Get Outside this September with the Nature Center

CAPE MAY – Sept. is the best time to get outside in Cape May County.
Just because summer is over, the pace doesn’t slow at the New Jersey Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May.
Harborside Chats resume at 6:00 p.m. Thursday on Sept. 19 when former mayor and amateur historian Bob Elwell gives a presentation on the true maritime history of Cape May. The following Thursday, Sept. 26, again at 6:00 p.m. Kathy Fallon, whose photography is currently on exhibit at the Saltwater Cafe, will be the featured speaker. An artist’s reception will be held in Ms. Fallon’s honor afterwards. Note, the Harborside Chats on Sept. 19 and 26 will be held at the Saltwater Cafe located at South Jersey Marina since the Nature Center’s education hall is being renovated. The Chats will return to the Nature Center on Thursday, Oct. 3 when the Jersey Cape Beekeepers make a return visit. This year, attendees will be able to view an actual hive in operation at the Center. Captain Todd Prestige, Commanding Officer of TRACEN Cape May has been tentatively scheduled to be the featured speaker on Thursday, Oct. 10. The Captain will detail the long military history of the Training Center at Cape May. Chats begin at 6:00 and are free; a donation is requested to help fund the 3rd phase of the Nature Center education hall renovation.
For Ladies only…a fun weekend of fishing and much more for women Saturday, Sept. 21 and/or the 22. On Saturday expect a full morning of instruction, rigging and practice, followed by a four hour offshore fishing excursion. Make it a “Girls’ Weekend” and stick around for Sunday’s activities including a kayak eco-tour of Cape May Harbor, more fishing, and an afternoon tour at the Cape May Winery. Cost per day for members is $60, non-members is $80. Lunch not included. Call the Center, 609-898-8848 for times and details and to reserve your spot.
Full moon campfires and story telling, on Friday evening, Sept. 20. Evenings on Cape May Harbor are beautiful and the marsh is full of mystery. Join us at 6:00 for a night hike and learn about the creatures who call this place, “home.” Then gather around an old-fashioned campfire, roast marshmallows and listen to the sounds of the night and maybe even a yarn or two. Dress for a chilly night and bring your camp stools and beach chairs. Weather permitting of course. If you miss the Sept. 20 campfire, we’ll do it all again on Oct. 18. Cost is $5 per person.
Then on Sept. 21, join us for our Belleplain Pine Barrens Ecology Kayak Tour. Explore the beauty of one of Belleplain’s pristine lakes and natural treasures. Experience eagles, warblers, beavers, rare carnivorous plants and so much more. Meet at the Center at 8:30 and return at around 2:00. Cost is $60 for a single kayak and $95 for a double. Bring lunch if snacks aren’t sufficient.
Join Pat Sutton as she Tours of Private Monarch Gardens of Cape May County. This is the peak of Cape May County’s famous fall Monarch migration and no one knows Monarch and the gardens that support them better than Pat Sutton. Join Pat on Tuesday, Sept. 24 in “Mid-County” (North Cape May to Rio Grande) Wednesday, Sept. 25 “South” (Cape Island) and concluding Pat’s own garden on Thursday, Sept. 26 “North” (Goshen to Dennisville). Tours run 10:00 to 3:30 each day; bring lunch since the groups take a leisurely lunch in one of the gardens. Each tour is limited to 25 persons so preregistration is required. Costs are $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers, or join all three tours for the discounted rate of $90 for members and $115 for nonmembers.
Finally, something for kids from 10 to 17. Led by Naturalist Sam Wilson the Youth Birding Series kicks off on Sept. 14 from 10:00 to 11:30 with Birding Basics. Beginners learn how to use binoculars (provided if necessary) while using a field guide and employing basic ID techniques while hiking the awesome nature trails of Cape May County. The next session, Everything Migration, is scheduled for Sept. 28 from 10:00 to 11:30 and the third session, Hawk Watch is scheduled for Oct. 5 again, from 10:00 until 11:30. On Oct. 26 our newly experienced birders are invited back during New Jersey Audubon’s Autumn Weekend for a Special All Day Program that runs from 8:00 until 4:00. Cost for the first three workshops is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers while the cost for the full day Oct. 26th program is $30 for members and $45 for nonmembers.
Call and sign up your child today and you might qualify for a free registration, courtesy of Zeiss Optics who has provided funding for the first 10 registrants.
Sept. is the best time to get outside and enjoy the Cape. Let the Nature Center and New Jersey Audubon be your guide to adventure. Feel free to contact the Center at 609-898-8848 with your questions or to sign up for our Sept. programs. If you think Sept. is busy, wait until you see Oct.!