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DNS Program & Event Sites

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Ashland Nature Center Located near Hockessin, Ashland Nature Center serves as the Delaware Nature Society's headquarters and the hub for all of its activities of education and natural resource conservation. The site is open to the public year-round, features an overnight lodge for school and public groups, a seasonal butterfly house, picnic area and four self-guided trails through a variety of habitats. Programs are offered for all ages, as well as courses for teachers. The property includes more than 242 acres and is owned by the Red Clay Reservation, a private land trust. Ashland is also home to the Ashland Hawk Watch, a joint partnership between the Delaware Nature Society and the Delmarva Ornithological Society.     3511 Barley Mill Road (physical address)     PO Box 700 (mailing address)     Hockessin, DE 19707     (302) 239 - 2334     Click for More Info & Slide Show     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
Abbott's Mill Nature Center Abbott's Mill Nature Center, with its preserved, working mill, is owned by Delaware's Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and operated by the Delaware Nature Society through a unique partnership. Located along scenic Abbott's Pond just southwest of Milford, the Nature Center manages the 313-acre Milford Millponds Nature Preserve for DNREC. This diverse nature preserve supports a variety of forested, field and wetland habitats along Johnson and Tantrough Branch. Hiking trails, boardwalks and teaching stations provide unique education opportunities discovering the natural wonders of Southern Delaware. Trails are open to the public as well.     15411 Abbott's Pond Road     Milford, DE 19963     (302) 422 - 0847     Click for More Info & Slide Show     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
Coverdale Farm Preserve The Coverdale Farm Preserve complex at the 352-acre Burrows Run Preserve encompasses an 18th-century stone bank barn, pastures and fields, idyllic ponds and woodlands and panoramic views of rolling countryside. School students and participants in seasonal programs learn about the farm cycle of life and our dependence upon soil, water, plants and animals for survival. Students will help feed livestock, try their hand at harvesting and see hatching chicks. While observing demonstration plots, they will learn about organic gardening, the value of composting, and the sources of food and fiber needed by people and animals. Programs are offered September-November and March-June. The Delaware Nature Society's annual Native Plant Sale (first weekend in May) and Harvest Moon Festival (first weekend in October) are both held at Coverdale Farm Preserve. The site is also the location of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which began in 2010!     543 Way Road     Greenville, DE 19807     (302) 239 - 2334     Click for More Info & Slide Show     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
Cooch-Dayett Mills Located south of Newark, Delaware, Cooch-Dayett Mills was constructed in 1838 by William Cooch, Jr. as a grist mill to grind wheat and corn into flour. It was operated by waterpower, but in 1884 was remodeled and refitted to include engines for use when water supply was insufficient. The mill remained in operation until the 1980's and was sold to the State of Delaware under the control of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. When the mill closed it was one of only two operating mills in Delaware. With programming provided by the Delaware Nature Society, Cooch-Dayett Mills features education programs for families, school classes and the public. The historic roller mills, along with natural features of the site, become the classroom.     904 Old Baltimore Pike     Newark, DE 19702     (302) 239 - 2334     Click for More Info & Slide Show     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge The Delaware Nature Society operates the DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington, showcasing where the city, river, and marsh meet. The Center is on the edge of the 212-acre Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge that adjoins the tidal Christina River, which is home to many species of amphibians, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and native plants. The facility is open to the public year-round and features indoor and outdoor exhibits on water related natural and cultural history topics and a boardwalk that extends into the marsh. Programs are offered for all ages, as well as courses for teachers.     1400 Delmarva Lane     Wilmington, DE 19801     (302) 656 - 1490     Click for More Info & Slide Show     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
Buena Vista DNS's newest program site, in partnership with the Delaware Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs. Buena Vista is a 19th century country estate in New Castle, DE, formerly owned by Governor Buck (1890 - 1965). Surrounded by hundreds of acres of open space, it is the ideal location for historical and environmental programs.     661 S. DuPont Highway (Route 13)     New Castle, DE 19720     (302) 239 - 2334     Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates		Weather Forecast | Weather Maps

Other DNS Program Sites:

These locations are closed to the public except during guided programs

Blair's Pond (Blair's, Savage, and Pope Tracts)
4994 Williamsville Road, Milford, DE 19963
Owned by the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, Blair's Pond is one of several mill ponds in the Milford area. The site encompasses 206 acres of woods, mill pond, and the Tantrough Branch stream. Miles of trails, including a 5K cross-country course are part of the Milford Millponds Nature Preserve trail system. The forest supports several ecosystems including lowland swamp forest and upland forest as well as pond and stream habitats.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977
Visit the website: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/bombayhook/
Owned and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bombay Hook is 15,978 acres and includes one of the largest expanses of nearly unaltered tidal salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic region, impounded fresh water pools, brushy and timbered swamps, agricultural lands, and timbered and grassy upland. The site is utilized for the "Delaware Bay Study" school program and is popular location for seasonal programs and summer camps.

Bucktoe Creek Preserve - (Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates)
432 Sharp Road, Avondale, PA 19311
The Bucktoe Creek Preserve is approximately 285 acres of forest, meadows and marsh in New Garden Township, Pennsylvania. Located just five miles northwest of the Ashland Nature Center, this property is the only site outside of Delaware that the Delaware Nature Society utilizes for programs. Through the generosity of a private landowner, the Bucktoe Creek Preserve is available for programs and is an excellent place to investigate and collect insects, view a variety of birds in multiple habitats, and explore the Bucktoe Creek through watershed and stream studies. It's a great location choice for Pennsylvania schools and the only site that allows campouts for small groups.

