January 2016 Tiny Trekkers: P. Bear s New Year s Party from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Saturday January 2. Come read a book about a very neat polar bear that has an elegant New Year's party and invites all of his animal friends one whale, two horses, three cows, and so forth until midnight. This program is recommended for children ages 2-5. This program is free and is sponsored by The Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center. Florida s State Reptile; The American Alligator from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday January 2. Alligators are one animal that have changed very little over time. These reptiles play an important role in our ecosystem and are considered by many to be a keystone species. Join LEC staff as we learn more about these ancient reptiles and how we can learn to share our habitat with them. This free program is geared towards all age groups. Afterwards, stick around to make an optional craft to take home. Clean Green in the New Year from 3:00 4:00 p.m. Sunday, January 3. Household cleaning products can be quite costly. Start 2016 out right by joining LEC education staff as we learn ways to save money and the planet with some tried and true homemade cleaning products that are easy to make and easy on the pocketbook. This free program is sponsored by The Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center.
Nature Film Series: Earth Flight from 1:00 4:00 p.m. Tuesday January 5. Take a break from the cold weather and join us for an awe-inspiring journey across three continents from a bird s perspective. A new film will begin on the hour. Please call 386-789-7207 ext. # 21028 to register for this free program sponsored by The Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center. Let s Hit the Trails hike from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday January 9. Enjoy the cooler weather and explore some of the different scenery along the trails in Lyonia Preserve with LEC staff. Participants should bring water, wear closed toed shoes, dress appropriately for the weather and be prepared to hike on unpaved sugar sand trails. This program is free. Galapagos: Enchanted Isles from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday January 9. Reinier Munguia, President of the Lake Region Audubon Society returns for this unique program! During this program Reinier will take participants on an exploration of the Galapagos Islands through breathtaking images and videos. You will retrace the steps of Charles Darwin, and see images of the giant tortoises and marine iguanas he collected and studied in detail. You will also learn how scientists are trying to understand how all of the species were able to adapt to the changing landscape and how climate change today is taking an effect on it today. This program is free.
Florida s Fabulous Scrub 1:00-2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 10. What types of scrub habitat do we have in Florida? What do Florida Scrub jays eat? Why is the gopher tortoise called a keystone species? Join LEC Education staff to learn about this unique habitat, the endangered species that depend on it for survival and ways we can help protect it. This program is free. A Night s Sky Viewing of Deep Sky Objects from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Friday January 15. The Messier Catalogue, compiled in the 18th century by Charles Messier, is a famous catalogue Astronomical catalogue. It consists of 110 deep sky objects. During this hands-on, outdoor program, we hope to view the Andromeda Galaxy, Traingulum Galaxy and the Great Nebula in Orion. We may also have time to scope out the moon and some planets. LEC staff and volunteers will be manning telescopes and answering any questions. Participants should dress appropriately for the weather and bring binoculars to enjoy this free program. Volusia Outdoors from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday January 16. Roger Fulton returns to the LEC! Roger is an author of several outdoor books and a Florida Master Naturalist. During this classroom presentation he will provide insight into ten of his favorite places to hike, bike and enjoy nature in Volusia County. This program is free.
Mammals of the Scrub Hike from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 17. Join LEC staff on a guided hike in Lyonia Preserve. We will be learning about the mammals that live in scrub habitat, and why they are an important part of the ecosystem. As we are hiking, we will be looking for signs of some mammals that call scrub habitat home. Participants should bring water and wear closed toed shoes. This program is free. Sinkhole Exploration hike from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Saturday January 23. Join LEC staff on this exploratory hike to examine the geology that surrounds the sinkholes within the preserve. Learn how sinkholes form, and what makes them important in scrub habitat. Participants should dress appropriately for the weather, bring plenty of water and wear comfortable closed toed shoes. This program is free. New Year, New Food from 1:00-2:00 pm Saturday January 23. Eat local, eat seasonal! Join us as we discuss the benefits and some common misconceptions of eating locally grown and seasonally produced food. You will also learn about local farmers markets in the area where you can find locally grown food. This program is free.
Family Game Day from 2:00-4:00 pm. Sunday, January 24. Bring the whole family to LEC s classroom any time between 2-4 pm to play some fun, environmentally themed board games. Or be scientists for the afternoon while examining specimens under a microscope. You can also spend some time learning about our live animal ambassadors. This is a free program. Tiny Trekkers: Winter Lullaby from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Saturday January 30. Come read a book about what animals do to survive when winter arrives with us, take a short hike and make a craft to take home. This program is recommended for children ages 2-5. This program is free and is sponsored by The Friends of Lyonia Environmental Center. Scales & Tails from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday January 30. Florida is home to 46 species of snakes and other reptiles. During this presentation we will teach you the difference between venomous and non-venomous reptiles, the different species of snakes and other reptiles that live among us. Afterwards we will introduce you to some of our reptile animal ambassadors.. This program is free. Environmental Film Series 1:00-4:30 pm. Sunday, January 31 Spend the afternoon in LEC s classroom, learning some fun facts about a variety of interesting creatures found in different habitats and featured in the Eyewitness DVD collection. A new film will be shown every 35 minutes. This program is free. Bottled water, soda, candy & snacks will be available for purchase.
Regularly Scheduled Programs throughout the Month of January: Guided Scrub Strolls @ 9 am every Monday and Friday. LEC staff will lead these guided hikes in Lyonia Preserve. Strolls will be offered every Monday and Friday from 9:00 am - 10:00 am. It is strongly suggested that participants wear closed toed shoes, bring water, and be prepared to hike on unpaved sugar sand trails. These programs are free. Explore Volusia Programming Explore Volusia, a component of Volusia County s Environmental Management department, provides Educational opportunities to residents and visitors of Volusia County, through our satellite facilities and on our Conservation Lands. Guided Hike Thursday, January 28, 9:00am -11am Hike the blue trail (2.5 miles) of Lyonia Preserve and learn about this endangered Florida scrub habitat and what makes it such a special place. Hikers will see and experience the flora and fauna of scrub including Lyonia s most precious resident, the Florida scrub jay. Land management practices and prescribed fire on the site will also be discussed. Meet at 2150 Eustace Ave. Deltona. *Space is limited. Preregistration is strongly suggested and can be done by calling (386) 789-7207 ext. # 21028. Please arrive 10 minutes before the program to sign in inside our gift shop.