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Ongoing Events |
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1st Saturday Hikes.
Monthly except January and August, the first Saturday of the month, 10-11:30am.
If you are interested in learning about local native plants and animals, this monthly hike is a great way to explore the Chicopee Woods with an experienced guide. It's free for members and the inexpensive program fee for others makes it a great opportunity for small scout groups to work on badge requirements. The program fee also includes admission to the museum exhibitions. |
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Stars Over Elachee.
Monthly in the Spring and Fall.
Fridays and/or Saturdays at Dusk.
Learn to use a telescope and star chart to view stars, planets and constellations in the night sky. Programs begin just before dark so bring a flashlight and pencil. This program is most meaningful for adults and children 8 years and older. Pre-registration is required due to limited availabilty so call to reserve one of our telescopes and for exact program times and locations. Program Fee: Adults, $10; Children through age 12, $5; Members, Free. View/print public calendar of events for dates and times of upcoming programs. View/print current monthly Star Chart.
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Compost Demonstration
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Backyard Conservation Workshops - Compost and Rainwater Collection. Spring and Fall dates.
These useful workshops instruct you in recycling natural resources around your home. First learn about the creation of a home compost site for turning leaves and yard materials into rich soil for your lawn and gardens. Then investigate ways to catch and release rain and storm water around your home using barrels and cisterns. Also included are tips on using the rainwater to create a beautiful raingarden in your yard. These programs are made possible by a grant from the City of Gainesville and are free to local residents. Call for dates and to sign up. |
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Special Events |
Birding at Chicopee Lake
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Spring Bird Hikes.
A week of morning bird hikes in April or May.
Join our experienced staff at the best birding locations in Hall County in the search for warblers, tanagers and other songbirds. One session is a cruise aboard the Chota Princess II on Lake Lanier offering a chance to see herons, ducks, sandpipers and hopefully bald eagles. Fees and times vary and pre-registration is required. |
Earth Day Celebration.
A Saturday in April near National Earth Day, April 22nd.
Celebrate our planet and its wonders with outdoor exploration, activities, demonstrations, and fun. Participate in guided hikes, geocaching, recycled crafts, and learning about our natural world through live animal and nature discovery programs. Check out more here. |
Making Bird Feeders |
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Happy Campers in the Woods |
Nature Day Camps - Spring, Summer, Winter.
Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm.
Weekly sessions all summer during school vacation; spring and winter vacation times.
PreK, elementary and middle school students experience a hands-on nature and science-oriented program in a natural woodland setting. Fun activities include hiking, creek exploration, games, songs, crafts, and special programs relating to the theme of the week. Extended care available. Pre-registration required. |
Visitor Holds Butter Corn Snake
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Elachee's Snake Day.
2nd Saturday each September 10am - 1pm.
Our most popular event of the year, Snake Day has grown to be a festival of all things reptilian and fun with everything from common garden snakes to Komodo Dragons and huge tortoises. Add some crafts, facepainting, and guided hikes to the special live animal presentations and it makes for a fun and educational opportunity for our visitors to learn about all these creatures and their importance to our world. Learn more here. |
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NightFall - Elachee's Family Fall Festival.
Friday & Saturday evenings the last week of October, 6-9pm.
Enter the nighttime forest for a non-scary adventure at our natural alternative to Halloween trick-or-treat. Our visitors have an opportunity to learn about nocturnal creatures at the special live animal programs and night hikes to visit our animal-costumed naturalists. Some fun crafts, a storyteller, and stargazing with telescopes add to the special evening event. Click here for details. |
Wildlife Wonders Possum
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Chicopee Woods Elementary Chorus
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Winter in the Woods Holiday Celebration.
2nd Saturday in December, 10am – 1pm.
Winter in the Woods is Elachee's way to take a respite from the busy holiday schedule. Come and enjoy the natural beauty and spirit of the season by hiking, holiday crafting and listening to holiday music. Learn more here.
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Fundraisers |
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Flights of Fancy. Annually on a Spring evening.