Burrows Run Preserve - (Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates) 1368 Ashland Clinton School Road, Hockessin, DE 19707
Located minutes from the Ashland Nature Center, our 352-acre Burrows Run Preserve features one of the finest quality streams in northern Delaware and includes the Coverdale Farm Preserve property. The valley is known for its abundant bluebirds, wildflowers, and butterflies. Surveys have revealed 178 bird, 32 butterfly and 115 wildflower species with 13 rare plants. The site contains a pavilion with picnic tables and scientific field equipment.

Click for more about Burrows Run Preserve

Cedar Bog Preserve
The six-acre Cedar Bog Preserve sits like a jewel within the scenic 75-acre setting of the Abbott's Mill Nature Center pond, forest, and building complex. While the state owns most of the property at Abbott's Mill, the Delaware Nature Society owns Cedar Bog, which was purchased from private ownership to permanently preserve its unique natural features. Cedar Bog Preserve represents a rare example of mature southern forest of Atlantic white cedar and shelters rare plants including swamp pink and cranefly orchid.

Flint Woods Preserve - (Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates) 350 Twaddell Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19807
In Centreville, minutes from Ashland Nature Center and Coverdale Farm Preserve, the Flint Woods Preserve features the largest remaining old growth hardwood forest in Delaware. Flint Woods is a spectacular resource that provides habitat for Neotropical song birds and rare wildflowers among towering, mature trees and includes a colonial road. Flint Woods has long been designated as one of Delaware's premiere Natural Areas. Natural Areas on the state's inventory are recognized as the finest examples of habitats and contain unique features, which need to be preserved. In addition to owning and managing the 37-acre preserve, the Nature Society has access to an adjacent 155 acres of private land that extends our outdoor "classroom" to 192 acres. Facilities include a pavilion with picnic tables, fire place and scientific field equipment.

Click for more about Flint Woods Preserve

Isaacs Preserve
7766 Lindale Road, Greenwood, DE 19963
This 21-acre tract has a boardwalk and earthen trail through large old white cedars and abundant wetlands. Home to beaver and other wildlife, this property is best viewed by canoe at the headwaters of Abbott's Pond.

Lindale Tract Preserve
7766 Lindale Road, Greenwood, DE 19963
Owned by the State of Delaware and managed by the Delaware Nature Society, the 27-acre Lindale Tract Preserve features agricultural land as well as a wooded area, embracing Abbott's Pond on the west side. This site is home to an oak-hickory forest that includes chestnut trees and a spectacular tuliptree. The trail in these woods is used for Native American studies. Visitors can easily visualize the life of Native Americans long ago at the longhouse replica.

Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve & Slaughter Beach
Bay Avenue, Slaughter Beach, DE
Adjacent to Slaughter Beach is the 110-acre Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve, donated to the Delaware Nature Society through the generosity of the Harvey Marvel family of Milford, DE. Wildlife such as horseshoe crabs, fiddler crabs, diamondback terrapins and shorebirds abound at this site. During beach ecology programs, students explore these sites and discover many interesting creatures that call the Delaware Bay home.

Click for more about Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve

Milford Millponds Nature Preserve
The Milford Millponds Nature Preserve is a 3-mile linear network of connected land along two stream corridors and two millponds; Johnson Branch and Abbotts Pond on the east side, and the Tantrough Branch and Blairs Pond on the west; both emptying into the Mispillion River, outside of Milford, Delaware. These lands are owned collectively by the Delaware Nature Society and the DE Division of Fish and Wildlife. These properties are dominated by coastal plain forests and are teeming with wildlife. Neotropical migratory birds are often sighted, including Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers and Prothonotary Warblers, to name a few

Mortensen Property - (Click for Directions & GPS Coordinates)
Pleasant Hill Road, Newark, DE

Nature Barn - Red Clay Reservation
996 Old Wilmington Road, Hockessin, DE 19707
The Nature Barn - Red Clay Reservation property includes 50 acres of grassland meadows and forest. The property is only open to the public during scheduled activities and events. The site is utilized for the "Exploring Ecosystems" school program, some seasonal programs and summer camps.

Pope Property Trail
15076 Abbott's Pond Road, Greenwood, DE, 19950
A short distance down Abbott's Pond Road, this 42-acre property has a loop trail that is part of the millponds loop trail system. This wooded trail winds its way to the Tantrough Branch and Blair's Pond headwaters.

Woodland Beach
2 Beach Avenue, Smyrna, DE 19977
Surrounded by almost 6,300 acres of preserved tidal marsh that composes the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, Woodland Beach is a public beach that lies on the Upper Delaware Bay at the end of Delaware Route 6, approximately 8 miles east of Smyrna. The site is utilized for the "Delaware Bay Study" school program as well as seasonal programs and summer camps.

Woodlawn Trustees Preserve
Student drop-off: 350 Ramsey Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
Parking Lot for cars: 450 Ramsey Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
Visit the website: http://www.woodlawntrustees.com/index.html
The Woodlawn Trustees Preserve consists of approximately 2,000 acres of forest, meadows and agricultural fields in northern Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania. The property is owned and managed by the Woodlawn Trustees, Inc. and is managed as a wildlife preserve, and the site is open to the public for hiking, walking, biking, and horseback riding. The site is utilized for the "Mining and Minerals" school program as well as seasonal programs and summer camps.