FREE ADMISSION TO THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:

• Observation deck and tower provide a panoramic view of the harbor and surrounding area.

• The upstairs lounge provides an indoor harbor observation area and a place to relax, play games with friends, or read alone.

• Birding from the deck on the second story of the welcome center provides the best viewing advantage for spotting birds in the harbor and around the meadow.

• Aquaria with local marine life, natural history artifacts, and our busy songbird feeding station (seasonal).

• Monthly exhibits in the Trucksess Welcome Center, featuring special art and natural history displays.

• NJAS Nature Store, with the best in nature gifts, field guides, clothing, and children's discovery items.

• Children's hands-on activities allow them to occupy their time while exploring nature.

• Children's Garden, full of fun, exploration, and sensory experiences.

• Wildlife habitat meadows feature a Monarch milkweed and wildflower garden, a songbird grassland meadow, and a new nature trail and bridge crossing a meandering stream.

• Theme gardens include butterfly, hummingbird, seaside, drought-tolerant, shade, and songbird gardens.

• Beachcomb the harbor during low tide and search for shells and other interesting treasures.

• Educational Resource Center is open by appointment, to peruse science and nature-related curriculum guides.

• Picnic tables for an enjoyable lunch overlooking scenic Cape May Harbor.

• Spectacular sunsets and magical twilight. Watch the changing colors of the sky from the Cape May Harbor waterfront.

MOMMY AND ME CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
Fridays, February 27 to April 24 (except April 10)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
For ages 2 to 4 years old.
For curious naturalists-to-be and a parent, guardian, or grandparent. Each week we'll focus on a different aspect of nature with stories, songs, crafts, activities, outdoor experiences, and lots of fun! We encourage children and parents to explore the natural world together. Adult participation is required. Preregistration is necessary.
Cost: $60 members, $80 nonmembers.

UNDER A FULL MOON*
Friday, March 13
7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Ages 4 and up with an adult
Explore the beauty of the Villas Wildlife Management Area under a full moon. We'll walk through the preserve in search of wildlife, listening to the night sounds, smelling the night air, and enjoying the glow of moonlight.
*We'll meet at the Villas Wildlife Management Area. Call for reservations and directions.
Cost: members, $8 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 12; nonmembers, $10 adults, $7 children ages 3 to 12; children under 3 free.

KIDS CAN! SERIES
For children 6 to 12 years

Hey, kids! Welcome to our Kids Can! Series, a monthly program showcasing what Kids Can Do. We'll create, explore, fish, plant, build, and so much more. Adventure awaits you, so come on down!

KIDS CAN BE GREEN: ECO DESIGN
Saturday, March 21
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
It's so easy being green! Join us as we learn to build with recycled materials. We'll make solar cookers with pizza boxes, boats with old water bottles, and picture frames out of plain old junk. Children will take home their finished projects.
Cost: $10 members,
      $15 nonmembers.

KIDS CAN GROW: GARDENS AND WILDLIFE
Saturday, April 18
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Spring has sprung, and we're ready to explore the outdoors. Ever grow a plant in a bag? How about an old yogurt container? We'll learn about plants, the animals that depend on them, and how to create our own crazy container gardens. Dress to get dirty!
Cost: $10 members,
      $15 nonmembers.

KIDS CAN EXPLORE:
CREATURES OF THE DEEP
Saturday, May 9
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cape May Harbor provides the perfect exploration site for marine discoveries. Join our scientific team as we investigate the "Life Aquatic" using seine nets and other marine sampling equipment. Then we'll head into the laboratory to continue our investigations.
Dress to get wet and dirty.
Cost: $10 members,
      $15 nonmembers.

2009 GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE WORKSHOPS with Pat Sutton
Saturday, March 14: "How to Create a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife"
Saturday, March 21: "How to Create a Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden"
Saturday, March 28: "How to Create a Wildflower Meadow & Pond"
Saturday, April 4: "Milkweeds for Monarchs"
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Join Pat Sutton for this series of four property-owner workshops on how to enhance your backyard landscaping for wildlife. Native plants and wildlife-friendly practices are the key. Come learn how to plan your own backyard, no matter how small, to attract showy hummingbirds and butterflies; nesting birds such as bluebirds; wintering birds, and so much more! Valuable handouts will include Pat's list of native trees, shrubs, and vines most utilized by wildlife and a list of primary book and Internet resources. These spring workshops will set you on the right path to planning and planting (or enhancing) your wildlife garden. The first workshop is the foundation of the series (try not to miss it), and will supply a good basis for the following sessions. Each will include a question-and-answer session and a visit to a nearby backyard habitat. During a working lunch, participants will have the opportunity to discuss their own gardens. Before the workshops, download, print, and bring N.J. Audubon's articles "How to Create a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden" and "Recommended Plantings to Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Moths" by workshop instructor Pat Sutton.
Limit: 30 participants; preregistration is required.
Cost/workshop: $20 member,
$30 nonmember (includes handouts).

