Spring 2008 Programs 
NOTES:
- To reach the naturalist staff call 301-972-5991.
- All patrons on the pontoon boat must pay fee. For all Storytime Programs on the Pontoon Boat, the children must be 3 yrs. minimum & accompanied by an adult. All riders pay fee.
To make registration easier
Make note of the course # and register at ParkPASS.
Spring Evening Lecture Series
#52106 5/13: Live Reptiles with herpetologist, Elmore Brown
Increase your knowledge of the natural world! Join us for one or all three of these fascinating demonstration/discussion events.Tuesday 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Ages 12 and up. FOB $4/$5
A Walk in the Park
#51261 5/28 Wednesday 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Take a naturalist's walk with us on easy trails, & watch spring progress as you observe, identify & appreciate birds, butterflies, & wildflowers. Call 301-444-3142 for locations. 18yrs &up Naturalist: Denise Gibbs. FOBH $3/$4
Nature Explorers
A program for home-schooled children ages 6 - 12 to come to the center once a month and learn about a different aspect of nature & science. We will be indoors & outside. Dress weather appropriate. $6/FOBH$5.00 Thurs. 1:30 - 3:00 pm Naturalist: L. Lenz
#51156 5/8
Bats & Beavers Pontoon Boat Cruise (note time change from guide listing)
#51857 5/8 Thursday 7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
#51858 5/20 Tuesday 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
#51859 5/29 Thursday 7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Use our binoculars to observe beaver lodges and feeding sites, and (hopefully) beavers swimming & diving in the lake! As the sun sets, insectivorous bats will begin to appear overhead. Look and listen as our ultrasonic transducer bat detector tells us where the bats are feeding & flying! Children must be 6 or older, & accompanied by an adult. Adult & child must pay. FOBH $5/$6 Naturalist: L. Lenz
Meadow Planting Day
#51270 5/14 Wednesday 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Join the Volunteers and Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs to finish planting our newest Monarch Waystation Meadow. We will plant milkweeds for monarch caterpillars and a variety of native nectar-rich plants for the adult butterflies. Bring a shovel or trowel, & a plastic milk jug full of water. All helpers will get a free butterfly plant to take home. 18yrs&up Free,but registration required.
Van Trip to Ratcliffe-Allison House
#51654 5/14 Wednesday 8:30 – 4 p.m.
Travel by van to tour the oldest house (circa 1812) in Fairfax, Va. and the neighboring Kitty Pozer Gardens. We will also have time to visit local stores & eat lunch on your own nearby. FOBH $16/$20 Naturalist: L. Lenz
Beginning Recreational Kayaking
#51661 5/15 Thursday 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
#51658 5/17 Saturday 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
#51659 5/27 Tuesday 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
#51662 5/21 Wednesday 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Kayaking is even more fun than it looks! Come learn how to paddle on flat water in recreational solo kayaks on Little Seneca Lake. Learn basic strokes, entries and exits, boat control, familiarization with the kayak’s characteristics, and kayaking equipment and their uses. We won’t roll, but you’ll get wet, so dress accordingly. You must be able to swim. Patient instruction and all necessary equipment provided. 12yrs &up FOBH $10/$12 Naturalist: K. Umbarger, L. Lenz
Storytime on the Lake: Turtles
#51655 5/15 Thursday 1:00 p.m.- 2:15 p.m.
#51657 5/29 Thursday 1:00 p.m.- 2:15 p.m.
Have a turtle-ific time as we cruise the shores looking for giant red-bellied turtles sunning themselves, and humongous snapping turtles swimming like submarines just below the surface. Use our new polarized sunglasses to see them! Ages 3-6. Adult & child must pay. 3yrs&up FOBH $3/$4 Naturalist: L. Lenz
Herb Gardening in Containers
#52100 5/17 Saturday
Learn how to grow herbs in containers, and some of the many uses of herbs. We’ll supply a wide variety of fresh herbs to plant in your own special vessel, or use our window box. Bring your favorite recipe to share. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ~ 12 yr. & older, FOBH $18/$20 Naturalist: L. Lenz
Snakes
#51165 5/17 Saturday 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Many people are afraid of these reptiles, but they’re a vital part of our ecosystem. Meet a snake up close and personal, and make a snake to take home. 3yrs&up FOBH $5/$6 Naturalist: L. Lenz
A Family Adventure: The Meadow
#51264 5/18 Sunday 2:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.
