HOURS: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m. / Closed Mondays 

CLOSURES: Center closed on Friday, July 4, for Independence Day.

Rancocas Nature Center Information Page

Spring Calendar of Events

Summer, 2008

FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
Most programs require advance registration.
Group size is limited; a minimum number of participants is necessary.

BIRD BASICS DAY
Saturday, June 7
9:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Celebrate National Trails Day by getting involved in a new hobby. No preregistration is required and the event is family-friendly. Visit "birding booths" to get familiar with bird basics, then head out on the trails with a naturalist to study birds in their natural habitats. Start out by getting familiar with binoculars and how to use them. Play a birdsong game to learn some fun ways to identify birds by ear. Bird walks will start every hour. A special trail will be available for families with very young children. Ask about group rates.
Cost: $5 members, $10 nonmembers; $10 per family for members, $15 per family for nonmembers.

AUDUBON JUNIOR NATURALIST TRAINING CERTIFICATE
Monday to Friday, July 21 to 25
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Grades 6 to 8
Earn a NJAS Junior Naturalist Certificate. Learn and practice naturalist skills taught by New Jersey Audubon staff members. This program is geared toward older children with a strong interest in nature and the outdoors. Rancocas State Park is our classroom and nature will be our guide. A snack will be provided, but participants must bring a lunch, except on Friday when we will have a cookout. Group size is limited, so sign up today!
Daily Topics:

Monday: New Jersey Wildlife and Animal Tracking
Tuesday: Stream Study and Water Testing
Wednesday: Birding and Bird ID
Thursday: Map and Compass Skills and Orienteering
Friday: Shelter Building and Soil Study

Cost: $200 members, $235 nonmembers (includes family membership).
Early bird discount – register by March 31 (save $25): $175 members, $210 nonmembers (includes family membership).

SUMMER DAY CAMPS
Note: Please register your child for the appropriate group.
Day camp groups are based on the child’s September 2008 grade level.

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER CAMPS (four days/week)
Grades 1 to 2 (Group 2)
Grades 3 to 5 (Group 3)
9:00 a.m. to noon, Tuesday to Friday
What better way to jump into summer or say farewell to summer than this laid-back, nature-oriented, camp – a chance for "kids to be kids" while exploring and discovering the outdoors. Each week will include hiking, water-play, garden activities, critter safaris, and plenty of opportunities to let the imagination run free. On Friday, parents are invited to pack a lunch and join us for a midday picnic and ice cream party.

Week 1: School’s Out – Summer’s Here!
Tuesday to Friday, June 24 to 27
Week 2: Farewell Summer!
Tuesday to Friday, August 19 to 22

Cost per week: $100 members,
$135 nonmembers (includes NJAS membership; after the first week, additional weeks are at member prices).


SCIENCE AND NATURE DAY CAMPS
Grades 1 to 2 (Group 2)
Grades 3 to 5 (Group 3)
9:00 a.m. to noon, Daily
For Grade K (Group 1)
9:00 a.m. to noon, Tuesday to Thursday
Explore life “on the wild side” at the Rancocas Nature Center this summer. Our hands-on nature camps offer an age-appropriate mix of creative, educational, investigative, and scientific activities. Campers will explore the extensive natural areas within the park with our professional educators. Small group sizes and personal attention set our camps apart from your average camp situations. Friday night, August 15, all campers and their families are invited to attend an old-fashioned campfire – with S’MORES!

Week 1: Wildlife Safari
Monday to Friday, July 28 to August 1
Week 2: Wild Water
Monday to Friday, August 4 to 8
Week 3: Wild Meadow Mysteries
Monday to Friday, August 11 to 15

Group 1: Kindergarten
Cost per week: $75 members, $110 nonmembers (includes NJAS membership; after the first week, additional weeks at member prices).

Group 2: Grades 1 and 2
Group 3: Grades 3 to 5
Cost per week: $125 members, $160 nonmembers (includes NJAS membership; after the first week, additional weeks at member prices).
 

ADULT PROGRAMS AT RANCOCAS
Preregistration is requested one week prior to the program.

FREE MEMBER BIRD WALKS
Fridays, June 6, July 11, and August 1
8:00 a.m.
Membership has its privileges! Join RNC associate naturalists for a free bird walk one Friday a month at RNC. The sightings will be added to the RNC bird list being compiled by Tom Bailey and Sandra Keller. Meet at the picnic tables by the parking lot. The walks will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Feel free to enjoy a hot drink in the nature center afterward.
Cost: free to members, $5 nonmembers.

FIELD TRIPS

Unless otherwise noted, five-day preregistration and advance payment are required for the trips listed below. No refunds are made unless we cancel the trip. Field trips meet at or near the trip locations; instructions will be mailed. Trips take place rain or shine within reasonable limits. Group size is limited and a minimum number of participants is necessary. Call the nature center for additional information about any of these events.
Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers.

NEW! ELEPHANTS AND PINEYS, OH MY!
Saturday, July 12
7:30 a.m.
Well, not really, but this trip will get you acquainted with two new trip locations in eastern Gloucester County, Piney Woods and Elephant Swamp. Piney Woods Preserve features former cranberry bogs surrounded by typical Pine Barrens uplands and scattered white cedar. Elephant Swamp features an old railroad right of way through various habitats. Enjoy the morning looking for summer songbirds while savoring the scenery. Leader: Lloyd Shaw.

NEW! BIRDING MAKEPEACE LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
Saturday, August 2
8:00 a.m.
Bird this new spot, Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area near Egg Harbor City in Atlantic County. Underutilized by birders, this site can produce some interesting waders and passerines. Leader: Lloyd Shaw.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN TOUR
IN BURLINGTON COUNTY
Saturday, August 2
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Join Mary Belko, program director of RNC, for this year’s tour. After starting with the wildlife and children’s gardens at the Rancocas Nature Center, we’ll explore several residential butterfly and hummingbird gardens in the area. Learn some of the secrets to successful gardening and get ideas for your own garden design. Every garden has a personality of its own – fluttering gems like butterflies and hummingbirds only enhance the experience. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at a stop along the way. Limit: 25 participants.
Cost: $20 members, $30 nonmembers.

EXPLORING EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Saturday, August 30
8:45 a.m.
Who says the shore is just for tourists heading to the beach? When the beaches start to quiet, migration begins to heat up. Visit this reliable site at the peak of shorebird diversity. Godwits and Buff-breasted and Baird’s Sandpipers are possibilities. This time last year, birders saw a Roseate Spoonbill and a White Pelican. Who knows what might turn up? Leaders: Rob Fanning and Lloyd Shaw.

THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS

We would like to extend a large, heartfelt “thank you” to all of the volunteers who help us throughout the year. We would not have been able to do all we have done this year without their generosity and helpfulness. A special thank you goes out to Al and Bill Wiley for donating their carpentry skills and for always being eager to find a way. Thank you to “The Work Group” and their fearless leaders, Vick, Cop, and Joe, for all the hard work they have done keeping the center grounds clean and well-maintained. Thanks also to Bob Lord and Bob Birdsall for keeping things moving.
 

Members receive discounts on program fees. If you are not a member and would like to become one, consider Joining New Jersey Audubon Society.