September

Wilderness Walk Wed., Sep. 1, 10 a.m.
Join a naturalist on the 1st Wed. every month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages. Free.

Star Watch & Planetarium Show Fri., Sep. 3, 8 p.m.
Join TWC’s Astronomy Club for a Planetarium Show, then view the real things through telescopes. All ages. Free.

Bugs! Drop-in Mon., Sep. 6, 1-4 p.m.
You’ll find experiments, fun facts, crafts, jokes, and a scavenger hunt at this indoor/outdoor drop-in program. Come any time between 1 and 4 p.m. to enjoy variety of self-guided, hands-on explorations all about insects. It bugs us to work Labor Day unless you come and visit! Free.

Wilderness Sprouts: Butterflies

Tue., Sept. 7, 10 a.m.
Go on a butterfly safari and catch butterflies. We will also make a butterfly mobile to hang in your window.
Dress for the weather–we’ll go out rain or shine. Children ages 3-5 with an adult. $4/member; $6/nonmember; adults free.

Animal Signs & Tracking Sep. 9, 9-11 a.m.
Join TWC Naturalist Ken Schlegel for a look at animal signs and tracks. Learn to locate tracks, identify them, and interpret the stories they tell.? Dress to be outside along creeks, and in the mud. Max: 15. $10, preregistration required. Adult.

MonarchWatch

Thu., Sep. 9, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Tue., Sep. 14, 1-2 p.m.
Thu., Sep. 16, 10-11 a.m.; Sat., Sep. 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Butterflies have been great this year! There are hundreds visiting the flowers of the TWC prairie. We are hoping for a great Monarch tagging season compared to last year when we were only able to tag a few. Please come to help us catch Monarchs and learn about their amazing life cycle!
During mid September we will be catching and tagging Monarchs to help Monarch Watch collect data for their citizen science program. Children and adults will help catch the Monarchs using butterfly nets. Naturalist Lynda Price will place the tags on the butterflies. The tags are placed on the discal cell of the butterfly which is close to the center of lift and gravity for the butterfly and will not impede its flight.
Join us for one or more Monarch tagging session! Cancelled if it is raining. Free.

Foxfield Preserve Info Session Sat., Sep. 11, 2 p.m.
Foxfield Preserve is a nature preserve cemetery at TWC. Natural burial is an environmentally friendly, economical alternative to modern burial, as fewer resources are used. As a nature preserve, we provide wildlife habitat, a clean watershed, and clean air. Walking trails allow everyone to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the preserve. A natural burial at Foxfield Preserve leaves a permanent legacy for your family, community, and the natural world. Free info session.

Prairie Patch Walk Sun., Sep. 12, 2 p.m.
The prairie is at peak bloom in September. Join the Botanizers Club for a walk to see the flowers, grasses, and more. Free.

Story Time: Rain or Shine Wed., Sep. 15, 11 a.m.
What will we do this month? It depends on the weather! We’ll hear stories and sing songs about the Sun and the rain, then go for a walk outside to play in sunbeams or raindrops.
Stories are for 3-4 year olds, but all ages are welcome, if they’d be interested. Free for members; donation requested from nonmembers. Registration is optional.

Wilderness Walk Thu., Sep. 16, 2 p.m.
Join a naturalist on the 3rd Thu. each month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages. Free.

Bird Walk Sat., Sep. 18, 8 a.m.
Join the Birders Club on a walk to look for birds. All ages. Free.

Woodcarvers Show
Sat., Sep. 18, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., Sep. 19, 1-4 p.m.
Come to the TWC Woodcarving Show! The show features carving displays, demonstrations, and door prizes. Stop by and vote for your favorite carving, buy a raffle ticket, learn carving basics, and have lunch. It’s a great way to spend a fall day! Free.

Wild Cooks: Fall Lunch

Sat., Sep. 25, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Your food choices need not be limited to the supermarket! You can make interesting new dishes based on wild foods. We’ll forage wild herbs and other plants. Chuck Hass will help you prepare them. Then we’ll enjoy the results for lunch. Jill Manda of Manda’s Plant Farm will show you how to plant, pick, and dry herbs. You’ll plant your own herb to take home. You’ll go home ready to make more!
The menu is Spicebush Tea, Wild Green Soup, Herbed Muffins (or biscuits), Herbed Cheese Spread Sandwich, and Wild Apple Tart with Bergamot. We can’t guarantee when plants will be ready for harvest, so may change the menu based on what’s available. We will supplement with store-bought foods. We have permission to gather TWC plants for these classes only; gathering is not otherwise allowed at TWC. Instructors: Chuck Hass, Jill Manda, and Joann Ballbach.
Adults only; max. of 20 participants. Please bring pruning shears and gardening gloves. Dress for the weather. $12/member; $18/nonmember. Registration deadline: Sep. 19.

Family Astronomy: Constellations Sat., Sep. 25, 2 p.m.
There are 88 official constellations. Take a sky tour of some of the most popular ones we see throughout the year. Learn to “star hop.” 30-45 minutes long. All ages. Free.

Ann & Phil Case Concert Sat., Sep. 25, 7 p.m.

Ann and Phil Case have been singing and playing music together since 1990. They specialize in singing old-time Appalachian duets, old-fashioned parlor songs and Depression-era tunes as well as performing old-time instrumental duets. Ann sings with a rare natural sweetness and plays back-up guitar and fiddle. Phil plays guitar, clawhammer banjo, mandolin and harmonica, and provides harmony vocals. Their sound draws upon the influences of the Carter Family and their contemporaries, early country blues, ragtime, and traditional ballad singing.
Together, Ann and Phil Case continue to bring reverence, freshness, and vitality to some fine old songs. $8/TWC member; $10/nonmember. Children 15 and younger half price, if accompanied by an adult. We’d like to thank our Concert Series sponsor:

October

Star Watch & Planetarium Show Fri., Oct. 1, 8 p.m.
Join TWC’s Astronomy Club for a Planetarium Show, then view the real things through telescopes. All ages. Free.