#51265 5/25 Sunday 2:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Join our Volunteer Naturalists to explore the life of a meadow. We’ll start indoors with an introduction to the birds, plants, butterflies, & insect communities we expect to see. Then we'll proceed down the hill to survey the teeming life of the early summer meadow. Insect nets, hand lenses, binoculars, & bug boxes are provided. Meet at the Visitor Center. Rain moves program indoors. 4yrs&up Volunteer Naturalists: Kathy Leedy and Sujata Roy. FOBH $1/$2
Storytime on the Lake: Bass Fathers
#51867 5/20 Tuesday 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
There’s no better dad than a father bass as he fights off an egg-sucking bluegill! We’ll cruise the lakeshore looking for really big father bass and their nests with our special no glare polarized fishing glasses; learn all about how father bass makes his nest and guards his eggs & babies; and make a father bass craft, complete with nest, babies & refrigerator magnet! Swedish fish snacks served. Adult & child must pay. 3yrs&up FOBH $5/$6 Naturalist: G. Cumings
Insect Olympics!
#51884 5/21 Wednesday 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
#51885 5/21 Wednesday 4:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.
First we’ll hike into the meadow to recruit our insect athletes. Then, let the (insect) games begin! We’ll have mealworm races, the grasshopper broad jump, & other fun events that will help you gain a new appreciation for the amazing abilities of insects. Insect trainers will receive prizes for their Olympic victories! 3-6yrs FOBH $5/$6 Naturalist: G. Cumings
Evening in the Meadow
#51864 1 5/22 Thursday 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.
Help plant the butterfly meadow next to the Black Hill Visitor Center. We’ll plant milkweeds for monarch caterpillars, and a variety of native nectar-rich plants for the adult butterflies. Bring gloves and a shovel or trowel, or use ours. Get a free butterfly plant and information to take home! 3yrs&up Free, registration required. Naturalist: L. Lenz
Storytime on the Lake: Meet the Sunfish
#51871 5/23 Friday 1:30 p.m.- 2:45 p.m.
Take a lake edge tour with us for a close-up look (using our cool no-glare polarized fishing glasses!) at Little Seneca Lake’s nesting sunfish. We’ll catch some different kinds of sunfish, then safely return them to their schools for their next lesson. The fishy finale? Make a take-home sunfish family mobile to hang anywhere you like! Swedish fish snacks served. Adult & child must pay ~ 3yrs &up FOBH $3/$4 Naturalist: G. Cumings
Native Plant Sale
#51268 5/16 Friday 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
#51267 5/17 Saturday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Join the Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs for an Open House of the new greenhouse! Enjoy free light refreshments as you shop for native wildflowers for your yard and garden. Free; no registration required. All ages.
Storytime on the Lake: Tiger in the Weeds
#51874 5/28 Wednesday 1:30 p.m.- 2:45 p.m.
Described as a “log with fins,” the tiger musky is the biggest fish in the lake, has a mouth full of sharp teeth, and is very hungry! Enter his underwater world with a cruise, stories and an awesome tiger musky craft! Adult and child must pay. 3yrs &up FOBH $3/$4 Naturalist: G. Cumings
Frogtown Hike
#51876 5/29 Thursday 4:30 p.m.- 7:15 p.m.
Hop aboard the van and join us to see some humongous bullfrogs. These frogs are so big, we tie ropes around the kids in case we need to pull them off the frogs’ giant, sticky tongues! We’ll creep along the back trails of Lilypons Water Gardens in search of the mighty bullfrogs, safely catch & then release them back to the wild. 8yrs&up FOBH $8/$10 Naturalist: G. Cumings
Great Cow & Ice Cream Adults Van Trip
#51879 1 5/31 Saturday 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Explore the udderly fascinating natural history of cows, learn about the different breeds, & sample their sweetest “by-product”: ice cream! We’ll visit the Mooseum at South Germantown Park, say hello to the kindly cows & steers at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, take a drive through cow-watching country, & take an ice cream break at the Breyer’s Ice Cream stand & Nutter's Ice Cream in Sharpsburg. For our finale, we’ll visit the South Mountain Creamery for a behind-the-scenes tour of the dairy, calf feeding, ice cream-making & of course, tasting! 18yrs & up FOBH $16/$20. Naturalist: G. Cumings
Date of last page update: February 21, 2008
