Aullwood Nature Center

Aullwood native plant sale

DAYTON — Aullwood Audubon has announced its April 2024 calendar of activities.

The events will be held at the Aullwood Audubon Center, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton, OH 45414, and Aullwood Audubon Farm, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The following is the events on the April 2024 calendar:

• April 1 – 30 – “The Troll That Hatched an Egg by Thomas Dambo” Exhibit, (at the Farm and Center);

• April 9, 16, 23, 30 – Long-term Butterfly Monitoring (everyone), 2:30-4 p.m. (Center);

• April 4, 11, 18, 25 – Adult Member Discovery Walks (members only), 8-9:30 a.m. (Center)

• April 8 – The Great American Eclipse at Aullwood, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Farm)

• April 10 – Chipmunk Adventures, “Sleepy Bats, Open Your Eyes,” 10-11:45 a.m., (Farm) April 11, 12 – Project FeederWatch (everyone), 9:30-11:30 a.m. (Center)

• April 16 – The Big Pull, 9:30 a.m.- noon and 1:00-3:30 p.m. (Meet at Marie Aull’s House at Aullwood Garden MetroPark)

• April 26-27 – Aullwood’s Native Plant Sale, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Farm)

General admission is $12/adults 13 to 64, $10/ Seniors 65+, Active-Duty Military and Veterans with Military ID, $8/children 4 to 12 and children 3 and under FREE unless otherwise noted with an asterisk (*). Members of Friends of Aullwood, National Audubon Society and ANCA are admitted free with membership card. Please note Aullwood walks are weather dependent and are cancelled if there is thunder, lightning or heavy rain.

Check the website at www.aullwood.org for weather related closings. Access to Aullwood and Aullwood trails is at both the Center and Farm Tuesday – Sunday. Aullwood Center programs begin at 1000 Aullwood Road. Aullwood Farm programs begin at 9101 Frederick Pike. Call 937-890-7360 for information. Check events calendar https://aullwood.audubon.org/events.

Look for the blooming woodland wildflowers and signs of spring in the month of April at Aullwood including the amazing display of Virginia Bluebells along the trails. Enjoy searching for butterflies on Tuesdays in April at the Center. Participate in “The Big Pull” at Marie Aull’s Garden to help pull non-native invasive plants on April 16. Discover the native plants you want to purchase in our online catalog and come to the farm on April 26 & 27 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Each plant provides food, shelter and benefit to our pollinators, birds and wildlife. Add beautiful, native plants to your own backyard!

The Troll That Hatched an Egg Exhibit (Everyone)

Aullwood Audubon is proud to host “The Troll That Hatched an Egg”, an exhibit from the internationally renowned recycle artist Thomas Dambo! Bo, Bodil, Bibbi and their troll-sized bird nest have come to life at Aullwood and are ready for your visit. Learn more and plan your trip at https://aullwood.audubon.org/trolls now. Please allow adequate time to explore our property and the Troll That Hatched an Egg exhibit. Read more at www.thomasdambo.com. (Farm & Center)

Long-Term Butterfly Monitoring (Everyone)

April 9, 16, 23, 30, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Join Aullwood’s Long-term Butterfly Monitoring team to identify, count and monitor butterfly populations. Walk the same route each week through different habitats to record butterflies and skippers. This important data is then compiled with other monitoring stations around the State. No experience is necessary. Bring binoculars. Contact Sam Romeo at [email protected] to join the team and be added to the mailing list. Preregistration is required; registered participants will be notified if monitoring is cancelled or rescheduled due to weather concerns. (Center)

Adult Member Discovery Walks (Members Only)

April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Bring your binoculars and delight in a weekly walk along Aullwood’s trails spotting birds and exploring the seasonal changes taking place at Aullwood. These walks are a benefit for Aullwood and National Audubon Society members and there is no cost to attend. Meet on the main sidewalk of the Nature Center at 7:55 a.m. (Center)

The Great American Eclipse at Aullwood (Everyone)

On Monday, April 8, come and enjoy the Great American Eclipse at Aullwood! The eclipse will occur at 3:09 p.m. and Dayton is in the path of totality, meaning the moon will entirely cover the sun and it will be dark during the day. The next total eclipse in the contiguous United States won’t happen until 2044! Aullwood Farm will be open on Monday, April 8, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. so visitors can observe this exciting astronomical event. Aullwood’s Nature Center and hiking trails will be closed to the public, and no trail access will be permitted. There will be informational material about this rare solar event inside the Farm Discovery Center, and free art supplies will be available for you to create a commemorative pinhole projection art piece on your own. Limited quantities of certified eclipse glasses will be available for purchase or visitors may bring their own glasses to use. Once the eclipse begins, everyone will move outside to watch the event and observe the interesting bird and animal behaviors that occur during totality. Guests can look safely at the eclipse via their pinhole projections or eclipse glasses, and take commemorative photos with their art and projections. Come out and share this amazing experience with Aullwood’s team of naturalists and observe the fascinating things that happen during an eclipse, such as nocturnal animals calling and unique lights and shadows.

