Special Events

Nature Art Gallery Exhibit June 24 - September 19

Nature Art Gallery Exhibit
"Watercolors" by the Miami Valley Plein Air Belles
Exhibit opens Thursday, June 24, 8:00pm following the Summer Solstice Concert

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

Kids Art Gallery, Hook Elementary School June 24-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!

Winter Arts and Crafts Show     Entry Form

The 2010 Winter Arts and Crafts Show will be held on Saturday, December 4, starting at 9:00am and ending at 4:00pm, in the BNC Interpretive Building. All crafts must be handmade. All entries will be juried, with the most diverse, natural or “green” crafts selected for the limited spaces available and to better fit our mission and unique craft show.

The registration fee is due by Monday, September 13, with the selection of vendors by September 17. Written requests for refunds will be honored until November 1. After that date, the fee will be considered a donation to the Brukner Nature Center. See Entry Form for more information.

Nature Through the Lens Annual Photo Contest    Entry Form

Works by both amateur and professionals 17 years or older are eligible for this is a juried event, but BNC reserves the right to reject any work that is considered to be inappropriate. All photographs must be taken at Brukner Nature Center in the categories of ‘Wildlife’, ‘Plants &
Landscapes’ or ‘People Enjoying the Outdoors’.

Please drop off photographs from Nov. 15 - Dec. 1, 9:30am - 4:30pm at Brukner Nature Center, 5995 Horseshoe Bend Road, Troy, Ohio 45373. For more information please see the Entry Form.

New at the Nature Shop

Local Honey and Maple Syrup
Did you know we sell local honey and maple syrup in our Nature Shop? Our honey comes from the hives we have here at BNC and is extracted, bottled and delivered to us by the Miami Valley Beekeepers Association. Experts say that a spoonful of local honey can help allergy suffers!

We are also pleased to sell 'Coonskin Sugarbush' maple syrup that is harvested locally in Amesville, Ohio. did you know that most of the maple syrup that you buy at the grocery store is corn syrup! Once you've tasted the real thing - you'll never go back! Come support BNC, buy local and enjoy a "sweet treat" straight from Mother Nature!

BNC T-shirts and sweatshirts are GOING "GREEN"!

Click image for larger view!

We are now featuring organic cotton BNC-T shirts & sweatshirts! If you are interested in ordering let us know by the 15th of each month. We can order short and long-sleeved T-shirts and hoodie and crew neck sweatshirts.We can order both youth and adult sizes S,M,L, and XL. Money for the T-shirts will be collected when you place your order. Short-sleeved T-shirts are $12.00, long-sleeved T-shirts are $15.00, hoodie sweatshirts are $30.00 and crew neck sweatshirts are $25.00.

Please call 937-698-6493 for more info and don't forget to send us a picture of you wearing your BNC shirt while traveling this year and we'll proudly display it on the 'BNC Around the World' board!