New summer nature program launches at Duke Farms

HILLSBOROUGH– Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) of New Jersey and Duke Farms are taking applications for the new Wildlife Explorer summer program, a fun and exciting learning experience for area children entering third to sixth grade, ages eight through eleven, to connect with and explore the outdoors.

“Children are the future caretakers of our land and there’s no better place to connect them with nature then at Duke Farms!” exclaimed Tanya Sulikowski, Programs and Community Garden Manager, Duke Farms Foundation. “The benefits of playing and learning outdoors are tremendous. Programs like CWF’s ‘Wildlife Explorers’ improve social, psychological, academic and physical health and help kids develop an environmental ethic that they’ll carry with them throughout their lives.”

The week-long program will run Monday, July 25, through Friday, July 29, at Duke Farms, located in Hillsborough, Somerset County. Activities will run from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. daily. “Wildlife Explorers” will experience close-up encounters with wildlife such as birds, bats and turtles, get muddy exploring Duke Farms’ ponds and streams, create nature-based art with famous artist James Fiorentino, and participate in daily talks with real-life scientists!

“We are thrilled to offer the Wildlife Explorer Summer Program at Duke Farms, which will engage children with the  N.J. outdoors and the amazing array of wildlife that call it their home,” stated Stephanie DAlessio, Director of Education, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

The Program is $350/per week/per child. Cost includes a reusable water bottle and t-shirt. For more information and to download your application visit: http://www.ConserveWildlifeFoundation.org/Education/ KidsSummerPrograms/.

Since 2003, over 10,000 children from across New Jersey have entered Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s educational contests, participated in environmental education programs and learned about the many endangered and threatened wildlife species across the state.

CWF is the only statewide, non-profit organization focused solely on threatened, endangered and imperiled species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. We carry out a mission by researching and managing rare animal species, restoring habitat, educating New Jersey’s residents, and engaging volunteers in  conservation projects. Since the early 1990’s, CWF scientists and educators have helped conserve and protect a variety of at-risk species of wildlife in the state, the most densely populated state in the nation. For more information, please visit www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org.

Duke Farms, located on 2,740 acres in Hillsborough, Somerset County, N.J., is one of the largest privately-owned parcels of undeveloped land in the state. Owned and supported by Duke Farms Foundation, an operating foundation of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Duke Farms is rich in ecological, horticultural and agricultural resources. Through the beauty of its natural setting, the diversity of its wildlife, and the scope and quality of its educational programs, demonstrations and research, Duke Farms inspires people to transform their approach to conservation and to start building a more sustainable future. For more information, please visit www.DukeFarms.org.

email [email protected] or call(609) 984-6012

Stephanie DAlessio, Director of Education, Conserve Wildlife Foundation – 609-984-0621