We're celebrating the amazing longleaf pine habitat this spring! Join us for a special program with author and illustrator Anne Marshall Runyon. Anne will read excerpts from her wonderful picture book, Longneedle, about the 300-year life of a single longleaf pine tree in the North Carolina Coastal Plain – how it survived fire and hurricanes and its connections with other plants and animals. See original illustrations and learn about the inspiration behind the book, too. Following the reading, families will have the unique opportunity to craft paper sculptures of the two charming squirrels featured in Longneedle – the fox squirrel and the southern flying squirrel.

Spring has sprung! Send your nature lover to a week full of hands-on outdoor discovery celebrating the change of season. What’s stirring in the pond, sprouting from the soil, and emerging in the trees? Participants will explore different habitats for signs of animals and plants that come to life in spring, enjoy games and stories, and express creativity through themed arts/crafts. Camp features a blend of indoor and outdoor learning, a camper to staff ratio of 4:1, experienced environmental educators and naturalists, and loads of fun!

Learning comes naturally during this fun-filled series that fosters a sense of wonder for nature and science. Preschoolers will get their hands dirty learning about seeds, dip in the pond for tadpoles, observe birds up-close, pretend to be pollinators, and more through hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, stories, crafts, and group play. Healthy snack provided. Program is led by experienced early childhood environmental educators.

Why do carnivorous plants trap bugs? How does a tiny seed travel hundreds of miles to find a new home? Why would a tree release toxic chemicals to attack other trees? Let’s figure it out! Campers will investigate the wild and wonderful ways that plants meet the challenges of their environment through hands-on outdoor exploration, experiments, and games, and then create their very own super plant. Camp features a blend of indoor and outdoor learning, camper to staff ratio of 4:1, experienced environmental educators and naturalists, and loads of fun!

North Carolina hosts a large number of insects and plants that depend on each other, sometimes benignly, beneficially, or as a pest. This class will look into the life history, morphology, and dependency between Sarracenic flava and Papaipema appassionata (Green pitcher plant and Pitcher Plant Borer moth). Students will work in drybrush watercolor. The instructor will provide images to paint from.

Create a botanical study page depicting the longleaf pine in pencil. Discover through drawing the identifying features of the cone, scales, and seeds. Learn how to tackle the complex pinecones' spiraling structure on day one. Day two will be spent creating a tonal monochromatic study of the seeds and scales in a drawing medium of your choice.

For ages 3-5 with a participating caregiver. What's inside a seed? How do they grow? Where can we find them? Little ones will get their hands dirty learning all about seeds through hands-on discovery, play, stories, and planting their own seeds to take home.

Longleaf pine forests are among the most diverse ecosystems in North America, but they depend on fire to thrive. In this talk, you will discover how fire shapes the structure and function of these habitats, how fire affects the plants and animals that live there, and how fire can be used as a management tool to restore and conserve these rare and valuable ecosystems. Whether you are a landowner, land manager, or enthusiast of longleaf pine natural areas, this talk will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips on how to use fire as a force for good.