The following programs will be held at Pickering Creek and are free of charge to Pickering Creek and Chesapeake Audubon members unless otherwise noted.  To register call (410) 822-4903 or REGISTER ONLINE.
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EcoCamp    Tiny Tot Programs      Family Programs     Adult Programs     Educator Workshops     Volunteer Opportunities

Family Programs

Totally Turtles
Tuesday, April 8
6:30-7:30 PM, Main Building                      General admission: $5, Members: $2
Learn all about the turtles of Pickering Creek. Come and discover the exciting facts about our local land and water turtles and meet some of our turtle friends. Find out why its so cool to have a shell.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Nature at Night Program Series
Astronomy on the Dock
Thursday, April 3
7-9 PM, Ecology Classroom                       General admission: $14, Members: $10
Join Jerry Truitt from the Delmarva Stargazers for an introduction to the April night sky.  Using telescopes we will take a close-up look at the Orion Nebula, the Beehive star cluster in Cancer, the Pleiades cluster in Taurus, and M81 & M82 Galaxies as well as the planets Mars and Saturn.  This is an excellent opportunity to ask all your astronomy questions while spending an informative evening on Pickering Creek’s new dock.

Nocturnal Animal Adaptations
Wednesday, April 30
7-8:30 PM, Garden Classroom                   General admission: $5, Members: Free
Bring the family to Pickering Creek to learn about the many adaptations that characterize nocturnal animals.  Catch food like a bat, identify scents like a fox, and listen quietly for owls and the other night sounds of the woods.  Join our naturalists for a safe night hike and experience Pickering Creek after the sun sets.

Moonlit Paddle
Wednesday, May 16
7-9 PM, Garden Classroom                        General admission $20/$12, Members: $15/$8
Ages 12 and up
Experience the moon reflecting off the waters of Pickering Creek during this amazing opportunity to canoe at night.  We will paddle out together at sunset and enjoy a moonlit evening on the water.  Explore the waterways in a whole new light and observe bird activity only characterized during these evening hours. Registration ends May 14, 2008.

Adult Programs
Herbal Remedies 101
Thursday, April 17
6-7:30 PM, Garden Classroom                   General admission: $15, Members: $10,
Learn about the medicinal properties of plants known as "herbs" with a plant walk around Pickering's own herb garden.  We will view and discuss native herbs as well as the more commonly known culinary herbs.  You will get to make an herbal remedy or two and enjoy some herbal tea.  *Please bring a small jar for one of the herbal remedies and a mug to try some teas.  Registration ends April 14, 2008.

Food Fight 2012:
A Talk about the Food & Farm Bill with author Dan Imhoff
May 20, Noon-1:30 pm      Oxford Community Center
AND 4:00 pm-5:30 pm       St. Michaels Library
Join us in Oxford or St. Michaels for a informative discussion about the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is perhaps the single most significant land use legislation enacted in the United States, yet many citizens remain unaware of its power and scope. With subsidies ballooning toward $25 billion dollars per year, the Farm Bill largely dictates who grows what crops, on what acreage, and under what conditions—all with major impacts on the country’s rural economies, health and nutrition, national security, and biodiversity. As debate and wrangling over the 2007 Farm Bill rolls on and we prepare for the 2012 Farm Bill, Food Fight offers a highly informative and visually engaging overview of legislation that literally shapes our food system, our bodies, and our future.

Dan Imhoff is a researcher, author, independent publisher, and homestead farmer who has concentrated for nearly 20 years on issues related to farming, the environment, and design. He is the author of numerous articles, essays and books including Food Fight: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill, Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World; Farming with the Wild: Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranches; and Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood. Dan is the president and co-founder of Watershed Media, a nonprofit publishing house based in Healdsburg, California. He is the president and a co-founder of the Wild Farm Alliance, a seven yearold national organization that works to promote agriculture systems that support and accommodate wild nature. For ten years, he has been the co-host of a monthly Farm and Garden radio show on Mendocino County Public Broadcasting with his long-time friend, biodynamic apple farmer Tim Bates.

Tiny Tot Safari Programs
Experience nature through hands-on activities, hikes, crafts, and much more!  Tiny Tot programs are for children ages 3-5 years and accompanying adult.  General admission is $5 per child and free to Audubon members. P lease call Pickering Creek at (410) 822-4903 to register.

Migration Adventures
Wednesday, April 9
1:30-2:30 PM, Garden Classroom
Turn your eyes to the sky and witness the amazing bird migration at Pickering Creek with your tot.  All birds are adapted to live in different habitats and often travel south when the temperatures get too cold.  We will make binoculars and then head out on a birding adventure to learn about where birds migrate and the importance of our local wetlands.

Earth Day Explorations
Wednesday, April 23
1:30-2:30 PM, Garden Classroom
Celebrate Earth Day with your tot through an exploratory nature hike designed to reveal the wonders of nature.  As we hike we will discuss some unusual facts about plants and animals while picking up any trash we find along the way.  Later we will talk about recycling, reducing, and reusing as we create innovative art from discarded materials.

Busy Busy Bees
Wednesday, May 7
1:30-2:30 PM, Garden Classroom
Brush up on your buzzing skills as you and your tot learn about life in the hive through interactive games.  Learn about different types of bees and the various roles they play in the cooperative world of bees.  We will investigate how bees use flowers to make honey and even make our own tasty honey treat!

Farm Fresh Food
Wednesday, May 21
1:30-2:30 PM, Garden Classroom
Food takes an extensive journey from the farm before it reaches out plates.  Many of us don’t even know what celery looks like before we see it in the grocery store.  Bring your tot and be prepared to get a little dirty in our vegetable and herb gardens as we witness (and sample!) food growing right out of the ground.   Veggies never tasted better!

Magical Metamorphosis: Caterpillars to Butterflies
Wednesday, June 4
1:30-2:30 PM, Garden Classroom
Bring your tot to the blooming gardens of Pickering Creek to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly.  Wiggle like a caterpillar, hatch from a cocoon, and fly like a butterfly with your own colorful, homemade wings.  Learn and understand that all things go through significant changes as they grow from babies to adults.

Educators Workshops
There are currently no Educator Workshops scheduled at this time.