Birding the Killbuck Wildlife Area
Thu., Oct. 7, 7:30 a.m. to about noon.
TWC’s Bird Club will guide you through the Killbuck Wildlife area and help improve your birding skills. Meet at the Bob Evans at Rt. 30 and Madison Ave. in Wooster for breakfast at 7:30–we’ll carpool to the marsh about 8 a.m. Dress for the weather. Limited to 20. $10. Preregistration required. Adult.

The Enchanted Forest Fri., Oct. 8 and Sat., Oct. 9
“Magic” fills The Wilderness Center trails during the Enchanted Forest. Children have a fun—but not scary—experience. Walk through the Enchanted Forest and meet various creatures of the night:
•Owl will tell you what it’s like being the top winged predator of the night.
•Tree Frog show how changing the color of your skin to the color of your surroundings can save you from predators.
•Coyote, also called trickster or prankster of the wild, will dazzle you with tales of survival skills.
•Skunk, usually a peaceful loner, will chat with you about the consequences of startling him.
•Bat, who is our only winged mammal, will tell stories of how bats help mankind with insect control.
•Flying Squirrel, who is nocturnal, seldom seen, glides from tree to tree without humans being aware of his presence.
The Enchanted Forest is a fun, educational experience for children 4 to 10 years old. (They should bring their parents and grandparents along, too.)
Visitors are escorted around the trail by volunteer leaders called Fireflies, who light the way with lanterns. Along the trail, you stop for brief programs by the creatures inhabiting the Enchanted Forest. The walk takes about one hour. After the walk, refreshments are served in the building.
The fee is $6/member; $8/nonmember; free for children 3 & under. Children and adults are encouraged to wear costumes. Preregistration is required by cash, check, or credit card. Sign up early—The Enchanted Forest fills quickly! Members may register before Sep. 14. After that, registration is open to everyone. If you have older children, please consider signing up for the later session so families with small children and early bedtimes may come early. Call 877-359-5235 or register online at Enchanted Forest

Foxfield Preserve Info Session Sat., Oct. 9, 2 p.m.
Foxfield Preserve is a nature preserve cemetery at TWC. Natural burial is an environmentally friendly, economical alternative to modern burial, as fewer resources are used. As a nature preserve, we provide wildlife habitat, a clean watershed, and clean air. Walking trails allow everyone to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the preserve. A natural burial at Foxfield Preserve leaves a permanent legacy for your family, community, and the natural world. Free info session.

Autumn Geofest III 2010 Sat., Oct. 16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Geocaching Club’s third annual fall event will be held on Sat., Oct. 16, 2010, here at the Center. It will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Registration will be from 8-1. The club will be placing over 100 temporary caches for the day. There will be door prizes, a 50/50 drawing, and?the raffle of a Garmin 60csx gps unit. Refreshments will be available for a donation. Check geocaching.com for more details.

Bird Walk Sat., Oct. 16, 8 a.m.
Join the Birders Club on a walk to look for birds. All ages. Free.

Fall Story Concert Sat., Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
The Storytellers of TWC explore the delights of a tale well told with a wide range of stories: folk tales that endure time and trends; stories to make you laugh; stories that send a chill down your spine; and tales of other people and places.
Come and revel in the unexpected! We need the most important part of storytelling—you, the listener. $3/adult; $1/child; $6/family.

Story Time: I Like Snakes Wed., Oct. 20, 11 a.m.
Snakes are sensational! Celebrate these creepy crawlies with stories, songs, and a visit with a real, live snake. We’ll hunt for snakes outside in some of their favorite places.
Stories are for 3-4 year olds, but all ages are welcome, if they’d be interested. Free for members; donation requested from nonmembers. Registration is optional.

Wilderness Walk Thu., Oct. 21, 2 p.m.
Join a naturalist on the 3rd Thu. each month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages. Free.

Family Astronomy: Autumn Skies

Sat., Oct. 23, 2 p.m.
Take a Planetarium tour of what to expect in the night sky this season. Hear stories of some of the major constellations. Includes visible planets and m-objects. Fall is the season for the Birds and Ocean Dwellers Group—the swan, the eagle, the arrow; the dolphin, the water carrier, and the seagoat. Free.

Foxfield Preserve Info Session Sat., Oct. 23, 2 p.m.
Foxfield Preserve is a nature preserve cemetery at TWC. Natural burial is an environmentally friendly, economical alternative to modern burial, as fewer resources are used. As a nature preserve, we provide wildlife habitat, a clean watershed, and clean air. Walking trails allow everyone to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the preserve. A natural burial at Foxfield Preserve leaves a permanent legacy for your family, community, and the natural world. Free info session.

Stockdale Family Band Concert Sat., Oct. 23, 7 p.m.
The Stockdale Family Band performs a combination of Bluegrass and Gospel with a touch of Appalachian music and comedy for good measure. Father, Tim, and brothers Calvin, Charles, Jacob, and James often spend kitchen and farm chore time together singing their favorite songs and honing harmonies. Their 5-piece band includes guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and bass. Their affection for people and enthusiasm for traditional music are infectious to audiences.
$8/member; $10/nonmember. Children 15 and younger half price, if accompanied by an adult. We’d like to thank our Concert Series sponsor: