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Exploring the Seasons- A Year of Nature with Audubon

by
Andrew Pizzala
Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Program

From September through May participants will get a unique look at the seasonal specialties of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. With a group limited to ten people, participants will have plenty of time to interact directly with program leaders and an opportunity to ask all the questions they can think of. Together the group will explore the Chesapeake and Delmarva’s bounty through a monthly event highlighting the seasonal grandeur of living on Delmarva. As the year progresses the program will be customized to meet each participant’s interests. Participants will see Pickering throughout the seasons as well as explore a number of other public and private sites across the peninsula. They will learn about and experience waterfowl migration, fireflies at night Woodcock mating displays, spring flowering ephemerals fall butterflies and pollinator plants. Dates determined by the group.

“This is a great opportunity for a small group of folks to deeply explore the lifecycle and highlights of the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva over the course of a year” said the programs leader Mark Scallion. “In addition to our organized explorations we’ll pay attention to each participants interests in the natural world and spend time learning about what they are interested in. You’ll feel like a kid again as you learn more about fireflies, Woodcock mating displays, spring flowering ephemerals, bird migration, butterflies and more.”

The program is led by Mark Scallion, Director of Pickering Creek Audubon Center. Mark has over 20 years experience in exploring Delmarva and sharing it with residents. Mark manages all staff and day-to-day of Pickering Creek Audubon Center including education programs, land management, and farming operations. He holds a BS in Forest Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in conjunction with Syracuse University. While at SUNY-ESF he served as a Teaching Assistant for dendrology (taxonomic identification of trees and plants). Mark is a past President of the Talbot Bird Club of the Maryland Ornithological Society and given numerous presentations at regional, national and international conferences. For more information about signing up for Exploring the Seasons: A Year in Nature contact Mark at the Center 410 822 4903.