Leisure Ledger September - December 2023

Tracking Turtles Age: 7-99 yrs. Ever wondered what it’s like to be a box turtle? Where do they go? What do they eat? Come join us at Durant Nature Preserve to track a box turtle through the woods. Children will have an opportunity to engage in wildlife science and learn all about this incredible animal. Pre-registration is required for this program. Durant Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $8 Sep 9 Sa 10:00-11:00am What is a fossil? Age: 6-10 yrs. What is a fossil? Where do you find fossils? What types of rock hide fossils? Let’s search for fossils from North Carolina and learn about the different types of fossils and how they formed. Fossils are the remains or traces of plants and animals that lived long ago. For this reason, fossils are important to paleontology, or the study of prehistoric life. Most fossils are found in earth that once lay underwater. They usually formed from the hard part, such as shells or bones, of living things. Children will leave with the fossils they found, mold, cast, and track fossils they created. They will learn how each of these fossils formed long ago. Forest Ridge Park – Course Fee: $4 Oct 29 Su 3:00-4:30pm Teen ROCKtober Age: 10-99 yrs. Gather with us for a guided hike to discover a hidden gem: a granite outcrop! Learn all about outcrops and the special plants that make these rocks habitable for all kinds of life. This easy hik is a great way to learn about the ecology of the preserve, as well as spend quality time with family or friends. This program will include an approximate 2 mi hike on unpaved, natural surfaces. Children may attend without adults, pre-registration is required for all participants. Durant Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $8 Oct 1 Su 3:00-5:00pm e Adult Bat House Painting & Bat Walk Age: 13-99 yrs. Lake Wheeler Park will be hosting its first after-dark bat walk and bat house painting event! Join us to learn more about native bats in our area, their habits, and conservation status. Help the bat conservation effort by painting and taking home your very own bat house! After enjoying time to paint your custom bat house, we will take a short walk to listen for bat calls using technology. We may even get lucky and see one flying overhead! This event requires pre-registration, so sign-up today to reserve your spot! Lake Wheeler Park – Course Fee: $21 Oct 14 Sa 6:00-7:30pm

Beginning Birding Age: 13-99 yrs. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy birdwatching! We’ll start with the basic observational skills you’ll need to help you identify the birds at your feeder. After observing at our birdfeeders, we’ll go on a short walk in search of birds in the park. Bring your own binoculars, or we also have some to borrow. A.L. Wilkerson Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $4 Dec 2 Sa 10:30am-12:00pm Bird Watcher Walks Age: 13-99 yrs. Join us for a morning of birding! Lake Wheeler Park is home to a lethora of bird species from songbirds eagles. Our instructor will be leading a orning stroll along our trails to see what irds we may encounter and identify. We ill be using an app to help us identify ird calls. This class is perfect for beginner irders and those wanting to learn a little ore about nature. ake Wheeler Park ep 9 Sa 9:00-11:00am p to m b w b b m L S Digital Nature Photography | for Beginners Age: 16-99 yrs. Have you ever wanted to learn how to take better nature photographs? Join us for a presentation to learn some tips and then explore the preserve with your camera and practice! Participants must provide their own digital camera (or mobile device). Participants must preregister. Durant Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $8 Oct 26 Th 9:00-11:00am Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $8 Oct 20 F 9:00-11:00am Early Birds Age: 16-99 yrs. Grab your binoculars and meet us at beautiful Horseshoe Farm for a bird-watching hike led by Wake Audubon guest naturalist, Erla Beegle. Spend your morning watching and learning about birds that prefer a meadow or edge habitat, on an approximately 1-mi walk. For beginning and advanced birders. Bring your binoculars, or borrow a pair of ours. 8:00-9:30am Environmental Lecture Series Age: 12-99 yrs. Join us for an exciting virtual environmental lecture series held every 2nd Monday of the month. With a new topic each month, there is something for everyone. We will have professionals and graduate students presenting on topics that they know best! To learn more about our upcoming speaker and topics, email LJWoodlandCtr@raleighnc.gov. Earn 1 hour of criteria III EE credit. Advanced registration is required. Registered participants will receive email invitation to lecture on lecture date. Pre-registration is required. Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve Oct 14 Sa

Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center Sep 11 M

7:00-8:00pm 7:00-8:00pm 7:00-8:00pm 7:00-8:00pm

Oct 9 Nov 13 Dec 11

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Fall Nature Walk Age: 13-99 yrs. Join a park naturalist on a general nature walk to see what is happening at the park this fall. Come prepared for trail walking because we'll visit various parts of the park to discover the peak fall highlights! A.L. Wilkerson Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $2 Oct 21 Sa 10:30am-12:00pm Full Moon Walk Age: 18-99 yrs. Leave the kids at home and enjoy an evening walk with a park naturalist. We'll learn about the nocturnal animals that are roaming the park after dark as we look and listen along our walk. A.L. Wilkerson Nature Preserve – Course Fee: $3 Oct 28 Sa 6:30-8:00pm Growing Up WILD Age: 17-99 yrs. Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, participants in this workshop will build a foundation for delivering experiences for early childhood, in the 3-7years of age range. This 6-hour workshop is a Criteria 1 workshop for NC Environmental Educator Certification. Please bring a lunch, water bottle and dress for the weather. Walnut Creek Wetland Park – Course Fee: $10 Nov 1 W 9:00am-4:00pm Invasive Plant ID Age: 16-99 yrs. What does an invasive plant look like? How can they harm an ecosystem? Learn this and more, along with a chance to practice a little invasive plant removal in an urban wetland. Come dressed for natural encounter! Criteria 2 environmental education credit is available for this course. Walnut Creek Wetland Park – Course Fee: $5 Oct 14 Sa 10:00am-1:00pm

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Leisure Ledger September-December 2023 | parks.raleighnc.gov