SPRING CRAFTS OPEN HOUSE
Tuesdays through Thursdays
April 7, 8, 9 and April 14, 15, 16
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Ongoing
It's spring break time! The Nature Center of Cape May is opening its doors to you and your family. Come and explore the classrooms and experience the fantastic views from our observation tower. Our classrooms will be open with arts-n-crafts and games. These self-directed activities are fun for the whole family, and they're free!

SALT MARSH SAFARI:
BACKBAY BIRDS AND MORE*
Sundays, April 5 to May 31
1:30 p.m.
Welcome aboard the Jersey Cape's premier wildlife tour boat, the forty-foot Skimmer, and explore Cape May's beautiful coastal wetlands. Get ready for close encounters with osprey, egrets, gulls, crabs, and other marine life. Fun and educational for the whole family! To preregistar, call the Skimmer at 609.884.3100. *Boat leaves from Dolphin Cove Marina, across from the Cape May Nat'l Wildlife Refuge on Ocean Drive by Wildwood Crest.
Cost: $27 adults, $15 children, 2 and under are free.

SPRING SUPER SLEUTHS*
Friday, April 17
7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Spring arrives with many shapes, sizes, smells, and sounds. You become the detective as we explore the Villas Wildlife Management Area at night. We'll search the ponds, meadows, and forest for frogs and toads; they will surely be the highlight of the evening. Please wear boots and bring a flashlight. *We'll meet at the Villas WMA. Call for reservations and directions.
Cost: members, $8 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 12; nonmembers, $10 adults, $7 children ages 3 to 12; children under 3 free.

EARTH DAY CLEANUP
Saturday, April 18
9:00 a.m. to noon
Learn about wildlife gardening and basic maintenance chores while you assist nature center staff members and volunteers in sprucing up the gardens for spring. We'll plant, mulch, deadhead, weed, and prune throughout the center's grounds and along the harbor. Our Earth Day Cleanup is a great community service project for your civic organization or scout group. We ask that you bring along your own tools (our supply is limited). Preregistration is not required; however, if you plan to bring a large group, we would appreciate a call ahead of time. Contact Gretchen at 609.898.8848, Ext. 1. 
Refreshments will be offered.
Cost: free!

AWAKENING THE GARDEN: PREPPING THE GARDEN FOR SPRING
Saturday, April 18
1:00 p.m.
Learn the tried-and-true techniques of pruning and dividing perennials, cutting back shrubs for optimum blooms, and creating spectacular foliage with master gardener and sanctuary director Gretchen Ferrante. Everyone goes home with a bucketfull of perennials to start their own butterfly garden.
Cost: $20 members, $30 nonmembers.

NCCM'S EIGHTH ANNUAL
PLANT SALE
Order by April 30
for pickup May 16 and 17
Your gardens will be the buzz, tweet, and talk of the neighborhood when you get off to a good start with top-quality plants. We emphasize the use of plants native to New Jersey, which benefit wildlife and have a strong ornamental appeal for the backyard landscape. Some nonnative (but noninvasive) perennials and annuals, which offer an added boost to butterfly gardens, will also be available. For an order form, call the nature center at 609.898.8848. Pickup will start on Saturday, May 16, and run through May 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

HARBOR SAFARI
Saturdays, May 2 through June 13
11:00 a.m.
One of our most popular programs for all ages! Join our naturalists as they pull a seine net through the waters of Cape May Harbor. Encounter an incredible diversity of marine life in the teeming shallows, and learn about the fascinating lives of the animals that inhabit our coastal waters. Have an up-close experience with Horseshoe Crabs as we discuss their biology and anatomy. Learn why these living fossils are so important to migrating shorebirds and to the biodiversity of Delaware Bay. Walk-ins welcome - no preregistration necessary.
Cost: $10 adults, $5 children ages 3-12, children under 3 free.

