Winter Happenings
Even though it might be cold outside, it is always warm inside at The Wetlands Institute! Please join us for activities on the marsh every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from now until May 1, 2014. Unless otherwise stated, all activities occur onsite at The Wetlands Institute. Questions? Please call The Wetlands Institute at 609-368-1211.
Seasonal Science Activities and Crafts
We believe children and adults learn a great deal through moments of self-exploration. Each week we will offer a new self-guided science activity or craft related to seasonal changes in nature. We provide the supplies and you create the learning! Possible activities include bird watching, nature journaling and observation, simple science experiments, nature crafts, and much more!
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Free with admission
Lunch and Learn
Join us for a weekly exploration of topics important to our coastal and wetland ecosystems. Bring your lunch and The Wetlands Institute will provide coffee and dessert. Each week we will feature a different speaker and topic of discussion! Please check our website for pricing and complete details.
Friday: 11:45am
Every Friday Starting January 10 – March 21, 2014 except on dates of Covered Dish Dinners (January 31 and February 28
Creature Feature and Craft
We’ll highlight a different live animal or group of animals each day! Get up close with terrapins, fish, crabs, sea stars and urchins, mollusks, horseshoe crabs and the animals of Finding Nemo. After the presentation, create a take-home craft related to that day’s Creature Feature!
Friday and Saturday: 2:00pm
Free with admission
Aquarium Feeding
Help us feed the fish and octopus, or just watch them gobble down their food. We’ll open up feeding three times each week so you can see the turtles chasing minnows and the horseshoe crab gobbling shrimp. Please note: Not all animals are fed every day.
Saturday: 11:00am
Free with admission
Aquarium Teaching Tank
There is no better way to learn about the local creatures found in the salty waters of the ocean or New Jersey back-bays than to experience them firsthand! Come join a Wetlands Institute educator for a unique, interactive learning experience as they teach about whelk, skates, sea urchins, sea stars, mud snails, and more! Please come prepared to touch the animals by not having any bug spray, hand sanitizer or lotion on your hands. If needed, hands can be washed with mild soap and water in The Wetlands Institute bathroom before the program.
Sunday: 11:00am
Free with admission
Science Feature and Activity
Each Sunday we will focus on a different conservation issue or science “hot topic”! Some of the topics include Marine Debris, Osprey Conservation, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Seafood, Horseshoe Crab Conservation and Terrapin Conservation. After the presentation, participate in a hands-on activity related to that day’s Science Feature! Activity recommended for ages 8 and up, but younger children are welcome to attend.
Sunday: 2:00pm
Free with admission
A Year in Review
What a year we have had at The Wetlands Institute! Come join us for “A Year in Review” as we celebrate through pictures, stories, videos and discussion all the twists, turns, achievements and efforts we have made over the course of 2013. Also, throughout the evening, learn about some of the exciting plans we have in store for 2014! This is a covered dish dinner, so please bring an entrée, salad or dessert to share with at least eight people.
Friday, December 6 at 6:00pm
Admission: A covered dish plus $7 for members and $12 for non-members
Reservations by December 5
Covered Dish Dinners
Please bring an entrée, salad or desert to share with at least eight people.
Admission: A covered dish plus $7 for members and $12 for non-members
The Ecology of Moths
Moths are more than just brown-winged flying insects! Come learn about the ecology and life cycle of moths from Matt Sichel of Stockton College. During this presentation, Matt will share his current moth ecology research while highlighting the broad range of local moth diversity.
Friday, January 31 at 6:00pm – Reservations by January 30
The American Oyster: An Ecological and Economic Engine Powering a Fishery, Aquaculture and Restoration
Come meet Dave Bushek, director of the Haskins Shellfish Laboratory of Rutgers University. Dr. Bushek will discuss efforts at oyster restoration, aquaculture and fisheries in Delaware Bay and compare and contrast different approaches.
Friday, February 28 at 6:00pm – Reservations by February 27
Bird-Window Collisions: The Second Largest Human Source of Avian Mortality on Earth
Join Daniel Klem, Professor of Biology and Sarkis Acopian Professor of Ornithology and Conservation Biology at
Muhlenberg College, as he discusses the relevant moral, ethical, and legal aspects of bird-window collisions and what conservation efforts are being made to save more bird lives including the use of ultraviolet signals that transform window panes into barriers that birds see while retaining the unobstructed view of the outdoors.
Friday, March 28 at 6:00pm – Reservations by March 27