Please note that no camping is permitted at Aullwood Audubon, and no street parking will be available. This event is free for members of Friends of Aullwood, National Audubon Society and ANCA affiliated organizations with membership card or receipt. Non-members attending will pay $20.00 per carload at the entrance to Aullwood Farm; admission will be cash only. Not a member yet? Visit https://aullwood.audubon.org/membership for information on becoming one, stop by our front desk during regular business hours, or call us at 937-890-7360.

*Chipmunk Adventures for Preschool Children (Members and Non-Members)

Wednesday, April 10, 10:00 – 11:45 a.m. Chipmunk Adventure classes are for Preschool children age 2 – 5, who are accompanied by an adult. The theme for April is “Sleepy Bats, Open Your Eyes”! Our Chipmunks will be celebrating Bat Day! Discover how a bat sleeps, explore the upper barn for ‘bat scat,’ dress like a bat, and crawl into our own bat cave. Hear the story of Stellaluna and make a bat mask to take home! Meet Beverly Holland, Aullwood Environmental Educator, inside the Farm Discovery Center. Please dress for the weather conditions and inside and outside exploration adventures. Classes – $25.00/Members, $30.00/Non-Members. Call 937-890-7360 with any questions. Register online at https://aullwood.audubon.org/ChipmunkAdventures. (Farm)

Project FeederWatch (Everyone)

You’re invited to join us on Thursday & Friday, April 11 & 12 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. for the 2024 Project FeederWatch! Bring a cup of coffee or tea, your favorite snack and join our Project FeederWatch adventure! Everyone is welcome and it’s free to participate in our event. Whether you are brand new, a beginner, or knowledgeable about birds, everyone is welcome to join us. Project FeederWatch is a community science project coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada to track movement of winter bird populations so scientists can learn about trends in bird distribution and abundance. Check https://aullwood.audubon.org/FeederWatch for more information! (Center)

The Big Pull (Everyone)

Tuesday, April 16, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Invasive, non-native plants choke out our native plants and alter the environment. This will be our 12th year protecting the old-growth woodlands around Marie Aull’s home! Join forces with the Garden Club of Dayton, Five Rivers MetroParks, and Aullwood Audubon to remove non-native, invasive plants at Aullwood Garden MetroPark, and Aullwood Audubon, in support of Ohio’s Native Plant Month. Please email Hope Taft at [email protected] with your name, address, email and phone number by Monday, April 8 to register for this volunteer opportunity. Be sure to bring your favorite digging tool. This event is scheduled rain or shine! Participants may bring a lunch to enjoy at Marie Aull’s House. Orientation will be held at the beginning of each shift at either 9:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Meet behind Marie Aull’s House at Aullwood Garden MetroPark.

Aullwood Native Plant Sale (Everyone)

Join us for Aullwood’s 21st Annual Native Plant Sale! This year’s sale is in person over two days Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The 2024 sale features over 10,000 plants and over 50 new species, and includes a wide array of native shrubs, trees, grasses, sedges and flowers as well as spring ephemerals. See this year’s plant offerings in the https://aullwood.audubon.org/NPSCatalog. Each plant’s catalog description includes soil and light requirements, colorful photos and ways the plant supports pollinators and native wildlife.

Aullwood is offering free admission for everyone attending the sale. Inventory of some plants is limited, so come early if you have your heart set on a specific plant, shrub or tree! Also available will be an array of gardening and bird-related items from our Nature Store and Gift Shop, including planters, field guides, hummingbird feeders, puzzles, decorative items and more! Purchases may be made with VISA, MasterCard, or Discover, check or cash. All plant sales are final. Boxes will be available to hold your plants and volunteers will be available to assist with loading large orders. Sorry, preorders are not available, and orders cannot be held for later pickup. Need help deciding which plants will attract the most birds and wildlife to your garden? Visit Audubon’s Plants for Birds at https://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds for info.

Why plant native? Native plants provide food and shelter for wildlife, increase biodiversity and attract natural predators that help control pests. Proceeds from the Native Plant Sale also provide critical funding for Aullwood’s environmental education and habitat preservation programs. Questions? Email [email protected] with questions or call 937-890-7360 x214 and leave a message. We appreciate your crucial support and your love of native plants! (Farm)

Volunteer and Support Aullwood (Everyone)

To volunteer at Aullwood please contact Nenita Lapitan, Senior Manager, Center & Farm, at 937-890-7360, x214 or email [email protected]. Become a member of Aullwood now! Visit https://aullwood.audubon.org/membership for information. If you have any questions, email [email protected]. Make a tax-deductible gift at https://aullwood.audubon.org/donate to support Aullwood’s mission of conservation and education.

Aullwood Audubon enriches lives through education and stewardship of birds and ecosystems.

We envision a world where birds thrive and people prosper, everyone is empowered to take conservation action, and diversity of life and thought is respected.