Two ordinary, excellent weekends

We have entered a stretch with naturalist certification classes every two weeks as we wrap up the class, and I have a dozen wildflowers from my last class I need to research and write up here. But before I get too far into that project, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past two weekends, when I had the chance to take a couple groups of kids around Ashland.

I haven’t written about these hikes in a while, mostly because the scout and community groups that come for the overnight programs really slow down in the summer. But the two groups in August reminded me of why I am excited to work as a teacher-naturalist for the Delaware Nature Society.

Insect Hike

9 August 2014 Ashland Nature Center, Hockessin, DE

9 a.m. Sunny, 71 F

We started our morning insect walk in the auditorium at Ashland for an overview of collection methods, which was helpful for me since I had missed the lecture. From the first, it was useful information, as we learned that the mesh nets and the canvas nets we use with groups are not just a matter of preference but are designed for different jobs, which should have been obvious, in retrospect, but had not occurred to me. (Mesh nets are aerial nets, for catching insects in flight or when they have landed on top of vegetation. The canvas nets are used for sweeping through grasses and other vegetation, the way I am most accustomed to collecting at Ashland.)

The other methods we learned were interesting but not immediately applicable, pit traps and funnels, lights for collecting insects at night. With the overview done, the group grabbed aerial nets and jars and headed outside. The plan for the morning was to walk through four different habitats, starting with the gardens around the nature center.

Tiger swallowtail

Peck's skipper

The phlox at the beginning of the native pollinator garden was alive with butterflies, tiger swallowtails (Papilio glaucus), black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) and Peck’s skippers (Polites peckius).