Aquatic Life of the Creek 
Sunday, September 13, 2026 
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 
$10 per person
Take a dive below Pickering Creek’s surface (not literally) and learn how to ID many of the common creatures and aquatic plants that call our special brackish ecosystem home. We will then venture out to the shores of the creek, sample for aquatic wildlife using sein nets, and learn how to evaluate the health of an aquatic ecosystem by conducting various water tests.  REGISTER

Greening the Grounds Finale at Delmarva Community Services
Tuesday, September 15, 2026    
10:00AM-12:00PM
Free of Charge 
Join Pickering Creek Audubon Center for the final native plant landscaping day at Delmarva Community Services offices and the Intergenerational Center in Cambridge. Volunteers are invited to help us to fill in landscaped areas planted this spring with more native plants. We’ll be adding a few trees onsite as well.  Come ready to dig in the dirt with us! Tools and supplies will be provided. This project is funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program.  REGISTER

Reflections on Gilbert Byron with Sue Ingram Keller
Thursday September 17, 2026
5:30PM – 7:30PM
$10 per person
Gilbert Byron, a native of Chestertown, MD, arrived in Lewes, DE in 1926 to teach History at Lewes School. Mollie Ingram, a recent widow raising 6 children, rented young Gilbert a room in her home on Kings Highway. Thus began a love affair between Gilbert, the town, and the families who lived there. Though the love never died, Gilbert left Lewes heartbreakingly, in a cloud of controversy, seven years later. He would continue to teach but is best known for his lyrical prose, becoming known as The Voice of the Chesapeake and The Chesapeake Thoreau. He wrote countless poems, essays and novels about his beloved Eastern Shore and his brief but lasting connection to Lewes-its people, the town, and the natural beauty surrounding it. Refreshments will be provided.

The author, Mollie Ingram’s granddaughter, tells Byron’s story and how it intersected with early 20^th century Lewes and the Ingram family. The second part of the book is a collection of Byron’s Delaware poems; his love letters to Lewes. Accompanying these poems are the author’s photographs that reflect each poem’s written imagery. REGISTER

Summer Nature Journaling: Migration and Climate Change in the Wetlands
Thursday, September 24
5:30PM-7:30PM
$10 per person
Challenge yourself this summer to get out in nature! Join Pickering Creek naturalist Mary Helen Gillen for monthly nature observation and journaling. Practice art skills, writing skills, or both, alongside other lovers of nature. Each program will feature a different area of Pickering Creek, a themed group journaling activity and an opportunity to work on a personal entry. All skill levels are welcome. Although we will have some materials available to borrow, we encourage you to bring your own! A recommended materials list will be provided. REGISTER

Early Autumn Moth Night
Friday, October 2, 2026
7:00PM – 9:00PM
$10 per person
Join us to bask in the nocturnal beauty of autumn-flying moth species at Pickering Creek! From ultronia underwings to indigo stem borers, brilliant moths are still on the wing after summer has come to an end. Following a short presentation, we will see what wild moths we can discover using special UV and mercury vapor lamps. REGISTER

Birding for Science
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
8:00AM-10:00AM
Free
Join some of the Center’s most skilled birding volunteers for a casual walk to collect data on number of bird species and individuals seen at the Center. Aside from collecting bird numbers this is otherwise a “regular” bird walk.  The walk leaders are delightful and welcoming of new people.  All abilities are welcome.  REGISTER

Pickering Creek Nature Mystery
Sunday, October 11, 2026
12:00PM – 2:00PM
$10 per group of up to five
Put your nature detective skills to the test! Join us for a family-friendly scavenger hunt along the trails. Follow a map, solve clever clues, and search for signs of seeds, insects, birds, plants, and other wildlife as you work together to solve the Pickering Creek Nature Mystery. Explore at your own pace and discover how the plants, animals, water, and habitats of Pickering Creek are all connected. This self-guided adventure is open to all ages and is best suited for ages 4 through adult. Participants will walk approximately one mile on level trails. Each participant who completes the adventure will receive a nature sticker! Sturdy hiking shoes are recommended. Prepare for flies, mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers during outdoor experiences. REGISTER For information on preventing tickborne diseases, please click here.

