We received lots of information from Tim Parker at Fish and Wildlife:
Below you will find our programs for February. You may also wish to visit our programs page.
*REGISTRATION*
Programs are free, however, donations to The Friends of Patuxent are greatly appreciated! Some programs require advance registration by calling 301-497-5887. Programs are subject to changes or cancellation due to weather or low participation. Please notify the refuge of any special needs so that you may be accommodated. www.fws.gov/refuge/patuxent
*NORTH TRACT PROGRAMS*
*230 Bald Eagle Drive*
*Laurel, MD 20724*
+++Owl Pellets+++
Sunday, Feb. 18th, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Ages 7-12, registration required
How can owls find food in total darkness? How can they stand to eat a smelly skunk? Learn about these nocturnal hunters and dissect an owl pellet.
+++Riding Bicycles to Experience Patuxent Research Refuge’s North
+++Tract+++
Sunday, Feb. 25th, 1:00 – 3:30 pm
Ages 10+, registration required
Enjoy a winter bicycle outing as you learn about the refuge. Experience the beauty of this natural area on two wheels while discovering local wildlife, plants and historical sites. Learn the importance of reducing your footprint and leaving no trace on this 12 – mile guided bicycle ride.
Bring your own bike, energy bar/snack, water bottle and helmet. Ride is weather dependent.
*NATIONAL WILDLIFE VISITOR CENTER PROGRAMS*
*10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop*
*Laurel, MD 20708*
+++Screech & Kestrel+++
Saturday, Feb. 3rd, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 17th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
All ages, no registration
Meet two of North America’s smallest birds of prey: the American kestrel and eastern screech owl. Both expert hunters, the American kestrel uses its acrobatic prowess, while the eastern screech owl is a stealthy silent hunter.
+++Once Upon a Windy Day+++
Sunday, Feb. 4th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Ages 5-7, registration required
Whoosh! Discover how the wind works and how it affects people and wildlife in this hands-on, interactive program with games and crafts.
+++Family Fun: Who was here?+++
Friday, Feb. 9th, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 10th, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
All ages, no registration
Winter is a great time to be a “nature detective” and look for animal tracks in the snow (or mud). Even when we don’t see the animals themselves, we can tell who has been there — and maybe what they were doing — by looking at their footprints and other things they leave behind. Come learn about tracks, scat and other animal signs through hands-on activities and games for all ages. This is a drop-in program: come when you wish, and leave when you’re ready.
+++Winter Adaptations Hike+++
Saturday, Feb. 10th, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
All ages, registration required
Come and enjoy a winter hike around Cash Lake. Learn about the adaptations animals and plants use to survive this frosty time of year. Bring water and dress for the elements. The hike will start inside the visitor center.
+++Camera Basics+++
Saturday, Feb. 17th, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Ages 16+, registration required
The auto function on cameras is often helpful, but usually another setting will get you the image you really want. This is a beginner workshop for those using DSLR cameras. This class is limited to just five people.
+++Raptors Reign+++
Saturday, Feb. 24th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
All ages, no registration
Join special guest and licensed falconer, Rodney Stotts, as he shares the power of nature through discussions and up close encounters with birds of prey. This is a drop in program. No registration required.
+++Nature Songs with Stina+++
Saturday, Feb. 24th, 2:45 – 3:30 pm
All ages, no registration
Parent participation required
Join nature troubadour Stina for an afternoon indoor campfire sing along in our auditorium. Get your groove on with fun and silly nature songs!
+++Tiny Tots: Nature and Music+++
Sunday, Feb. 25th, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Monday, Feb. 26th, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Ages 16-48 mos., parental participation & registration required Learn about wildlife at the refuge through fun and interactive songs, stories and activities.
+++Nature Tots: Tweet Tweet+++
Tuesday, Feb. 27th, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Ages 3-4, registration required
Introduce your preschooler to the world of birds through stories, songs, games, and crafts in this fun, interactive program.
*HOLLINGSWORTH GALLERY*
January will showcase the talents of FWS and USGS staff: Abraham Lopez-Thejo, Carlyn Caldwell, Kaitlyn Baligush, Jane Chandler, Jen Chin, Jonathan Fiely, Jenn Malpass, Tim Parker, Jen Hill, and perhaps a few others. February features additional work from Kaitlyn and adds JanMichael Archer; March, Lynne Parks. Many on the refuge staff have artistic talent as well as a passion for its mission.
A few of the contributors “weighed in” with some personal background information and descriptions of the work they’ll exhibit. Carlyn Caldwell is a Veterinary Technician at the Veterinary Hospital at Patuxent. She’s worked at the refuge for 20 years in a “variety of capacities.” A member of the crane crew, she created a retirement gift for Jane Chandler (friend, colleague and crane flock manager). Jane has loaned the cross-stitch of a whooping crane back to Carlyn for the exhibit. Jenn Malpass describes migratory birds as “nature’s ambassadors.” She was bird banding at a stopover area in Alabama a few years ago when she was able to take “headshots” of “birds in hand” – truly a unique perspective we’ll enjoy seeing. Jenn has multiple degrees – including a PhD. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from The Ohio State University. She is “uniquely positioned” to address wildlife management activity and engage those less aware of the need for wildlife conservation – like young people and city dwellers.
Kaitlyn Baligush, who will have contributed to the staff effort in January, and Jan-Michael Archer share February. Kaitlyn is a native Marylander from Catonsville who works as a recreation assistant here at Patuxent. During this month we’ll see artwork for which she’s used a variety of techniques – oil on canvas, wood, and watercolor. Kaitlyn dates her interest in art to tracing images from her middle school library’s books on how to draw. Later course work included rolling film and developing her own photos in a dark room, but oil paint remains her “go-to” medium.
Also scheduled this month is Patuxent intern, Jan-Michael Archer of Laurel.
Archer has an impressive and varied background – undergraduate biology degree from the University of Tampa and a master’s in interdisciplinary ecology – with a concentration in urban and regional planning from the University of Florida. He spent nine months as a graduate research assistant at the Florida Museum of Natural History in the Herpetology Department. Currently, he supervises Baltimore students pursuing degrees in life or physical sciences for the Urban Conservation and Education Internship Program. While at Patuxent, Archer has served as an environmental educator for K-12 students in Fairfax County. In this role he planted schoolyard habitat gardens and taught a program on ecological principles as well as wildlife conservation in cities.
Tim Parker
Education Program Coordinator
National Wildlife Visitor Center
10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop
Laurel, MD 20708-4027
o-301-497-5776
c-240-882-0363
(Days off are Sunday & Monday)