Greening the Grounds at Delmarva Community Services
Monday March 16, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Come plant native plants with us at Delmarva Community Services this Spring!  Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. We’ll be adding native trees, shrubs and flowering plants over the course of five planting days. Today we’ll focus on trees at the Intergenerational Center, including proper mulching for the season and planting four new trees.  This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program. REGISTER

Spring Nestbox Trail Maintenance Day
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
10:00AM -12:00PM
Nesting season for blue bird and wood duck nesting season is on the horizon for the year. This is the perfect time to finish getting nestboxes ready for spring.  We’ll get our morning started by splitting into small groups, then head out to make minor repairs and clear pathways to boxes as we go.  REGISTER

Nestbox Monitoring Season Opening Day 
Saturday, March 21, 2026
9:30AM-12:00PM
Bluebird and Wood duck nesting season is here!  Would you like to become a nestbox monitor?  Explore firsthand what monitoring involves from staff and experienced monitors who will guide you through the process during this first day of nestbox monitoring for the season at Pickering Creek! Along the way help us make minor repairs and put finishing touches on our bird box trails to welcome our birdy neighbors. You’ll be able to sign up for a monitoring route and assistance to get started at at the conclusion of our morning of activity.  REGISTER

Greening the Grounds at Delmarva Community Services
Monday, March 23, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Come plant native plants with us at Delmarva Community Services this Spring!  Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. We’ll be adding native trees, shrubs and flowering plants over the course of five planting days. Today we’ll focus on planting shrubs at the Intergenerational Center. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program. REGISTER

Schoolyard Habitat Service Day
Monday, April 6, 2026
9:30-11:30AM
Explore how Easton Middle School students have increased biodiversity in their schoolyard with native plants.  Support Pickering Creek’s work these local students to maintain this important schoolyard habitat.  Habitat garden helpers are needed to weed and trim back in two gardens installed by students at their school.  Bring along your gloves, water bottles and preferred gardening tools. Additional gloves and tools will be available to borrow. REGISTER

School’s Out Camp Day: Dreaming of Summer
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
9:00AM-4:00PM
$65 per camper
Spring break is here! Summer is just around the corner! Join Pickering staff for a day of summer fun in April!  Get ready to catch frogs in the wetlands, fish off the dock, and maybe even find the first butterflies of spring as we warm up for the summer months ahead! A great day of nature exploration and classic camp fun for all! Bring your own lunch. Program for grades K-6. If this program is cancelled because of weather, you will receive a credit for attending another 2026 School’s Out Camp Day. REGISTER

Birding for Science
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
8:00-10:00AM
Volunteer with Pickering Creek Audubon Center!  Have fun bird watching for science at Pickering Creek. Bird watchers of all skills levels are encouraged to assist volunteer leaders with bird monitoring along the Center’s trails during this monthly bird survey. Help us collect data that allow us to track long-term trends on how birds use the Center. Currently we have spotted and identified over 230 species at Pickering Creek! REGISTER

Preparing for Spring at Pickering  
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Help us get ready for spring flowers in the gardens and meadows at Pickering Creek.  We’ll gently cut back and clear out the remains of last season’s plant growth in the Pollinator and other nearby garden spaces to make way for new growth. Then we’ll head out along the meadow trail to sow seeds for native wildflower patches at the edges.  Pick your own square yard spot to clear, sow native plant seeds directly, and stake your claim with flagging announcing your site as a future home of wildflowers!  Individuals, families, and friend groups are welcome to claim sites that you can visit throughout spring to check for sprouts. REGISTER

Play: Nature Music
Friday, April 10, 2026
4:30PM-6:00PM
$10 per family
Play nature’s scales! Visit Pickering Creek this spring to listen, dance, and play with nature’s music! Pickering Creek Naturalist Marisa will provide some basic instruments to play with, or you can bring your own! We will hike around the property, listening for and mimicking the songs of insects, frogs, and birds. We’ll also make our own instruments and songs using materials we find along the way! This is an event geared especially for families with children ages 6-9 but all music enjoyers are welcome!  REGISTER

Biodiversity Walk with Jim Brighton
Saturday April 18, 2026
10:00AM–12 Noon
$10 per person
Enjoy a ramble through Pickering Creek’s many habitats with expert guide Jim Brighton.  We will identify as many species as we can along the way, getting a great sense of all that is out there in the wilds of Pickering Creek. Jim Brighton is a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was born, raised, and currently lives in Cambridge with his family. He studied contemporary literature at Salisbury University, but decided to follow the family tradition of working on boats. He has spent the past 27 years working at Campbell’s Boatyards in Oxford. During his time off from the boatyard Jim runs the non-profit Maryland Biodiversity Project, and works for the University of Maryland performing plant surveys. As co-founder and President of the Maryland Biodiversity Project, Jim spends time documenting the flora and fauna of Maryland, along with managing many of MBP’s field projects. Jim was the University of Maryland’s Chesapeake Champion in 2017 and the Maryland DNR Conservationist of the Year in 2019. Through his work at the Maryland Biodiversity Project Jim helps promote community science and education by helping to build a vibrant nature study community.  REGISTER

Wetland and Forest Walk with Scott Smith
Monday April 20, 2026
9:00AM-11:00AM
$10 per person
Retired DNR Wildlife Ecologist Scott Smith will lead a hike through forests and wetlands at Pickering. We will discuss plant identification, especially trees, and the roles that forests and wetlands play as wildlife habitat and in ecosystem function. Since one of Scott’s areas of expertise is reptiles and amphibians, we hope to observe and hear some of the species that call Pickering home. Join us for a slow-paced hike. Boots are recommended. REGISTER 

