Nature journaling is noting observations of the natural world, including flora such as flowing plants. Join us to observe oak woodland, pond and grassland vegetation communities to discover flower shapes, leaf shapes, and more while learning to identify a variety of early-blooming plant species. We will explore Osborn Preserve through recording words, pictures and numbers to document our observations. What do we notice when we observe plants using our senses? Learn how outdoor inquiry through nature journaling can transform your daily life, as well as how it can give children hands-on experience involving what they study in school.

Visitors sometimes refer to SSU’s Fairfield Osborn Preserve as “pristine”, untouched by human hands. In fact, the preserve’s vegetation communities are deeply informed by pre-colonial land management practices, to the point that many of them could be considered “human made” until Europeans arrived with very different land management approaches. We will explore the landscape through a cultural lens, and also learn about brand-new SSU Historical Ecology Research on the Osborn Preserve.

Wild fungi give us a window into the health of our ecosystems, play a vital role in plant growth and communication, and can remove heavy metals from soil and water. For the sixth consecutive year, students and the community will traverse the forests and fields of Osborn Preserve to collect and record as many fungal species as possible. Join us and build identification and sustainable harvesting skills while adding to our research database. A sister event is taking place at Galbreath Preserve on December 5th.

Wild fungi give us a window into the health of our ecosystems, play a vital role in plant growth and communication, and can remove heavy metals from soil and water. For the sixth consecutive year, students and the community will comb the hills of the Galbreath Preserve to collect and record as many fungal species as possible. Join us to build identification and sustainable harvesting skills while adding to our research database. A sister event takes place at Osborn Preserve December 11th.

Nature Photography is for everyone! This is an accessible educational outing for people with mobility needs and their caretakers/companions at all photography levels. Learn about the remarkable variety of plants, animals and landscape features at Osborn Preserve in winter, as well as basic-intermediate outdoor photography skills for your smartphone or digital camera. Also experience taking photos of tiny organisms through a microscope. Ages 12 – 100+ welcome.