Check out our Summer Brochure for all the action!

PEEP Fall Session I
Registration Has Begun

Imagine a place where your pre-schooler can go that allows them to search for spiders, look for hidden snakes or use their incredible sense of wonder to explore over 165-acres of wetlands, pinelands, meadows and forest! Nature play is a vital part of a child's development, giving them a sense of place and a respect and responsibility for the natural world as they grow to adulthood.
Open registration for Brukner Nature Center's fall Preschool Environmental Education program (PEEP) has begun.

Classes for this unique program will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30-11:30am with an additional Friday afternoon class from 12:30-2:30pm. Classes run for six weeks with a different nature-related topic each week. PEEP is for 3, 4 and 5 year olds who are pottytrained. Classes will begin the week of September 14 and run through October 22. The fee is just $45 for BNC members and $60 for non-members. All fees are due upon registration. Registration is first come, first served with class size limited to 12 pre-schoolers, so be sure to sign up early!

Fall PEEP Session II begins in November!
Open Registration is Sunday, October 3, 2010

Keep your preschooler active this fall by giving them the gift of outdoor exploration with BNC’s Preschool Environmental Education Program (PEEP)! This program introduces your child to a variety of nature themes through hikes, storytelling and crafts. Registration for the second fall session begins Sunday, October 3 and classes will run the weeks of November 1 through December 13. This unique program is offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30-11:30am with an additional Friday afternoon class from 12:30-2:30pm. Sessions run for six weeks with a different nature-related topic each week. This class is geared specifically for 3-to-5-year-olds. The fee is just $45 for BNC members and $60 for non-members. All fees are due upon registration (we accept cash or check only). Class size is limited to 12 so be sure to sign up early! *There will be a break for all classes the week of Thanksgiving.

Volunteer Adventure
Thursday, September 2, 12:00pm

It’s time for out next Volunteer Adventure! Join Miss June as we carpool to the Darke County Nature Center to take a trip back in time as their volunteers give us a tour of the log house that was moved to their site. We will join another volunteer for a short hike on the grounds, then spend some time exploring on our own. Let's meet at BNC at noon and
we'll plan to be back around 4:00pm. Please RSVP!

Peepers Night Out
"This Tree Counts"
Friday, September 10, 6:30-8:30pm

Trees are not always given the credit they deserve and we take for granted that they will always be there. Bring your preschooler out to listen while Miss June shares the story "This Tree Counts", by Alison
Formento. Listen closely as the lone tree behind Mr. Tate's school counts out ten ways it serves the needs of different animals. Could it be that providing shelter will be one? Or maybe providing food? You will have to join us to find out! The fee is just $7 for BNC members or $10 for non-members. Registration and payment due Wednesday, Sept. 8 so register your preschooler for this "tree"mendous adventure today!

Dine to Donate at Applebees in Troy
Sunday, September 12
Flyer/Coupon

Join us anytime from 11:00am to close on Sunday, September 12th!
Support the wildlife ambassadors at Brukner Nature Center simply by
eating out! Did you know that it costs us about $1,000 every year just to feed our 40 wildlife ambassadors?! From mealworms for the spotted salamanders to Zupreme for the bobcat, it all adds up! So take your family and friends to Applebee’s on Main Street in Troy and 10% of your bill will be donated to BNC! Don’t forget to clip and present the coupon - it's the only way they pay!!

Creature Feature
"Virginia Opossum"
Sunday, September 12, 2:30 - 3:30pm

Come get an up close look at yet another of our newest wildlife ambassadors, a young Virginia opossum. Maybe you are among those who wonder why anyone would ever want to get a closer look at these overgrown rats, but our mission is to change your mind.

First, even though some features resemble those of rats, opossums are not rodents! Though rodent looking, their semi-prehensile tails perform the important tasks of aiding in balance while climbing and providing a way to carry leaves to their den, and this is no rat's tale! Also, as mousey as their mouths may look, they do not contain large gnawing incisors but are filled with 50 very sharp tearing and cutting teeth. So stop on by anytime during the hour to get all the fun furry facts aboutopossums!

Nature Hour for BNC Volunteers & Members
"Tagging Monarch Butterflies"
Monday, September 13, 2:00-3:00pm

Unlike most other insects in Ohio, monarch butterflies cannot survive a long, cold winter. Instead, they migrate! Our monarchs fly south to the forests high in the mountains of Mexico. In all the world, no butterflies
migrate like them! They travel much farther than all other tropical butterflies, up to three thousand miles. They are the only butterflies
to make such a long, two way migration every year. Amazingly, they fly in masses to the same winter roosts, often to the exact same trees. Their migration is what we expect from birds or whales. However, unlike birds and whales, individuals only make the round-trip once. It is their children's grandchildren that return south the following fall!

How monarchs find the overwintering sites each year is still an unsolved mystery. How do the monarchs move across the continent, i.e. do they move in specific directions or take certain pathways? How is the migration influenced by the weather and are there differences in the migration from year to year? Monarch Watch is an organization studying this phenomena. They need data to answer these questions and need our help!

