseen world around you, and learn to use microscopes to examine
everything from pond water to a dragonfly! Learn how microscopes work, how to make a slide,
and how to identify some of the tiny creatures that live in our ponds and streams.
Program #4: Discovering Trees @ Flint Woods Preserve
Tuesday, March 14, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Flint Woods Preserve
Learn to use pictures and a dichotomous key to identify some common trees of Delaware by
their leaves, blossoms, seeds and bark. Take a core sample, and find other ways to tell the age
of a tree. Finish with a special scavenger hunt hike searching for nests, holes, insect trails and
signs of animals in the trees.
Program #5: SPRING OVERNIGHT: Songs of Spring
Tuesday March 28, 12:00 p.m. – Wednesday March 29, 12:00 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $20/$30
Meeting Location: Ashland Lodge at Ashland Nature Center
Springtime is when nature’s music is at its best; frogs are chorusing and birds are singing. Join
other homeschoolers and experience this amazing concert firsthand. Look and listen for wood
frogs, spring peepers, and American toads and learn about the amazing life cycle of amphibians.
Explore the marsh and pond to find eggs and tadpoles. Enjoy an evening campfire and night hike
while listening to the frog chorus. On Thursday identify birds by their calls while hiking through
forest and field. Use binoculars and tablets with speakers to help find these spring songsters.
Spend the night in the beautiful Ashland lodge. Meals will be cooperative. One adult per family
should plan to accompany their child (No charge for adults). Contact [email protected] for
more details.
Program #6: Native Americans in Delaware
Tuesday, April 4, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Ashland Nature Center Visitor Center
Learn about Delaware’s Native Americans - the Lenni Lenape. Hike the historic trails at Ashland
to discover a Lenape longhouse complete with furs and tools. Use your native skills to build a
fire, carve a tool, and play games and musical instruments similar to those used by the Lenape.
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Program #7: From Farm to You
Tuesday, April 18, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Coverdale Farm Preserve
Explore the plants and animals of Coverdale Farm Preserve to discover the sources of food and
fiber we all depend upon. Connect to the farm web of life through hands-on activities. Search
the farmstead to get the scoop on where ice cream and cheese come from, why gardeners love
eggshells, and what animal we have to thank for wool hats and sweaters! Pop into the stone
barn for a hands-on way to knock corn off of the cob.
Program #8: Fantastic Fish
Tuesday, May 2, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Dupont Environmental Education Center 3rd floor lobby
Meet the many fish of the Christina River and the marsh at DEEC. Study fish anatomy and use body
parts to predict what fish eat, how fast they swim and if they are a hunter or the hunted. Use a
spinning cast net, reel in fish traps, and dip with nets to try your luck catching fish.
Program #9: Field Geology
Tuesday, May 16, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Ashland Nature Center Visitor Center
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.
Program #10: Insect and Wildflower Safari @ Burrows Run Preserve
Tuesday, May 30, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Member/Non-Member: $8/$10
Meeting Location: Burrows Run Preserve
Search for flowering trees, wildflowers, and shrubs while reviewing the functions of roots, stems,
flowers, leaves, and seeds. Investigate the importance of plants in a healthy ecosystem while learning
about our local flora. Investigate insects up close and describe what enables them to reproduce,
grow, and survive in their environment. With nets and jars, collect insects to discover their role in the
food chains of meadow ecosystems.
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