Click on site name below for program listings:
Abbott's Mill Nature Center - Milford
Ashland Nature Center - Hockessin
Cooch-Dayett Mills - Newark
Coverdale Farm Preserve - Greenville
DuPont Environmental Education Center - Wilmington
Abbott's Mill Nature Center Programs
Animals in Winter
1.5 hours, $4/student
Learn about animals native to Delaware and their strategies for winter survival. Investigate which animals hibernate, which stay awake, and which migrate south. View taxidermy and live animals and take a winter walk to look for signs of animals that remain active during the winter season. Available November-March.
Beach Discovery
1½ hours, $4/student
Explore Slaughter Beach while learning about crabs, sea turtles, and other animals of Delaware Bay. Build with sand, create a sea turtle nest, walk like a crab, and help "sand" turtles get to the water. Program meets at Slaughter Beach. April-October.
Discovering Habitats (Who Lives at Abbott's?)
1½ hours, $4/student
Use senses to explore the forest, stream, and meadow in search of animals that live in these habitats. Discover the special adaptations, shelters, and foods these animals depend on. Get up close with live animals and taxidermy.
Discovering Trees
1½ hours, $4/student
Explore the habitat at Abbott's Mill to discover a variety of trees. Find out how trees grow and protect themselves, identify parts of trees, and describe their functions. Determine why and how trees change throughout the year and why they are important to other plants, soil, clean air and water.
Insect Safari
2 hours, $5/student
Collect and observe insects found in meadows, forests and streams. Learn about insect characteristics and compare life cycles. Build a bug and examine adaptations to their habitats.
It All Starts with Soil
2 hours, $5/student
Discover soil and how it influences plants, animals and people. Conduct scientific experiments to identify the three basic components of soil and compare different soil types from forest, meadow, and swamp. Observe soil layers with augers and test pH to distinguish humus, sand and clay.
Maple Sugaring
2 hours, $5/student
Discover how a tree makes sap and explore the history of maple syrup. See how Native Americans collected and boiled sap to make this tasty tree treat. Try your hand at tapping a tree, experience the sights and smells of maple sap turning into maple syrup, and sample the final product! Available February-March.
Native American Lifeways
2 hours, $5/student
Engage in bartering as you discover Native Americans in three regions of the United States. Learn about important natural resources in each region and help to construct a model dwelling of that area. A take-home craft and Native American game completes the experience.
Organisms
2 hours, $5/student
Find and identify a variety of living organisms in the forest, meadow and pond. Collect and study seeds, insects, plants, and pond life. First grade concentrates on similarities and differences between organisms. Second grade focuses on survival mechanisms. Available September-November.
Pond Study
2 hours, $5/student
Immerse yourself in pond ecology and get up close with the animals and plants of the pond ecosystem. Use dip nets and waders to survey aquatic inhabitants of Abbott's Pond. First grade examines the unique plant life of the pond. Second grade looks at how animals develop, change, and adapt to the pond.
Pondering the Pond
1½ hours, $4/student
Ponder the pond and discover the plants and animals that call it home. Meet live animals and taxidermy to learn about mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Explore how pond organisms are similar and how they are different.
Rock Hounds
2 hours, $5/student
Learn about the rock cycle, where Delaware's rocks come from, weathering, and the differences between rocks and minerals. Use a dichotomous key to select and separate types of rocks. Perform a variety of tests to determine what minerals are present in the different rocks. Program meets at Slaughter Beach. April-October.
Seashore & Saltmarsh
2 hours, $5/student
Comb the beach, scan the dunes, and explore saltmarsh habitats at Slaughter Beach while discovering the unique plants and animals that live in each area. Learn about conserving these fragile ecosystems. Program meets at Slaughter Beach. April-October.
Seeds
2 hours, $5/student
Engage your senses to discover the diversity of color, size, shape, and travel modes of seeds. Examine the parts of a seed and learn about its life cycle. Discover how flour and meal are made from seeds in a tour of historic Abbott's Mill. Available September-November.
