I’ve been attending programs at Delaware Nature Society (DNS) since before my younger son could walk. I used to spend the morning at Delaware Children’s Museum, wagon the boys down to DuPont Environmental Education Center (DEEC), and explore the marsh with a dip-netting program. I can’t remember how many times I hosed them down after getting the muddy water over their galoshes.
Those were the days when I learned I had a couple dynamos on my hands. After hours of play and exploration, we would have a packed lunch under the owl in the courtyard and a couple more hours before their mom would be home. Sometimes Mary would steal way and meet us there, but she usually opted to get home a little early to have more time with us there. We’d bird watch, jump from rock to rock, or head to Delaware Contemporary to escape the elements.
Eight years later we still love to visit DEEC. Whether it’s for biking, hiking, a summer camp, or our latest excursion: canoeing.
The day was perfectly overcast for a family-paced exploration of the Christina River at high tide. We spent three hours learning about the grasses, mammals, and birds that inhabit the watershed. A highlight was getting to watch an osprey’s hunting ritual.
I still have a couple of dynamos. After canoeing we spent time at a park and got ourselves ready for another DNS program at Ashland Nature Center. The clouds didn’t break, so our full moon hike was moonless, but it proved to be a wonderful evening of spotting bats, toads, and a red squirrel. We closed the evening with a fire by the Red Clay Creek and s’mores, because summer still has a good week to provide.
I’m so grateful for the countless adventures our DNS membership has afforded us over the years. From preschool and homeschool to family and adult to hiking and cooking, we’ve sampled just about every kind of program. Soon the boys will be old enough to try out one of the more ambitious ecotours and we’ll be real DNS veterans.
We look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of DEEC on Sunday, October 13th.
God bless and thank you for reading,
Jason