Thursday Night Nature Fall 2020 Full Season

The highbush blueberry industry was born in New Jersey just over 100 years ago, and by a woman named Elizabeth White. Her research has led to the growing of blueberries throughout the world. Blueberries are the state fruit of New Jersey and we will discover how she accomplished putting this delicious and healthy fruit on the tables of peoples of the world.

Dr. Pavlis has been a professor and agricultural agent at Rutgers University for 28 years. His areas of expertise are blueberry and grape/wine production.  His blueberry newsletter, ‘The Blueberry Bulletin’, has an international following. His research on blueberry fertilization has transformed the New Jersey industry. He has been instrumental in the expansion of the New Jersey wine industry by assisting would-be grape growers through the production/marketing minefield. He has served nationally on the board of directors on the American Wine Society. Dr. Pavlis writes a wine article in edible jersey called Liquid Assets, regularly appears in print, on the radio and television educating the public on the intricacies of growing blueberries and grapes in New Jersey or touting the benefits of eating blueberries and drinking wine.

Nature is full of miracles:

• Leaves "eat" air, mix it with water and produce life-sustaining food.
• Water striders can scurry across the surface of the water without sinking or even getting wet.
• Seeds contain an embryo, nourishment for the embryo to grow until photosynthesis takes over and they come protected in a shell.  They are "a baby in a box with its lunch."

Naturalist and award-winning photographer Jim Amon will make a presentation that examines these and other wonders and surprises about nature on September 17th.  His presentation will be based upon his monthly essays and newly published book SEEING THE SOURLANDS.  He will include many of his nature photographs.

A self-taught naturalist and stellar photographer, Jim Amon spent 29 years cultivating his love and interest in the Sourlands while he was the Executive Director of Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, where he developed an abandoned waterway into our state’s most visited park, and after that 10 years as Director of Stewardship for D&R Greenway Land Trust, working to restore nature preserves. Jim also served as a Sourland Conservancy board member, volunteer and hike leader for several years.

For those wishing to purchase the book for themselves, please visit this link.

Every time it rains, water running over impermeable surfaces, such as roofs or driveways, gathers pollutants as it travels. These pollutants can include dirt, oil, trash, fertilizer and bacteria. This water then enters storm drains and can flow directly to nearby streams and ponds untreated. In fact, many storm drains have a notice that indicates such. The US EPA estimates that pollutants carried by rainwater runoff account for 70% of all water pollution. Join us to see how using the deep roots of native plants can create a point of interest and solve problems with stormwater runoff. Hear about a journey of creating a spot that is a rain garden and a pollinator garden, which evolves continuously with the seasons to be a haven for birds, bees, and butterflies.

Seeing a migratory bird stop over in her yard, or an opportunist native plant that chooses to grow in her garden, Samantha Bean finds joy in the unexpected. Blending the exhilaration of learning all about native plants that pique her curiosity every day with her love of writing led her to starting her own blog. With her husband Mark, they have slowly been transforming areas of their yard into native habitat and she loves to chronicle her discoveries about the creatures that share her home while describing the many habitats that exist for them on her blog at FlutterByMeadows.com. Growing up in the Sourland Mountain region of Central New Jersey, she spent a lot of time exploring the woods behind her home. Following a similar path, her young daughter Emma can be found roaming the pollinator gardens, rain garden, or meadows around their home in Hopewell Valley. Samantha is an Executive Committee member of the Garden Club of Trenton, and loves to sketch birds in her spare time.

Online booking for this program ends on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, at 6:00 pm. If you wish to register after the deadline, please email education@bhwp.org for space availability and reservations.

While visiting Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, have you ever wondered about what historical figures may have also shared the ground beneath your feet? How the Preserve came to be in the first place? We will take a closer look at the history of Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve’s land from the time of the Leni Lenape through our present day.  This includes stories about Revolutionary War soldiers and some notable historical citizens of both New Hope and Washington’s Crossing, PA.

Mary Nogami has been a naturalist at the preserve since 2009. She has a special interest in and enjoys researching the history of the area. She misses giving in-person tours at BHWP and is excited to share the rich history of the Preserve with you.

As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler we start thinking about fall garden tasks. As the colorful display of summer ends fall clean-ups begin. But is this what really really should be doing? Does the garden become less valuable as the flowers fade? Leave the leaves is the new mantra of the fall garden. Before you start raking, cutting, trimming and removing consider a more sustainable form of fall garden care keeping ecology and sustainability in mind

Kathleen Salisbury can’t remember a time when plants, horticulture and the outdoors weren’t a part of her life. She is currently the Director of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University after a 25-year long career that has encompassed almost every aspect of the green industry. Most recently she worked for the Bucks County Penn State Extension Service where she crafted and implemented professional development and certification training for professionals in the horticulture industry. Prior to her time at the Penn State Extension, she was co-owner, educator and consultant for DeVosBury Designs. She was a Horticulture Instructor at the Berks Career and Technology Center; Horticulturist for the Essex County New Jersey Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; and an Adjunct Professor for the Landscape and Horticulture Technologies program at County College of Morris.

Learn about the fascinating world of dragonflies from one of the masters in the field. Mike May, Ph.D., will teach you about the basics of what members of the Odonata family are, their life cycles, and give you an inside glimpse into his research investigating interesting behaviors, mostly of adults, including feeding, body temperature regulation, migration, and, of course, reproduction.

Mike May grew up in Florida and began collecting insects at a young age. His interest in dragonflies peaked in graduate school at the University of Florida where he earned his Ph.D. He spent three years on postdoctoral appointments in Panama and the University of Illinois. He retired from Rutgers University in 2012 but still keeps up research on dragonflies. He is co-author of two books: Damselflies of North America and A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America, and author/co-author of more than 60 scientific papers. He also is a member of the editorial board of The International Journal of Odonatology and is deeply involved in the Xerces Society’s Migratory Dragonfly Project (www.migratoryd​ragonflypartner​ship.org).

Owls are among our most unique, mysterious, and poorly-known birds.  The Northern Saw-whet Owl is our smallest in eastern North America, weighing less than a stick of butter and able to fit in a coffee mug.  These owls are so secretive that many skilled birders have never glimpsed one in the wild.  Yet, at the right times of year, they are the most abundant owl in our region.  Each autumn the nonprofit Wild Bird Research Group harmlessly captures and bands hundreds of Saw-whet Owls to learn about their migration.  Join WBRG staff for a live virtual tour of a Saw-whet Owl banding operation, and with some luck, meet some wild owls and witness the banding and data collection process.

Tyler Christensen is an ecologist, ornithologist, and environmental educator, and is the Director of the Wild Bird Research Group.  WBRG is a New Jersey-based nonprofit coordinating ornithological research from the Mid Atlantic to Costa Rica – including everything from hummingbirds to raptors.

Join us for an introduction into Ethnobotany, or the study of how people use plants, and the folklore that surrounds them. Each plant has its own story, history and use that will be introduced, featuring our native plants.

Award-winning naturalist, storyteller, and environmental educator Alonso Abugattas (the Capital Naturalist) shares his insights on the natural world. Co-Chair for the Beltway Chapter of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), the professional organization for naturalists, historians, and others who interpret resources, Alonso is a Certified Heritage Interpreter and has received regional and national awards, including the Regional Interpretive Manager of the Year and the national Master Interpretive Manager both in 2018. He was also awarded that same year with the Thomas Say Interpretive Media Award for his social media outlets. I invite you to also check out my other award-winning social media platforms: the "Capital Naturalist" Blog or Capital Naturalist YouTube Channel, or follow me on Twitter: @CapNaturalist.