Stream Study
2 hours, $5/student
Conduct physical tests to determine the health of Johnson's Branch. Learn about different types of pollution and how they impact aquatic habitats. Become a raindrop and take an exciting journey downstream. Explore ways you can help to protect our aquatic habitats.
Weighing at the Mill
2 hours, $5/student
Discover how corn and wheat are transformed into food products inside historic Abbott's Mill. Conduct experiments while weighing corn, wheat and wood at various stages in the milling process. Arrange items in serial order based upon your research.
Young Native Americans
1½ hours, $4/student
Experience the lives of Delmarva's Native Americans. Learn about the animals and plants that supported Native populations and the ingenious ways that they used the environment. Visit a stream, try on Native-styled clothes, make music, and enjoy a legend about a Turtle.
Ashland Nature Center Programs
Animals in Winter
1½ hours, $6/student
Learn about animals native to Delaware and their strategies for winter survival. Investigate which animals hibernate, which stay awake, and which migrate south. View taxidermy and live animals inside the Nature Center and then go outside for a winter walk to look for signs of animals that remain active during the winter season. November-March.
Aquatic Habitats
1½ hours, $6/student
Use senses to explore marsh and stream environments to discover the importance of water for wildlife. Observe evidence of animals that visit the water and collect animals living in the marsh and streams to view their adaptations and life cycle stages up close.
Discovering Habitats
1½ hours, $6/student
Use senses to explore the woods, marshes, fields, and streams to find evidence of the animals and plants that live in these habitats. Explore how specific habitats provide different animals with the requirements they need to survive, food, water, shelter, and places to raise young.
Discovering Trees
1½ hours, $6/student
Investigate a variety of trees and observe their similarities and differences. Learn parts of trees and their functions, what trees need to grow, and why and how trees change throughout the year and their lifetimes. Determine why trees are important to the ecosystem.
Insect Safari
1½ hours, $6/student
Explore meadows, streams, and forests as you search high and low for insects. Use nets and magnifying lenses to collect and examine the insects you find. Study insect body parts and learn about metamorphosis.
Life of the Monarch Butterfly
2 hours, $6/student
Discover the unique adaptations and behaviors of Monarch butterflies at the Burrows Run Preserve. Observe the stages of a monarch's life cycle and tag monarchs for an international scientific research program to document their migration. Program meets at the Burrows Run Preserve. September-early October.
Maple Sugaring
1½ hours, $6/student
Discover the history of making maple syrup from sap and learn to identify maple trees using your senses. Search for wildlife that depends on maple trees to survive the winter. Practice tapping a tree to experience how early Americans made maple syrup. Collect and boil sap to make your own maple syrup and taste the finished product. February-March.
Mining & Minerals
1½ hours, $6/student
Explore an early mining operation to uncover and classify various rocks and minerals native to Delaware's Piedmont geologic region. Use rock hammers and safety goggles to collect samples for identification and take specimens of quartz, mica and feldspar back to the classroom. This program meets at the Woodlawn Trustees Preserve.
Native Americans in Delaware - Young Lenape
1½ hours, $6/student
Explore the culture and customs of the early inhabitants of Delaware. Walk the lands these people once inhabited, visit a replica lodge and investigate tools, clothing, hunting methods, games, stories, and plants that Native Americans used. Learn about Delaware's Lenni Lenape tribe and their dependence on nature.
Organisms
2 hours, $6/student
Explore forest, meadow, and stream habitats to find and identify a variety of living plants and animals and their individual needs of food, water, air, space and shelter. View live animals, discuss the habitats they are found in, and what they need to survive.
Seasonal Delight
1 hour, $6/student
Take a sensory hike to discover how the seasons affect plants and animals that live around Ashland Nature Center. Use senses to explore the environment, identify structures of organisms, and compare and contrast the plants and animals you observe.
