BIRD TALK & WALK | SPRING MIGRATION
Talk | April 13 | 9am – 10:30am
Walk | May 11 | 8am – 10am
Open to all ages and skill levels | $10
Join us for a fun and educational birding experience! Whether you are an expert birder or have never gone birding before, this experience is for you! You will spend time with some of our experienced guides exploring Stratford and the different birds that inhabit our land. Our guides will teach you about birds, help you experience the joy of birdwatching and the importance of birds within the ecosystem. Bring your binoculars and get ready to explore with us!
SHEEP SHEARING DAY
Saturday, April 20 | 10am – 2pm
Open to all ages | $8 (Ages 2 and under free)
Bring the whole family to Stratford for a wooly experience! Stratford will provide visitors with an engaging experience while the resident sheep (and llama) receive their annual shearing. The flock will be shorn throughout the day, and our shearers will interpret the process from start to finish. Your family can visit stations to learn how wool is processed. Celebrate the spring season with us through hands-on fiber projects, visiting the farm babies in the barn, taking a picture with our selfie frame, tossing feathers up to see the tree swallows catch them out of thin air, hiking the trails for a wildflower walk and more!
EDIBLE PLANT ID WALK & LUNCH
April 27 | 11am – 1pm
Ages 18 and up | $30
Join veteran members of Stratford’s Herbal Study Group for a spring walk in our gardens and woods to identify and learn how to incorporate culinary wild plants into your own meals. Then stay for lunch and sample dishes made from edibles obtainable this time of year. You’ll get to take home handouts and recipes to try making some yourself at home.
EARTH DAY TREE PLANTING & INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL
Saturday, April 27 | 9:30am – 12:00pm
Open to all ages | Free
Celebrate Earth Day with us! Help us plant native trees and remove non-native, invasive plants in our forest. Please wear clothes that can get dirty and closed toe shoes. We encourage you to bring your own work gloves, but we’ll have some available to borrow too. Tools will be provided.
Feel free to stay and visit the farm afterwards. Pet the animals in the barn, hike the trails, see what you can find in the vernal pools and more! You’ll have a chance to purchase our homegrown greens, pasture-raised, grass-fed meat, pure maple syrup, and more. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than helping to preserve our 236-acre slice of heaven?
Online registration required.
STORY TIME ON THE FARM
Second Monday of the Month | May – October | 10am – 11am
Recommended for ages up to 8 years old | Pay What you Can
Stories are a fun way to introduce young children to nature and farm life. Each Story Time will have a theme based on the seasonal happenings at the farm and nature preserve. After listening to the story the children will then bring the story to life as they visit the farm and nature preserve. Online registration required.
SPRING FARM SCHOOL FRIDAYS
Friday, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and April 5, 12, 19, 26 | 9am – 12pm
Age 3 – Kindergarten (must be potty trained) | $50
Friday, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and April 5, 12, 19, 26 | 9am – 2pm
1st – 5th Grade | $65
At Farm School, nature is the classroom and the teacher. Children will expand their joy of learning as they care for the animals, tend to the gardens, and explore native Ohio habitats. From seed to table, Farm Schooler’s will participate in age-appropriate farming activities, engaging all of their senses, and gaining a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.
Spring Farm School Fridays have a highlighted focus each month:
March | Farm Babies & Vernal Pool
April | Wildflowers & Pollinators
Farm School will support grade level Ohio Academic Standards. Check with your district about Alternative Learning Experience credit for attending Farm School in place of a traditional school day. We’re excited for your child join us for a day of growth, exploration, and fun – where every moment is a lesson and every lesson is an adventure!
HERBAL STUDY GROUP
Second Tuesday of the Month | January – December | 1pm – 3pm
(June – August 9:30am – 11:30am due to afternoon heat)
Adults | All skill levels | $10 for the entire year
Dive into the world of herbs with us as we explore different varieties each month, from culinary classics to medicinal wonders. Each month the group examines different herbal topics and works together in the herb garden, tending, harvesting and learning from one another while building a sense of community. Whether you’re a seasoned herbalist or just starting, there’s always something new to discover in this participant led group. Swap seeds, recipes, and herbal wisdom all year long!
PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
Third Thursday of the Month | January – November | 10am – 12pm
Adults | All skill levels | $20 for the entire year
Calling all photography enthusiasts! Monthly meetings provide an opportunity to share and edit photos, learn techniques from local experts to photograph landscapes, animals, gardens and more. All skill levels welcome! Just show up and bring your camera, even if it’s your phone. Participants are welcome to wander the fields and forests of Stratford to capture the abundant beauty of the seasons. Please contact photography@stratfordecologicalcenter.org for more details.
BOOK TALKS
Third Friday of the Month | January – December | 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Adults | $10 for the entire year
Have you ever wanted to join a book club, but feel like you don’t have time to read the whole book? Then this is your kind of book talk! Join fellow participants who want to explore literary works from Stratford’s library in a lively discussion on topics ranging from agriculture, nature writers and homesteading. Librarian and incredible naturalist Liz Barker does the heavy lifting by reading a series of books on a particular subject, and then convenes the group to share her learnings and lead a discussion. It’s a social summary with friends! Explore and recommend topics with Liz any time you want.
BEEKEEPING 4-H SPIN (SPecial INterest) CLUB
Every Other Thursday | April 4 – August 8, August 15 + September 5 | 4pm – 6pm
Ages 12 – 18 years old | $65
In association with the Delaware County 4-H Program, this is a unique opportunity for aspiring beekeepers and nature enthusiasts. Participants will thrive by combining classroom learning with invaluable hands-on experience caring for a dedicated beehive with guidance from expert apiary mentors with 80+ years combined experience! This club is specialized for youth ages 12-18 years old who are interested in learning all about honeybees and the roles these pollinators play in our ecosystem. As with anything in nature, nothing exists in isolation, and this is a great opportunity to learn a key skill that is important for sustaining our food supply, and the habitat needed to sustain both honeybees and native bees. Cost includes the use of Stratford’s equipment; veil, hive, bees, and all the tools needed to care for a dedicated honeybee hive.
VERNAL POOL MONITORING
Friday, March 22 | 6pm – 8pm
Recommended for adults or families with children ages 4 and up | $7
Have you ever heard nature’s orchestra perform? It’s time for the spring awakening in the wetlands when the frogs begin to sing in harmony. Join our experts who will help you get up-close and personal with some of the creatures who make the vernal pools their home. After learning inside, put on your mud boots for a sunset hike to the vernal pool. Listen for mating calls, look for salamanders, frogs and egg masses. You will be participating in a state-wide preservation effort of one of Ohio’s disappearing ecosystems.
