April Events at The Wilderness Center
Star Watch & Planetarium Show at The Wilderness Center Fri., Apr. 2, 8 p.m.
Join TWC’s Astronomy Club for a Planetarium Show, then view the real things through telescopes. No foolin’! All ages. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Beautiful Bluebirds at The Wilderness Center Sat., Apr. 3, 1-2:30 p.m.
Join Naturalist Lynda Price as she examines the life and times of the Eastern Bluebird. We will start indoors with a program about the lifecycle of bluebirds and how to establish and monitor a bluebird trail. Weather permitting, we will check the boxes on TWC’s bluebird trail. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Wilderness Walk at The Wilderness Center Wed., Apr. 7, 10 a.m.
Join a naturalist on the 1st Wed. every month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Wild Cooks: Spring Lunch at The Wilderness Center Sat., Apr. 10, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Your food choices need not be limited to the supermarket! You can make interesting new dishes based on wild foods. We’ll forage wild plants, prepare them, and then taste the results. You’ll go home with recipes and techniques to make more!
The menu is Frittata of Ramps, Basswood & Wild Violet Salad w. Julianne of Pickled Cattails, Wilted Dandelion Greens w. Hot Bacon Dressing, Wild Herb Gougere w. Garlic Butter, and White Pine Tea. We can’t guarantee when plants will be ready for harvest, so may change the menu based on what’s available. We will supplement with store-bought foods. We have permission to gather TWC plants for these classes only; gathering is not otherwise allowed at TWC. Instructors: Chuck Hass and Joann Ballbach.
Sessions are physically demanding. We will spend 2 or more hours walking and foraging, then clean, prepare, eat, and clean up. Adults only; max. of 20 participants. Please bring hand pruning shears and gardening gloves. Dress for the weather. $10/member; $15/nonmember. Deadline: Apr. 6. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Your Sky Tonight at The Wilderness Center Tue., Apr. 13, 1 p.m.
Join us for this informal time under the Planetarium dome on the 2nd Tues. of every month. Bring your questions—you’ll determine the program! Includes astronomy in the news and a tour of the sky this evening. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Wilderness Walk at The Wilderness Center Thu., Apr. 15, 2 p.m.
Join a naturalist on the 3rd Thu. each month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Wilderness Sprouts: Turtles at The Wilderness Center Fri., Apr. 16, 10 a.m.
Learn all about the amazing world of turtles. We’ll make a turtle craft, hike to the lake to look for turtles, and meet a box turtle. Dress for the weather–we’ll go out rain or shine. Children ages 3-5 with an adult. $4/member; $6/nonmember; adults free. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Earth Day at The Wilderness Center
April 17; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Bird Walk 8 a.m.
Take a walk with the Birders Club to look for birds. All ages. Free and open the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
17th Annual Foto Fest-Sat., Apr. 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., Apr. 18, 1-5 p.m.
Do the winter doldrums have you down? Are you looking for a spring “pick-me-up?” Why not head on down to the 17th Annual FotoFest at the Wilderness Center? The beautiful photographs, entered in nine different categories (plus a special youth division), are sure to brighten your spirits and you can even have a little fun helping us pick the winners.
The Foto Fest is free and open to the public. Pick up a ballot at the door and then take your time meandering through the exhibit and voting for your favorites. Sometimes the choice can be difficult, but as we say, “There are no wrong answers here.” Have fun and enjoy the beautiful photographs of Wildlife; Wildflowers; General Nature; Landscapes; Domestic Flowers; Animals–Domestic or Captive; Insects, Bugs & Such; Pictorial/Scenic; and Birds, as well as our special Youth category for photographers age 16 and under.
The ballots will be tabulated and the winners will be announced at a special meeting of the Nature Photo Club on Sat., May 1, at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend this meeting as we unveil the winning photographs.
For anyone interested in entering photographs in Foto Fest, complete rules and entry forms are available at The Wilderness Center; at www.wildernesscenter.org; or by calling 330-875-9564. Entry deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Sat., Apr. 10, 2010. Please note that the minimum photo size accepted this year is 8” x 10”. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Earth Day Clean-Up-Volunteers Needed 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Help clean up the TWC environment! Everyone is welcome! You, your family, or your group can adopt a trail or area to clean or help remove invasive plant species. We’ll provide gloves, trash bags, and refreshments. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Go Green—Natural Burials in a Nature Cemetery -9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Learn about natural burials, an economical environmental alternative to modern burials. Walk a cemetery with prairie and woodland trails instead of a lawn and learn how to make your last act on earth a “green one.” Visit The Wilderness Center’s nature cemetery, Foxfield Preserve. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.foxfield preserve.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Earth Day Subway Challenge Run - registration 11:30 a.m., race begins 12:45 p.m.
Try the 3.4 mile Trail Run for $20 in advance; $25 that day. All participants receive a race T-shirt; winners also receive awards. Call TWC at 877-359-5235 for a mail-in registration form or register online at www.ohiochallengeseries.com. For more information, call 877-359-5235 or visit online at www.wildernesscenter.org
Backpackers Expo-9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Stop by and chat with members TWC’s Backpackers & Dayhikers Club. Gather information for your next dayhike or backpacking trip. Some of the subjects include backpacks and how to pack them, meals and water, tents, first aid and personal care, clothing, and Ultra-lite backpacking. Come and view various pieces of equipment and find out what is right for you. Free.