Seeds
1 hour, $6/student
Take a guided walk through fall fields and meadows and use senses to discover the diversity of color, size, shape, and travel modes of seeds. Examine the parts of a seed, learn about its life cycle, and make a seed bracelet to take home. September-November.
Spring Amphibians
1½ hours, $6/student
Use senses to explore the world of amphibians during the time when they are chorusing and laying eggs. Observe live specimens, compare unique adaptations of frogs and salamanders, and explore aquatic and terrestrial habitats to see different life cycle stages. March-June.
Water Cycling
1½ hours, $6/student
Investigate the water cycle as you explore aquatic habitats. Visit the Ashland mill pond, use dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms, and discuss their role in the pond food chain. Compare and contrast the pond environment with a creek and a marsh and discuss how each habitat is affected by changing weather and the seasons.
Cooch-Dayett Mills Programs
Weighing at the Mills
2 hours, $6/student
Discover how corn and wheat are transformed into food products inside historic Cooch-Dayett Mills. Conduct experiments while weighing corn and wheat at various stages in the milling process and arrange items in serial order based upon your research.
Coverdale Farm Preserve Programs
"A-MAIZE-ING" Grain
2 hours, $6/student
Follow the life cycle of corn from spring planting to fall harvest. Discover the importance of this diverse grain to humans and farm animals.
Fall on the Farm
1½ hours, $7/student (includes material fee)
Experience the seasonal changes at Coverdale Farm Preserve. Explore the farmstead to discover cows, pigs, chickens and sheep. Learn the lore of the scarecrow, harvest a pumpkin from the patch and board a hay wagon for a journey around the farm. September-November.
Farm Families
1 hour, $6/student
Celebrate spring on the farm with the arrival of our farm animal babies. Meet the farm animal mothers and young and learn what they all need to live and grow. April-June.
Farm Life
1½ hours, $6/student
Discover the animals and plants that live and grow at Coverdale Farm Preserve. Connect with the farm life cycles through hands-on activities.
Five Senses Farm
1& #189; hours, $6/student
See, hear, smell, touch and "taste" your way around Coverdale Farm Preserve. Interact with cows, pigs, chickens, sheep and lots of vegetables and herbs. Use your sensory "tools" to discover the farm life cycles and learn how the farm animals use their senses! Tasting will be modified due to student allergy concerns.
From Farm To You
2 hours, $6/student
Explore Coverdale Farm Preserve plants and animals to discover the sources of food and fiber we all depend upon. Connect to the farm web of life through hands-on activities.
It All Starts with Soil
1½ hours, $6/student
Investigate local agricultural soil to decide which crops should be grown at Coverdale Farm Preserve. Determine soil composition, perform tests like touch and roll and streak, make predictions about plant growth and explore the farm compost. In spring plant the student selected crop, in the fall harvest and prepare seeds.
DuPont Environmental Education Center
Senses
1.5 hours, $6/student
Use your senses to discover Wilmington's wild side. Listen for sounds of nature and wildlife. Look for plants and animals and discover the textures and scents found in our botanic garden. After a hike around the gardens, use your keen senses to participate in a "senses challenge".
Weather is a Breeze
1.5 hours, $6/student
Become a junior meteorologist as you explore how weather affects plants, animals and humans. Collect weather data using thermometers, identify cloud types and construct a water cycle. Put your knowledge to the test and dress for the weather in the "I'm prepared for precipitation" relay race.
Exploring Entomology
2 hours, $6/student
Observe insects up close and personal. Examine insect anatomy including the head, abdomen, thorax, antennae, and wings under magnification. Catch and identify insects as you study biodiversity. Learn why humans depend on insects to survive in a game of 'nectar collectors'.
Water Wise
2 hours, $6/student
Discover the properties of water through scientific experimentation and examine the water cycle first hand. Investigate a tidal pond and wetland, test the permeability of different surfaces, and put water to work in a water powered obstacle course.
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