Education

Upcoming Public Programs

Grab your loved ones and experience nature together


Family Field Trip: Fishing on Pickering Creek’s Pier
Friday, May 17, 2024
5:30-7:00 PM
$7 per person

Join fishing enthusiast and seasonal educator, Logan, for a relaxing evening on Pickering Creek’s pier. Bring your family and friends for a chance to catch some tidal water fish. Pickering Creek will supply fishing poles and bait but feel free to bring your own lucky fishing supplies. This program is a great opportunity to try something new, practice an old skill, or help pass knowledge on to the next lucky fisher. If you are not much of a fisher the pier also offers a relaxing place to enjoy some amazing scenery and there are many other beautiful trails to explore.  SOLD OUT
VOLUNTEER! Pollinator Garden Renovation
Saturday, May 18, 2024
9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Help us complete renovation of our Pollinator Garden this spring! We’ll be tidying up the garden beds and adding more native plants.  The plantings and new signage to be added to the space will raise awareness and appreciation for native plants and the pollinators that depend on them.  You’ll help make this revitalized garden space an even more welcoming and engaging for visitors at Pickering Creek. 
Tiny Explorers Expedition- Forest Magic
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
4:00-5:30PM
$5 per child

We all know that fairies love forests! Enjoy a story or two to learn more about areas fairies like most and why they can be so hard to find. Then we will try our own hands at building and decorating fairy homes for our elusive and magical friends to live in! We’ll then take a short walk and find the perfect spot for our small shelters for fairies and other creatures to enjoy. This program is geared for children ages 2-5 and their adult companion.  REGISTER HERE
Oyster Gardening 101
Thursday, May 30, 2024
4:30-6:00PM
$7 per person

Pickering Cree educators are excited to introduce you to our new crew of unsung heroes, the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea viriginica). Oyster gardening provides import nursery habitat as well as filtering the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries; oyster reefs are a vital part of conserving the Chesapeake Bay. We invite you to come learn about our new spat growing program, the challenges these bivalve face, and the research methods we use to analyze the success of our oyster nurseries.  REGISTER HERE
Nature at Night Hike
Friday, May 31, 2024
8:30 – 10:30 PM
$7 per person

Explore Pickering Creek’s Farm-to-Bay Loop at night and use special UV flashlights to reveal nocturnal wildlife and unique plants and fungi not usually visible to the human eye. By the main parking lot, stop by a mothing station with the opportunity to see Luna moths and other impressive early summer species.   REGISTER HERE
Midsummer Moth Night
Friday, July 12, 2024
8:00 – 10:30 PM
$10 per person

Moths are some of nature’s most misunderstood and often maligned creatures. Join Field Programs Manager Patrick Carney and learn about the life histories, ecology, and conservation of moths and other native insects, including how each of us can support native insect biodiversity at home. Then, mix homemade moth bait and observe & identify wild moths at two different moth light stations. Please come prepared with a flashlight or headlamp, and a camera if desired!  REGISTER HERE
Seasonal Nature Photography: Summer Insects Up Close
Saturday July 13, 2024
3:00 – 5:00 PM
$7 per person

Join insect and photography enthusiast, Patrick Carney and explore Pickering Creek’s diversity of habitats and wildlife through your camera lens. This introductory nature photography class will cover wildlife, landscape, macrophotography, and more, with an emphasis on ethically photographing the outdoors. The program is suitable for beginners with any type of camera (including cellphones) and level of experience. Pickering Creek’s meadow habitats abound with pollinators and other interesting insects. Hone your macrophotography skills and focus on the small creatures that form the basis of the food web in Pickering Creek’s diverse habitats. REGISTER HERE