This casual evening features light dinner fare, beverage bar, live jazz music, and an auction of bird houses, bird feeders, garden items, and truely unique yard art created by local artists, notables and Elachee friends. You have the chance to take home a functional bird house or whimsical addition to your garden. It's also a great opportunity to find that special one of a kind gift for a friend. Proceeds fund our education programs for children and also conservation efforts in the Preserve. Investigate more here.
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Safari Benefit Auction and Dinner.
Annually on a Saturday evening in the fall.
Join us for a special night under the stars. Enjoy cocktails, dinner, jazz music, and live and silent auctions featuring unique artwork, trips, entertainment activities and items from local merchants. Proceeds benefit Elachee environmental education programs and conservation efforts in the Preserve. Check out the details, donors and sponsors here.
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Gallery Section
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Rose Trillium
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Spring and Fall Plant Sales.
Each spring and fall season Elachee offers a unique selection of high quality native plants at the pre-order plant sale. The emphasis is on native species that grow well locally and always includes some special hard-to-find interesting and unique varieties. Choices include perennials, ferns, shrubs, grasses, and popular azaleas. Check the website each spring and fall for a list and order form.
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Home School Programs |
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Water Testing on the Chota II
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1st Wednesday of the month, September - May.
Specially designed education programs for Home Schooled students are offered the first Wednesday of each month during the school year of August through May. Students and their parents may register for a 5 session semester or the entire year. Programs highlight a different science topic in each monthly 2-hour session. Topics covered vary from year to year and include plants, animals, weather, geology and ecology.
Learn more here. Check in August for the upcoming year's schedule.
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Scouts and Special Groups |
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Cub Scouts Investigate Erosion
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Group Opportunities.
Special groups such as Boy or Girl Scouts, home school associations, day care centers, garden clubs and other adult organizations may schedule one of our existing education programs or modify one to suit specific needs. Custom programs can be designed to fulfill scout badge requirements or address a certain topic of interest to your organization. All programs are designed for your group's individual needs and skill level. Minimum fees for a program do apply - if your group is not large enough to book a private program with us, scouts and other groups can take advantage of our monthly public programs listed above like First Saturday Hikes and Stars Over Elachee and also the public programs which occur throughout the year.
Groups looking for volunteer opportunities may be interested in helping with trail maintenance, public events, or weed warriors. Check out the volunteer page for details.
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Children's Birthday Parties |
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Meeting Coachwhip |
Birthday Parties for Children ages 4-12.
Is your child interested in nature or animals? Elachee is the perfect place to celebrate your child's birthday, giving the children a fun and educational experience that will be truely memorable. Parties are designed for your child and 12 guests and include a party area, an hour program with a naturalist, party favors, and invitations. Choose from fun themes like dinosaurs, bugs, snakes, or nature and let your child experience an up-close animal encounter and nature hike or craft project. You can bring decorations, snacks, and cake if you wish. See all the details in our party brochure.
Animal friendly folks sometimes like to adopt-a-friend as part of a child's gift. The adopter receives a fun gift bag of themed goodies in addition to an adoption certificate, animal photo and fun facts, and their name posted by the chosen animal. See below for details. |
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Adopt-a-Friend |
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Red-Tailed Hawk and her egg |
Adopt-a-Friend Program.
Animal lovers can help fund the care and feeding of one of our resident critters for a year at a time. You can choose from a variety of 30 animals who call Elachee home. Adoptors receive a photo and fun facts about their animal, an adoption certificate, a themed gift bag, nameplate posted by the animal, and passes to visit their special friend. This makes a wonderful gift for children and also those hard-to-buy-for adults interested in animals and nature. Learn the details or download a form here. You can call to set up an adoption or mail in a form with your payment. |
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Discover Nature Packs |
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Exploring the Woods |
Discover Nature Packs.
Visitors interested in learning more about the the native plants and animals of the Chicopee Woods can check out a Discover Nature Pack in the museum lobby. These backpacks, which are free to check out for the day, contain a wealth of information, nature guides and fun activities to help you explore the woods using Leave No Trace guidelines. Geared towards youth in grades K-8, pack themes include animals, plants, and GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation. A combined animal/plant backpack is available in Spanish. These packs can help you create a memorable fun learning experience with your child as you explore nature together. |
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