Nature Center Offers Beach Plum Program

CAPE MAY — Gretchen Whitman, master gardener and director of the Nature Center of Cape May, invites the public to a late-summer exploration of Beach Plums. The lecture, taste-testing and picking party will take place Wed., Sept. 1, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the nature center.
The Beach Plum, or Prunis maritima, is a hardy, native shrub of the northeastern coast that bears a versatile, grape-sized fruit. Ferrante will offer an entertaining, in-depth look at the beach plum, including a hands-on cooking demonstration, a sampling of all recipes, and an expedition to gather the fruit on the dunes of Higbee Beach.
All participants will receive a Beach Plum Recipe Book and will be able to purchase locally-made Beach Plum jelly.
Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for an outdoor hike. Sun and insect protection are recommended.
Preregistration is strongly encouraged. The program fee is $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-12, discounted to $8 adults and $5 children for New Jersey Audubon members. There is no fee for children under three years.
For more information, call the Nature Center of Cape May, at 609-898-8848. The nature center is located at 1600 Delaware Avenue, and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August.
In September our schedule changes to Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. For regular updates, join us on facebook at NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May.