Wetland and Meadow Habitat Restoration
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
9:00AM-12:00PM
$10 per person
Join Pickering Creek and Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage for a joint presentation and exploration of wetland and meadow habitats at Pickering Creek.  During the program we will cover what species benefit from the creation of these types of habitats, how to do it and the challenges, solutions and joys to managing these habitats once you have them.  REGISTER

Spring Amphibian Hike
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
7:30 – 9:30 PM
$10 per person|
Join us for a nocturnal exploration of the center’s freshwater wetlands in search of amphibians, reptiles, and other nocturnal wildlife. Possible highlights include spring peepers, gray tree frogs, chorus frogs, and salamanders. Habitats to be explored include freshwater marshes and a woodland vernal pool. Please come prepared with a headlamp and waders. Pickering Creek waders in adult sizes are also available for use! REGISTER

April Blooms in the Pickering Pollinator Garden
Thursday April 23, 2026
4:30-6:00PM
$10 per person
Enjoy a stroll in the Pickering Garden and adjacent grounds as we explore April blooms.  Pickering Creek rejuvenated its garden space in 2023 , creating the current pollinator garden.  We’ll learn about what plants, shrubs and trees are in bloom this month, understand how they look throughout the growing season and explore whether they are a good fit for your garden. This will be a casual stroll in and around the Pickering garden and nearby parts of the Center with spring flowering plants. A glass of wine or sparkling water will be available for you to enjoy. REGISTER

Greening the Grounds at Delmarva Community Services
Thursday, April 30, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Come plant native plants with us at Delmarva Community Services this Spring!  Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. We’ll be adding native trees, shrubs and flowering plants over the course of five planting days. Today we’ll focus on planting areas around the Delmarva Community Services administrative offices located next to the Intergenerational Center. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program. REGISTER

Spring Native Plant Gardening Day at Peterson Woods
Monday, May 4, 2026
10:00-11:30AM
Join us for spring cleaning in the gardens at Peterson Woods.  This former homesite now offers guests to workshops and special meetings an intimate retreat experience with a grand a view of the Center’s forested edge across the Pickering Creek. We’ll tidy up the gardens, adding a few additional native plants to fill in spaces as we go. Along the way we’ll explore the grounds, check out the views, and see what’s currently blooming. REGISTER

Birding for Science
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
8:00-10:00AM
Volunteer with Pickering Creek Audubon Center!  Have fun bird watching for science at Pickering Creek. Bird watchers of all skills levels are encouraged to assist volunteer leaders with bird monitoring along the Center’s trails during this monthly bird survey. Help us collect data that allow us to track long-term trends on how birds use the Center. Currently we have spotted and identified over 230 species at Pickering Creek! REGISTER

Migration Madness
Saturday, May 9, 2026
8:00 – 10:00AM
$8 per person
Join us for a guided bird walk through the center’s wetlands and along forest edges and bask in the splendor of spring migration at Pickering Creek! A Pickering Creek naturalist will point out various birds and share ID tips as we travel through a variety of promising habitats.  REGISTER

Greening the Grounds at Delmarva Community Services 
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Come plant native plants with us at Delmarva Community Services this Spring!  Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. We’ll be adding native trees, shrubs and flowering plants over the course of five planting days. Today we’ll focus on planting areas around the Delmarva Community Services administrative offices located next to the Intergenerational Center. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program.  REGISTER

Spring Pollinator Garden Day
Saturday, May 16, 2026
9:30-11:30AM
Join us in the Pollinator Garden this spring! We’ll clean out the garden beds, pruning and weeding as needed. We’ll also be filling in open spaces in the garden with additional native plants and add plant labels so visitors can identify native plants they enjoy. It’s a fun chance to learn about a few native plants you might want to try out in your yard and practice your gardening skills with both experienced and novice gardeners! Volunteers can take home native plant seedlings to try in their yards. REGISTER

May Blooms in the Pickering Pollinator Garden
Tuesday May 19, 2026
4:30-6:00PM
$10 per person
Enjoy a stroll in the Pickering Garden and adjacent grounds as we explore May blooms.  Pickering Creek rejuvenated its garden space in 2023 , creating the current pollinator garden.  We’ll learn about what plants, shrubs and trees are in bloom this month, understand how they look throughout the growing season and explore whether they are a good fit for your garden. This will be a casual stroll in and around the Pickering garden and nearby parts of the Center with spring flowering plants. A glass of wine or sparkling water will be available for you to enjoy. REGISTER

Greening the Grounds at Delmarva Community Services
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Come plant native plants with us at Delmarva Community Services this Spring!  Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. We’ll be adding native trees, shrubs and flowering plants over the course of five planting days. Today we’ll focus on planting areas around the Intergenerational Center. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program. REGISTER

Nature at Night Hike
Friday, May 29, 2026
8:30 – 10:30PM
$10 per person 
Explore PCAC’s forests 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

Greening the Grounds Gardening Day at Delmarva Community Services
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
10:00AM-12:00PM
Pickering Creek is partnering with Delmarva Community Services to enhance landscaping around the Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge with native plants. Help us care tidy up garden beds and care for native plants newly installed onsite this spring. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program.   REGISTER