Homeschool Programs

Registration Instructions

Pre-registration required. Submit our registration and medical forms with cash/check payment to H.C. Parks. Mail to P.O. Box 2900, Flemington, NJ 08822 or drop off at the Hunterdon County Arboretum, 1020 State Highway 31, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Migrants & the Grassland

  • Date: Wednesday, May 31
  • Time: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
  • Location: Hoffman Park
  • Ages: 7 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult)
  • Cost: free! (pre-registration required)
  • Class size: 14 children
  • Instructor: Tom Sheppard, Chief Park Naturalist

These sessions of the Homeschool Series will take participants on field trips around the County as we focus on birds and birding through the spring season. Binoculars will be available to borrow for each session. Our last stop will be at Hoffman Park as we walk the park looking for migrants and our breeding grassland species. Please note that an extra half hour is built into this session.

Insects in a Grasslandnocturnal insects

  • Date: Wednesday, June 14
  • Time: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
  • Location: Hoffman Park
  • Ages: 7 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult)
  • Cost: free! (pre-registration required)
  • Instructor: Tom Sheppard, Chief Park Naturalist

We will explore and collect our insect from the edge of the fields that we can safely access from the trail system at Hoffman Park.  Once we have collected our samples, we will go over them and discuss what makes an insect an insect, what family group they are in and why some of our samples may not be insects.  

Nymphs in the Pond

  • Date: Wednesday, July 12dragonfly-2867969_1920
  • Time: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  • Location: Hoffman Park
  • Ages: 7 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult)
  • Cost: free! (pre-registration required)
  • Instructor: Tom Sheppard, Chief Park Naturalist

This class will move us to Manny’s Pond at Hoffman Park.  We will spend our time collecting samples from the edge of the pond. When we review our collection, we will compare some of their features to the insects caught during the previous field study. We will start exploring the life cycles of these insects and what their presence in the water means. Please note the extra ½ hour to the class, which is needed for the walk back and forth between the pond and the parking area.  

Critters in the Creek

  • Date: Wednesday, August 9
  • Time: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
  • Location: Wescott Preserve – Raven Rock Road 
  • Ages: 7 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult)
  • Cost: free (pre-registration required)
  • Instructor: Tom Sheppard, Chief Park Naturalist

For this program we need to change our location completely and move to Wescott Preserve in Delaware Township. We will conduct a stream study in the Lockatung Creek and continue our study of aquatic insects and their life cycles.  Please note the extra ½ hour to the class which is needed to walk back and forth between the creek and parking area.