Home Remedy Concert-7 p.m.
Home Remedy String Band’s members do credit to the human realness of Appalachian folk music while also simply sounding beautiful. One listen displays the point of keeping a folk tradition alive—it’s great fun to listen to.
With the bell-clear harmonies of Jeanie Creamer, Mike Thieken, Karen Bump, Jamie Tevis, and Bea and John Hollback, Home Remedy takes traditional mountain material and makes something at once as old as the hills (literally) immediately contemporary. Home Remedy is as much a folk music group as a gathering, or a preservation society, or simply a “happening” with music and fun. Everyone sings, a full half of the band plays fiddle or guitar, and all switch up as needed from song to song, with a sprinkling of autoharp, dulcimer, mandolin, standup bass and traditional percussions.
$8/TWC member; $10/nonmember. Children 15 and younger half price, if accompanied by an adult. We’d like to thank our Concert Series sponsor, Regas & Haag, Attorneys-at-Law. See you there! For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Ecuador Birding at The Wilderness Center Sun., Apr. 18, 2 p.m.
Vicki Shoenfelt traveled to Ecuador with 9 others for a TWC Birding EcoTour. The group spend nine days in the rain and cloud forests and birding on the Antisana extinct volcano. Join us for a slide presentation of the country, the plants, the travelers and the birds. There were 255 species recorded with 39 species being hummingbirds. Trip information
will be available. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Scarlet, Gray, and Green Fair Tue., Apr. 20
This is a great place to get ideas and see how others are “going green” in our area. The Wilderness Center will be there with hands-on activities for the kids and informative sessions for all ages. At the OARDC in Wooster.
Story Time: Flap Your Wings at The Wilderness Center Wed., Apr. 21, 11 a.m.
Join us for stories, songs, and rhymes about our feathered friends. Watch birds at our feeders, then feed geese at the lake.
Stories are for 3-4 year olds, but all ages are welcome, if they’ll be interested. Dress for the weather. Free for members; donation requested from nonmembers. Registration is optional. If there’s any reason we have to reschedule or cancel, we’ll call those who are registered. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Native Plant Sale and Gardening Seminar at The Wilderness Center
Gardening Seminar Selections Sat., Apr. 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Bird Friendly Yards & Gardens
Learn about birds of the backyard and the top ten plants to attract birds. Discover ways to make your yard more attractive to a variety of birds. Chuck Jakubchak, Certified Volunteer Naturalist
Psychological Benefits of Nearby Nature
Do some settings naturally draw you in and leave you feeling restored? This program explores the human-environment connection and highlights opportunities for enhancing well-being through the design and management of nearby nature. Maureen Austin, Ph.D. Ohio State Extension
Journey into Nature and Garden Journal Keeping
Discover ways to create a journal for your observations of life in your backyard and other outdoor journeys. We will touch on the history of nature journals, take a wildflower walk and work on the first pages of our own journals. Margaret Bourne, Certified Volunteer Naturalist
Growing Gourmet Salad Greens
Learn how to grow delicious greens from basic lettuces, spinach, arugula, sorrel and edible flowers. Adding a cold frame in the fall can extend your harvest into the winter for incredible year-round salads. Karen Geiser, Local Market Gardener
Tree Care
Trees are an important part of the backyard garden habitat. Learn proper tree care including planting, pruning, and site selection. Joe Schossler, Ohio Tree.com
Journey into Nature and Garden Journal Keeping
Repeat of session above. Margaret Bourne, Certified Volunteer Naturalist
Colonial Herbs
Learn about the plants we find in our gardens and along the roadsides. Discover how these non-native species came to the Americas and how they were used. Glenna Shaeffer, Kingwood Center
Dragons & Damsels
Discover ways to identify the dragonflies and damselflies of your backyard and pond. Carrie Elvey, TWC Naturalist
Wildflower Walk
Long ago, people got everything they needed from the land. Discover some of the ways they used plants for food, medicine and “magic” on this short walk. Limit 20 participants. Joann Ballbach, TWC Education Director
Gardening with Native Plants
From the first blossoms of spring to the last blooms of fall, learn about the Ohio native plants you can use in your gardens. Lynda Price, TWC Naturalist
An Introduction to Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide
This intro will guide you through wildflower identification using photo samples of local flora. Learn how the book is laid out and how to navigate the pages. Bring your own or borrow a copy. Jeanne Quartz, Certified Volunteer Naturalist.
For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Family Astronomy: Tour the Solar System-Sat., Apr. 24, 2 p.m.
The Moon, Mars, and Saturn are up tonight! Not to mention Vesta and the Lyrids... There’s more to our solar system than the Sun and planets! Take a look at each type of object in our solar system. All ages. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wildernesscenter.org or call 1-877-359-5235.
Wildflower Walk and Plant Sale at The Wilderness Center -Sun., Apr. 25, 2 p.m.
The Wilderness Center’s Botanizer Club members Marvin and Sandy Smith will be leading a free wildflower walk at 2 p.m. Native Plants for sale from 1-4 p.m.
The Wilderness Center is a nonprofit nature center located one mile west of Wilmot, Ohio just north of highway 250. The Center is dedicated to Nature Education, Wildlife Conservation, Natural History Research, and Community Service. The Center derives its support from memberships and donations. It is not a government agency and is not supported by taxes.
