Education
Junior Naturalist Program Schedule
Bring a Friend!
JN Program/Meeting Dates (registration links sent after JN Application is submitted)
Wednesday, September 9, 4 PM – 7 PM – Welcome new members/welcome back + Monarch Tagging
Saturday, September 19, 7 AM – 3 PM – Field trip to Cape Henlopen State Park ($12 Fee-PAY HERE)
Friday, October 16, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM Autumn Moth Night
Tuesday, November 10, 4 PM – 7 PM – Identifying animals from bones
Tuesday, December 8, 4 PM – 7 PM – End of season celebration – fire-building and outdoor cooking
Friday, February 19, 6 PM – 8 PM – Full moon night hike
Tuesday, March 9, 4 PM – 7 PM – Tracking wildlife in winter
Tuesday, April 6, 4 PM – 7 PM – Aquatic biodiversity and water quality testing
Tuesday, May 4, 4 PM – 7 PM – Meadow surveying techniques
Saturday, May 22, 7 AM – 3 PM – Field trip to Trap Pond State Park ($12 Fee-PAY HERE)
Volunteer Dates
Trail Monitoring Day
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10:00AM -12:00PM
Free of Charge
School field trips are in full swing at Pickering Creek and fall visitors are beginning to arrive! Lend a hand to help us keep our trails, picnic areas and other heavily utilized spaces trimmed, mulched and in good condition for another season of outdoor learning. Along the way volunteers will learn about our program of regular trail monitoring and the opportunity to join the trail monitoring team. REGISTER
Camp Location Creation
Saturday, October 24, 2026
10:00AM – 11:30AM
Free of Charge
Summer may be over, but you still have a chance to make a lasting impact on our EcoCamp program! Join Pickering Creek Audubon Center EcoCamp staff in expanding our camp play spaces by installing new stump circles, relining sections of trail, and clearing the way for 2 new gathering spaces for campers. Volunteers will also get the opportunity to submit a name for the new locations to be voted on during EcoCamp 2027! REGISTER
Nestbox Day
Saturday, November 14, 2026
10:00AM – 12:00PM
Free of Charge
Fall is the perfect time to prepare and repair accommodations for our feathered friends. Join Pickering staff and experienced volunteers on the wood duck and bluebird nestbox trails to evaluate and make minor repairs on our boxes. We’ll split into teams to cover all routes and create a record of any additional work that needs to be done. Team leaders will have tools and materials needed for all activities. Along the way, volunteers will learn more about our nestbox monitoring programs and how to become a bluebird or wood duck monitor during next year’s nesting season. REGISTER
Trailblazing in the New Woods
Saturday, December 5, 2026
10:00AM – 12:00PM
Free of Charge
Calling all trailblazers and woodland explorers to help us expand our trail system at Pickering Creek! We’ll clear the way and lay out trail borders to create a new route through our New Woods, extending beyond barred owl circle and the access to mossy woods trail. Be among the first visitors treading out on this new path to the furthest reaches of the Center overlooking Pickering Creek. REGISTER
Trailblazing in the New Woods
Saturday, January 23, 2026
10:00AM – 12:00PM
Free of Charge
Help us put the finishing touches on the newest trail extending public access to the furthest reaches of the Center overlooking Pickering Creek. We’ll clear the path and lay out lay out new trail borders ending in that magnificent view. REGISTER