Monarch Watch is an educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas that engages citizen scientists in research projects. Volunteers across the country attach small tags to the butterflies’ wings, so that each butterfly recovered can be tracked to its point of capture. The data from these recaptures are used to solve the mystery. Peak monarch migration for our area is mid-September and we will try to capture some and affix a tag. Our data will be submitted to Monarch Watch and posted online so we can see if any of the Monarchs we tagged were recovered. Mark your calendars today to join us every 2nd Tuesday of the month! Free and open to BNC Members!

Wild Journeys!
Monday, September 13, 7pm
"Married to a Birder: The Ivorybill Expedition"

In 2007, renowned naturalist, John Ruthven led an expedition to the
panhandle of Florida in search of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Two members of that group spotted an Ivorybill in the Choctawhatchee Swamp. In 2009, Dr. Jill Russell accompanied the group as they headed south once again with the hopes of getting photographic evidence of a living Ivory-bill. Join Dr. Russell on this wild journey and travel the swamps along the Choctawhatchee River to learn about the adventures of a team that wondered if the bird’s existence was fact or fiction. This program is free for BNC members. Non-member admission is only $2 per person.

Night Hike
"Jump Into Fall"
Saturday, September 18, 8:30pm

At this time of year, daylight wanes, the nights get cooler and it's a very exciting time to be outside and exploring the changes in nature! As autumn sets in, the flora and fauna begin preparing for harsh winter weather, each in their own ways - migrating south, burrowing underground, losing their leaves or much more. Come enjoy a nature hike with Wildlife Educator, Brian Ayres, as we search for the signs of fall. This event is free and open to the public!

Public Star Gaze
Saturday, September 18, 9:30pm

Join the Stillwater Stargazers as they take in the starry night sky above BNC! Members will have their telescopes set up and will be available to answer questions. This program is free and open to the public, please meet in the parking lot following the night hike.

View from the Vista
Sunday, September 19, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Come discover BNC’s vista birdlife, enjoy some tasty refreshments and join members of the BNC Bird Club as you learn to identify BNC’s feathered friends! The tree-top vista is such a great place to see all kinds of birds – even those not necessarily attracted to the feeders. In September we see a peak in the number of warblers in Ohio, heading back south for winter.

Although many lose the bright coloration of spring and are often referred to as the “confusing fall warblers”,there are quite a few that retain their distinctive plumage such as the unique black-and-white warbler. They forage among the cracks and crevices of tree bark, similar to nuthatches and creepers and have a call that resembles a squeaky wheel! Come share your bird discoveries, enjoy the fun and get hooked on birdwatching, the fastest growing hobby in America!

Nature Art Gallery Exhibit
"Watercolors" by the Miami Valley Plein Air Belles
Exhibit runs through September 19, 2010

Brukner Nature Center invites you to enjoy our Summer Nature Art Gallery Exhibit featuring the paintings of the Miami Valley Plein Air Belles. It all began with a watercolor class led by Donna Pierce-Clark when one of her students, Marsha Elliott, asked to get together sometime just to paint for fun... not as teacher and students, but just friends. From that question, the group grew to 10 women who painted together at monthly paint-outs. The major focus was enjoying one another's company, encouraging and learning from one another.

Since then the group has fluctuated in size and expanded to include artists from beyond the Miami Valley. The original monthly paint-outs have evolved into mini paint-outs with two or three members painting here and there in the area.

"En plein air" is a French expression which means "in the open air" and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. In this exhibit you will find some plein air paintings but many paintings have been painted or completed in studios or at the kitchen table!

This beautiful exhibit will feature the works of artists Sarah Bryant, Donna Clark, Marsha Elliot, Karen Fahey, Shirley Harbaugh, Pauline Persing, Jerri Smith, Carol Strayer, Ruth Ann Sturgill and Jeanne Wenrick, and will run through Sunday, September 19. Proceeds from the sale of these works of art will support Brukner Nature Center's mission of wildlife conservation through environmental education.

Volunteer Dinner
Monday, September 20 , 6:30pm

Come enjoy an evening talking with old friends and meeting new at BNC's Volunteer Dinner! We will celebrate those who will be receiving their awards and recognize our 2010 “Who’s Who” award recipient! Please bring a covered dish to share and your own place setting. Keep in mind the environment when packing your place setting - go green! Entertainment and drinks will be provided. Please RSVP to (937) 698-6493. Can’t wait to see you all there!

Kids Art Gallery
Hook Elementary School
Runs through September 23

Kris Pascale's second grade class at Hook Elementary are proud to announce the opening of their wonderful "Animal Bean Mosaics". The students were asked to choose an animal, do some extensive research and write a report. Dawn Flory, who has done some great artwork with children, took time to come into the second grade class and help them create work of arts using beans for varied colors, shapes and sizes. The results are fantastic.

The "Animal Bean Mosaics" artwork, will opened June 24th and will continue to be on display in the Meeting Room through September 23. Be sure to come out and support the students!