CAPE MAY SPRING WEEKEND OPEN HOUSE
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 15, 16, and 17
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ongoing)
The Nature Center of Cape May is opening its doors to you and your family. Come and explore the classrooms and experience the fantastic views from our observation tower during the spring weekend open house. Check out the plant swap and plant sale happening on the same day and our Saturday Harbor Safari at 11:00 a.m.

AQUA TRAILS
KAYAK NATURE TOURS*
Beginning May 16
Daily tours at 11:00 a.m.
Join Aqua Trails Kayak Nature Tours for a two-hour, guided kayak eco-tour through Cape May Harbor and surrounding coastal wetlands. Naturalists will point out migratory birds and marine life and explain the local ecology of the region. *Tours depart at 11:00 a.m. daily from the nature center. Spaces are limited; reservations are strongly suggested.
Cost: single kayak $46, double $80.

POND PEEKERS*
Saturday, May 16
10:00 a.m. to noon.
Ages 3 and up with an adult.
Peek at a pond and get a close-up view of some slimy, squiggly, swimmy critters. Dress to get wet! *We'll meet at the Villas Wildlife Management Area. Call for reservations and directions.
Cost: members, $8 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 12; nonmembers, $10 adults, $7 children ages 3 to 12; children under 3 free.

BACKYARD HABITAT PLANT SWAP
Saturday, May 30
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
New for 2009 - caterpillar host plants! Now is the perfect time to thin out the perennial garden and share some of your garden success with others. Admission to the swap is one plant and a new or used garden tool. The garden tool is your "shower gift" to help the nature center stock up on equipment to use in educational gardening programs. For your admission, you will be entitled to take one "swap plant" home with you. Bring additional plants to swap on a 1:1 ratio. Plants may be dropped off on Friday, May 29, and you will be given a credit voucher to use on your return on Saturday. Please check out our Web site for a list of caterpillar host plants.
Admission: One plant and one new or used garden tool.

HARBOR FEST 2009
Saturday, June 20
A Celebration of Seafood and Song: The Sea, Its Culture, and Its Ecology
Join the Nature Center of Cape May and its community partners for the second annual Harbor Fest, which will take place along Delaware Avenue, the harbor beaches, and on the center's environmental education campus. There will be lots of fresh seafood, live bluegrass music, a blessing of the fleet, a kayak and canoe regatta, educational programs, and arts and crafts vendors. For more information, contact the center at 609.898.8848.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS
JUNIOR INTERNSHIPS
The Junior Intern Program provides opportunities for junior and high school students to work as assistants during the eight-week Children's Summer Programs at the center. Junior interns receive training, program, and teaching materials, as well as guidance from the teacher-naturalists who mentor them. A mandatory training session is held every Friday from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Daily assignments are flexible and take place each day between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The program also includes a community service project. This special project feature of the program provides opportunities for participants to share what they have learned and make a lasting contribution to NCCM. Interested students should contact B.J. Webersinn, County 4-H Agent, at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210, phone 609.465.5115, Ext.-605, fax 609.465.5953, or e-mail jesuncosky@aesop.rutgers.edu for more information and an application.

ART CLASSES
Art classes for adults and seniors. Explore the arts of drawing, painting, printmaking, nature, poetry, dance, and movement in a creative learning environment. Classes offered by the Center for the Community Arts (CCA) in partnership with the Nature Center of Cape May. For more information, contact CCA at 609.884.7525.
See their Web site at www.centerforcommunityarts.org for the latest brochure.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES AT THE NATURE CENTER OF CAPE MAY

Looking for something different for an upcoming birthday celebration? Celebrate your child's next birthday party with us.

What about a nature theme? Possible party themes include Dinosaur Dynamo, Under the Sea Beach Party, Dolphins and Whales, Pirate's Treasure Hunt, Flower Power, Backyard Wildlife Safari, Let's Rock...or...You Name It! An outdoor experience (weather permitting) allows for even more hands-on fun!

Each program includes a one-hour nature program with an NJAS naturalist engaging the children with age-appropriate games and activities and one hour of free time and room use for your cake, ice cream, and gift-giving.
 
The fee of $75 for N.J. Audubon members and $100 for nonmembers covers up to ten children. Additional participants are $5 per child.
Additional time can be added to the two-hour program for $50 per half-hour. A $50 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold your date. Parties must be booked two weeks in advance.

To book a Birthday Party call 609.898.8848
Check out our Nature Store for a great selection of birthday presents and party favors!