Monday, April 18, 2011

Glen Helen Earth Day Naturalist Programs

8am to 2pm, April 23

The following Earth Day programs are free and run on a drop-in basis from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday April 23, 2011 on the grounds of the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center at 1075 State Route 343 in Yellow Springs. No registration is necessary. All ages welcome!


Title: Fossils of Ohio

Description: Ever heard of a trilobite? How about a brachiopod, a crinoid or a bryozoan? Stop by to see and feel the many fossils of the fascinating extinct creatures that used to inhabit Ohio back when it was a warm, shallow sea in the Ordovician Period more than 450 million years ago! Learn about the wealth of fossils in Ohio from this time, and even bring in your own fossils to identify them!

About the Naturalist:

Jesse Varga is the assistant at the Glen Helen Raptor Center, and has been an intern at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center for over two years. Originally from Plymouth, Michigan, he attended college at Earlham College in Indiana. He has wide-reaching interests in biology and outdoor education, and is especially fascinated by the fossils of this area of the Midwest.


Title: Creating Backyard Ecosystems

Description: Plant it and they will come! Learn about backyard pollinators, wildlife and the native plants that sustain them. You can create habitat in your yard that is inexpensive, beautiful, and easy to care for. Come gather inspiration, information and ideas on how to bring nature to your backdoor.

About the Naturalists:

Stephanie Falzone grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from UCLA with a BS in Environmental Science and a Minor in Conservation Biology. She especially likes frogs and birds, and has enjoyed becoming familiar with eastern bird species and getting to see and hear them every day. She also has a passion for photography and can often be found wandering around the Glen on weekends taking pictures. Learning about the eastern deciduous forest has been a fascinating experience for her, and she is excited about the diversity of wildflowers that are currently blooming in the Glen.

Matthew Herron is from Baton Rouge, LA and holds a BA in English and German from LSU. After graduation Matthew worked in public schools and the local nature center while volunteering as a child mentor and in various wetland restoration projects. His cultural endeavors over the years have ranged from painting, writing poetry and songs to editing a literary magazine and living in Germany and Quebec. Matthew has a great love for natural history and biodiversity and hopes to pursue his masters in place-based, experiential education following this internship.


Title: Birds in Your Back Yard

Description: Learn how to identify birds that are common in Ohio by their size, color, song, and behavior. Observe a wide variety of birds feeding at our bird blind/bird feeding station and get answers to any of your bird related questions. Binoculars available for up-close viewing!

About the Naturalist:

Susan Delfs is from Sioux City, Iowa. Susan graduated in 2009 from Augustana College with a BA in biology. During college, she spent a summer at a biological station, which sparked her interest in environmental education. She is excited to share her knowledge and love of nature as a Glen Helen Intern! Susan also spent a year after college as an Americorps VISTA with a recycling program in Eastern Montana. She enjoys baking, adventures by bicycle, gardening and knitting in her free time.


Title: All About the Weather

Description: Learn about the tools and methods used to explore our local climate and weather systems. Weather permitting, we’ll identify different cloud formations and other changing features of our local climate.

About the Naturalist:

Before arriving at Glen Helen OEC to work as a Naturalist, Peter Moorehouse spent nine months rehabbing Desert Tortoise habitat in Southern California. Peter is thrilled to be back in his home state to witness the beauty of the seasons and share his passion for nature. Peter holds a B.A. in Physical Geography from Kent State University. When he is not exploring the out-of-doors, Peter enjoys playing basketball, mountain biking, and photography.


Title: Tiny Things

Description: Come into the kaleidoscope of nature through hands-on explorations with microscopes, hand lenses, short hikes, and art projects with naturalists Hannah and Kathleen.

About the Naturalists:

Hannah Brewster comes from Plymouth, Massachusetts, where she loved exploring the beaches and pine forests. She now loves exploring all that the Glen has to offer, and works as the Extension Naturalist, leading programs at Trailside Museum and schools throughout Southwest Ohio.

Kathleen Soler comes from Chicago, Illinois, the land of mixed prairie and oak savannas. Exploring the forest is her newly found passion, watching dirt as it forms in tree hollows and underneath rocks. She is a bike fanatic who is fascinated by plant life and pollinators.


Title: Let’s Get Wild

Description: Learn about the interesting wildlife species living in Ohio. Come and touch real animal furs, examine animal skulls, meet one of Glen Helen’s live resident reptiles, and much more!

About the Naturalists:

Margaret Kane is from Illinois and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a degree in Environmental Studies. Last year she served in an Americorps program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that focused on environmental conservation and education.

Ingrid Brofman is from New York State and graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a wildlife ecology degree. Post-graduation, Ingrid has spent her time backpacking Europe, organic farming in Hawaii, and working for USFWS on the Gulf Coast.

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