Nature Art Gallery Exhibit
"The Essence of Songbirds"
by Jim Turanchik
Exhibit Opens Thursday,
Sept. 23, 8:00pm following the
Autumn Equinox Concert

Brukner Nature Center invites you to enjoy our Autumn Nature Art Gallery Exhibit featuring the watercolors of Jim Turanchik. Bright colors, bold patterns, and sprightly forms – the essence of songbirds – are masterfully captured in artist Jim Turanchik’s watercolor paintings of
North American birds. “Birds are the most vivid expression of life, as Roger Tory Peterson so perfectly stated,” says the artist. “And that’s what I try to paint.”

Art and birding cognoscenti around the country have collected this Ohio artist’s paintings and prints, and his illustrations of birds as well as birders have appeared in Bird Watcher’s Digest for the past twenty years. A graduate of The Ohio State University, the artist lives
in Columbus, Ohio.

This captivating exhibit will run through Sunday, December 12. Proceeds from the sale of exhibited works, as well as additional prints and notecards, will support Brukner Nature Center's mission of wildlife conservation through environmental education.

Autumn Equinox Concert
“Spittin' Image”
Thursday, Sept. 23, 7:00pm

Spittin’ Image is...identical twin brothers who love to sing and play their instruments as much as they love to entertain an audience. Intertwining wonderful vocal ability with excellent musicianship, and mixing it all with comedy, audience articipation and a high energy show! Top 40 and classic country mixed with classic rock and roll is the music they love to perform. But, the twins also enjoy singing gospel and pop standards from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.

Blain and Brian Swabb were born and raised, and still live in Greenville, Ohio. They are often find themselves on the road however, averaging over 500 shows per year. Spittin’ Image are two of the most versatile,
fun-loving, enthusiastic performers you’ve ever seen! With extensive and outstanding musical skills and a terrific variety of fine-tuned comedy routines, Spittin’ Image will surprise and delight you. Bring your family and friends for an enjoyable evening at Brukner Nature Center. Admission is just $5 for BNC members and $10 for non-members, wine and refreshments included.

Elements of the Earth
Art Talk & Exhibit
Sunday, October 3, 1:00pm

Rusty Harden and Mary Sonya Conti will have a selection of their art on display at Brukner Nature Center from Wednesday, September 22 through Saturday, October 30. Rusty Harden presents oil paintings of rock and mineral specimens. Enhancing the exhibit is Harden’s collection of abstracted minerals, fossils and rocks created in watermedia. Mary Sonya Conti’s artwork represents the elements of the earth in a variety
of styles and mediums. Those who view the paintings will feel an enhanced connection to the earth. These two amazing Miami Valley artists will also present an art talk and demonstration on Sunday, October 3, featuring their unique techniques and interpretations of the ‘elements of the earth’. Come meet the artists, enjoy lemonade and cookies and view their exhibit! Free and open to the public

Art of Nature Exhibit
Featured Artist, Gary Hovey,
& his Stainless Steel Creatures!
Sunday, October 10, 5:00-7:30pm

Please plan to join us for the 2010 Art of Nature fundraiser and support Brukner Nature Center’s mission of wildlife conservation through environmental education. This year’s featured artist is Gary Hovey - a unique medium, a unique talent!

Since 2004 Gary Hovey has been sculpting stainless steel forks, knives and spoons into realistic forms. His favorite subjects are wildlife such as herons, bears and fish. In 1978 Gary saw a sculpture made of chrome car bumpers by John Kearney. Nearly twenty-five years later, he decided to try something similar with spoons. The result was “Hoveyware”
– stainless steel flatware cut, welded, and shaped into art.

“It is my goal that the animal's appearance is appreciated first for its form. Then, on closer inspection, the details of the forks, knives and spoons bring enjoyment on a whole new level!”

Come meet Gary and discover his process and passion as you enjoy local wines, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and unique silent auction items. Then gather in the Heidelberg Auditorium for a presentation by the artist, followed by a rousing live auction, featuring a Gary Hovey original!

Looking ahead to October…
*Deadline for Winter Intern applications, Friday, October 1. Develop     your professional skills!
*Registration for PEEP Fall Session II opens to the public, Sunday,     October 3. Nature fun for preschoolers!
*The Art of Nature, Sunday, October 10, 5:00 - 7:30pm. Auction items,     food, wine and fun! Come support us!
*Wild Journeys, Monday, October 11, 7:00pm. Come on an armchair     adventure to the Boundary Waters!
*Night Hike, Saturday, October 16, 8:00pm. Enjoy a guided hike along     BNC’s woodland trails.
*Public Stargaze, Saturday, October 16, 9:00pm. Join the Stillwater     Stargazers for a look at the starry skies!
*Creature Feature, Sunday, October 17, 2:30pm. Discover the wonders     of wildlife!
*View from the Vista, Sunday, October 17, 2:00 – 4:00pm. Learn to ID     cool birds with the BNC Bird Club!
*Homeschool Nature Club, Wednesday, October 20, 2:00-4:00pm
*Haunted Woods, Friday and Saturday nights, October 22 - 23 & 29 -     30. Kid-friendly educational event!
*Brukner Book Club, Wednesday, October 27, 12:00pm. Come discuss     "Small Wonder" by Barbara Kingsolver!