Leaf-Peeping Paddle on Pickering Creek
Thursday, October 15, 2026
5:00PM – 6:30PM
$15 per person
Enjoy a peaceful paddle along the scenic shores of Pickering Creek this fall! As evening sunset approaches, enjoy the striking colors of autumn begin to flush through the forest on both sides of the creek. Keep your eyes open for statuesque herons and eagles, and listen for fish jumping as the daylight sinks into evening. PFDs and paddles provided. Children must be at least 5 years or older and must be accompanied by an adult. This event is limited to 14 people. REGISTER

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

Autumn Raptor ID for Beginners
Saturday, October 17, 2026
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
$10 per person
Birds of prey can be some of our most conspicuous birds, but also some of our most confusing to identify. Join us for a short presentation on how to identify some of the Eastern Shore’s common migrating raptors, and then venture into the field for some raptor-watching (and other birds too!). Cameras and binoculars are recommended! 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

Spooky Nature 
Friday, October 30, 2026
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
$10 per person
Join us on Halloween Eve to discover some of nature’s spookiest animals! From spiders and snakes, to bats and owls, learn about why these creatures of the night aren’t actually scary at all, the things they do in their environments, and even the ways they are helpful to humans. Then, set out on a night hike to see what creatures we can find. REGISTER

Grow Native!  Starting Native Plants from Seed
Saturday, October 31, 2026
9:30AM-12:00PM
Free of Charge 
Pickering Creek Audubon Center  is partnering with Wild Ones Delmarva Chapter to spread the joy of native plants that you can grow from seed. You’ll learn about the unique characteristics of native plant seeds and effective propagation techniques to successfully grow them.  Talbot County Master Gardener, Janet Mackey, will lead the workshop discussion of how to collect, clean and plant native seeds so they actually grow. She will guide participants step-by-step through the seed sowing process so that you will go home with small pots planted with seeds that can overwinter outside and should sprout in the spring be ready to add to your garden next year. Samantha Pitts, a Pickering Creek naturalist, will guide the group in an exploration of the Center’s Pollinator Garden and through the Meadows to see native plants in the wild with their seed heads in their late fall glory. REGISTER

Birding for Science
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
8:00AM-10:00AM
Free
Join some of the Center’s most skilled birding volunteers for a casual walk to collect data on number of bird species and individuals seen at the Center. Aside from collecting bird numbers this is otherwise a “regular” bird walk.  The walk leaders are delightful and welcoming of new people.  All abilities are welcome. REGISTER

Mycological Marvels
Saturday, November 7, 2026
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
$10 per person
Fungi account for a large and important part of Pickering Creek’s biodiversity. Join us for an intro to identifying mushrooms and fungi, the various places they grow, and then ramble through the woods to discover the mushrooms of autumn. REGISTER

School’s Out Camp Day: Senses Safari
Friday, November 13, 2026
9:00AM-4:00PM
$65 per camper
Put on your eagle eyes and prepare your deer ears for a day of sensory camp fun in November! Students in grades K-6 are invited to join Pickering staff on an expedition to discover all the unique ways that animals witness the world. We’ll explore how bumblebees use
electricity to find flowers, test how bats fly in the dark, learn how snakes sniff out their next meal, and much more on this fun camp day for all! Bring your own lunch. If this program is cancelled because of weather, you will receive a credit for attending another 2026/27 School’s Out Camp Day.   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

Turkey Tales 
Saturday, November 21, 2026  
10:00AM – 11:30AM 
$10 per person 
Waddle on over to Pickering Creek Audubon Center for a gobbling good time as we celebrate one of North America’s largest birds – the turkey! Learn all about what makes turkeys special and how to find them in the wild while enjoying turkey-themed crafts, games, story time, and more! REGISTER

Birding for Science
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
8:00AM-10:00AM
Free
Join some of the Center’s most skilled birding volunteers for a casual walk to collect data on number of bird species and individuals seen at the Center. Aside from collecting bird numbers this is otherwise a “regular” bird walk.  The walk leaders are delightful and welcoming of new people.  All abilities are welcome. 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

Tracking Winter Wildlife 
Saturday, December 5, 2026  
1:00PM– 2:30PM 
$10 per person 
Are you hoping to become a footprint finder? A track tracer? A scat sleuth? Come learn the many ways to identify the telltale signs of Maryland’s wildlife in this beginner-friendly tracking lesson. Participants will learn to differentiate between common canine, feline, and ungulate tracks, then try out their new knowledge on a 1-mile hike through the Center’s wetlands.  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