Exploring Nature
Aug23
Bat Chat
Session I: Wednesday, Aug. 16 (rain date Aug. 17) Session II: Wednesday, Aug. 23 (rain date Aug. 24) Please register for each session separately. Bats are incredible creatures. They are excellent parents, are insect-eating machines and have valuable roles in our ecosystem. Join Matthew Wund, Ph.D., to discover the species that call Pennsylvania home, the challenges they face and the important services they provide. Indoor presentation followed by outdoor bat hike where participants will get to use bat detectors to listen to echolocation calls. For ages 6 and up. Matthew Wund is an associate professor of biology at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. His expertise in bats stems from his graduate work at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he earned his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology. His dissertation focused on how bats modify their echolocation calls in different foraging situations, such as hunting within dense woods or in open spaces. He’s excited to share his knowledge and passion during the bat chat. »
Sep16
Nature at Night
Nocturnal nature is full of beauty and mystery and September is a great time to explore the Preserve and discover the fascinating life history of creatures big and small. Bring a flashlight or headlamp and we will search the meadow for signs of nocturnal nature, including the most industrious of them all—spiders! For ages 6 and up. »
Oct21
Mushroom Walk
Many plant-focused people are not aware of the important roles that fungi, including mushrooms, play in the lives of plants. There would be no land plants were it not for the fungi that nourish them! Marion Kyde, Ph.D., will cover a few of the amazing things that you probably don’t know about fungi, along with photos of the colorful and unusual macrofungi in our woods and fields. Much of the information will be about new research which is telling even mycologists what they don't know about fungi. For ages 15 and up. Marion M. Kyde, Ph.D., lives in Tinicum Township in the middle of a woods full of magical (not magic) mushrooms. She has lectured locally on mushrooms for 20 years and writes for the Tinicum Conservancy Newsletter and the Bucks County Herald on environmental and local issues. An award-winning and pioneering conservationist, Marion received her bachelor’s, masters and doctorate degrees from Rutgers University and currently serves as the vice chair on the Tinicum Township Land Preservation Committee. »
Nov05
Tales from a Naturalist’s Diary with Pete Bacinski
Join us for a program that is complete with all those natural history facts and questions you never thought to ask. Filled with images of Mother Nature’s oddities, naturalist Pete Bacinski’s presentation will touch on birds, wildflowers, ferns, mammals, and reptiles and amphibians, as well as many unusual natural history events. Naturalist Diary is designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. For ages 15 and up. »
Nov17
Owl Prowl
Session I: Friday, Nov. 17, 7 - 8:30 pm Session II: Saturday, Dec. 9, 7 - 8:30 pm Please register for each program separately. Join us for an after-hours hike as we search for these nocturnal birds. We'll start indoors and discuss how to identify the species we may see or hear. Dress for the weather and be prepared to walk through wet trail conditions. For ages 8 and up. Space is limited. Advanced registration required. »
Nov18
Learn About Lichens
Are they plants? Are they fungi? No, they’re both! Lichens are everywhere you look, and they are as fascinating as they are ubiquitous. Join lichenologist Dennis Waters to learn about these remarkable botanical partnerships—how they work and how they have grown to be so dependent on each other. Following a short talk, we will take an excursion into the Preserve to find lichens growing on trees, on rocks and on the ground. You will learn about their lifestyles, their habitats and their important contributions to ecosystems. And you’ll have plenty of chances to try your hand at figuring out which lichen you’re looking at. Please bring a 7-10x hand lens if you have one. A limited number will be available to borrow. For ages 15 and up. Dennis Waters has been a lichenologist for 10 years. He is currently completing the first lichenological survey of Mercer County, N.J., in collaboration with the New York Botanical Garden, the Mercer County Park Commission and the D&R Greenway Land Trust. In recent years, he has participated in lichen surveys in Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, the Dare Regional Biodiversity Hotspot in North Carolina, the Straits Counties of Michigan, and the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. Advance registration required by Nov. 16. »
Dec09
Owl Prowl
Session I: Friday, Nov. 17, 7 - 8:30 pm Session II: Saturday, Dec. 9, 7 - 8:30 pm Please register for each program separately. Join us for an after-hours hike as we search for these nocturnal birds. We'll start indoors and discuss how to identify the species we may see or hear. Dress for the weather and be prepared to walk through wet trail conditions. For ages 8 and up. Space is limited. Advanced registration required. »
Knowing Native Plants
Sep16
Knowing Native Plants: Amazing Asters
Fall is peak bloom time for members of the aster family. Explore our woods and meadows with naturalist Mary Anne Borge to discover asters, goldenrods, bonesets, coneflowers, tickseeds and other yellow composites. We'll look for signs of the relationships these plants have with the insects, birds and other animals that depend on them. This program is geared for adults. Advance registration suggested. Presentation/discussion followed by outdoor tour. Professional CEUs are available. Mary Anne Borge is a naturalist, photographer, writer and educator. She is a certified Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, a contributor to Butterfly Gardener magazine, and has been a volunteer at the Preserve for more than 10 years. She shares her fascination with nature through her writing and photography on her blog, www.the-natural-web.org. »
Oct14
Knowing Native Plants: Trees of the Preserve
Learn about many of our native tree species in the glory of their fall color! Do you know which native tree was originally used to flavor root beer? Or why leaves change color? The class will cover these topics and more, as well as provide tips on how to identify the trees of the Preserve, both deciduous and evergreen. This program is geared for adults. Advance registration suggested. Presentation/discussion followed by outdoor tour. Professional CEUs are available. »
Nov04
Knowing Native Plants: From Flowers to Seeds
How do angiosperms reproduce sexually? Naturalist Ed Lignowski will answer this question by discussing the life cycle of flowering plants from pollination to fruit/seed dispersal. General anatomy of flowers will be covered, and specific examples of native plants will be used to illustrate the many interesting differences in floral structure and function that occur in nature. The events following pollination leading to the development of fruits and seeds will be explained. Learn about the various types of native plant fruits and examples of how they provide nutrition for wildlife. Advance registration suggested. Presentation/discussion followed by outdoor tour. Professional CEUs are available. »
Growing Native Plants
Sep09
Fall Planting Event
10am – 11am: Members Only Lecture featuring Larry Weaner (topic TBD) 11am – 1pm: Members Only Shopping 1pm – 5pm: Shopping Open to the Public »
Sep30
Seed Collection
We often forget that the reason for a flower is to manufacture seeds. Take advantage of the expertise of Preserve curator Jason Ksepka and learn how to collect seed from the plants in your own backyard. This class will take you through the steps needed to successfully and responsibly collect native plant seeds. Timing of seed collection, as well as techniques and supplies suggested for seed storage and cleaning, will also be covered. Participants will take home a packet of native seeds. For ages 15 and up. Advance registration by Sept. 27 required. »