Spring Fest is Almost Here!

Aullwood Spring Fest happens Saturday & Sunday, May 18 & 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Aullwood Audubon Farm, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton Ohio! Bring the whole family to enjoy spring on the farm at a new bargain price during this festival — admission is just $20 per carload per day. Fly solo or bring a dozen, the price remains the same. This year's Spring Fest will also be full of fun free activities for everyone!

Welcome the Ohio School of Falconry's Raptor Roadshow and see their free flying raptors or explore our expanded children’s activities with lots of new things to try. Help make a community-created mural and paint with Chris Rowlands, Program Manager, Environmental Arts. Take a free horse or tractor drawn wagon ride, shop exciting craft vendors or browse the Greenview Garden Club's Plant Sale. See and touch interesting animals from Wild Hearts African Farm (Sunday only). Step inside the PNC Grow Up Great Mobile Learning Adventure tent or meet Steve Areen and see his Unity Wagon, a modernized ecofriendly covered wagon. Catch a song by Chris Rowlands, meet furry friends from Canine Companions or check out electric vehicles from Drive Electric Dayton. Delicious food, drinks and treats will be available for purchase from food trucks and other vendors, so plan to spend the day! Get more details on our web site at https://aullwood.audubon.org/SpringFest

Aullwood's Marie S. Aull Education Center at 1000 Aullwood Road will be closed on Saturday and Sunday during this event, and the parking facilities at 1000 Aullwood Road will also be closed. Aullwood does not have an ATM onsite, but we do accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

R.B. Jergens is the Presenting Sponsor of Aullwood Spring Fest 2024, with additional sponsorship by Riverdale Optimists. We appreciate their support!

Raptor Roadshow at Aullwood 2023 (top) & Wagon Rides at Aullwood Farm 2022 (bottom)

Photos: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur

Meet Aullwood's Summer Camp Leaders

It takes special people to create and coordinate Aullwood Audubon's Summer Earth Adventures summer camp program, and we're lucky to have just the right staff in place for the job!

Arras (pronounced AIR-As) Wiedorn is Aullwood's Manager of Public Programs. Arras is our camp supervisor, keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. She comes to us most recently from the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program's Coastal Bird Program, where she did field research on breeding plovers and terns. Prior to that, she worked for nearly 5 years at the Texas State Aquarium, where she was a bird and mammal trainer. In this position she taught numerous educational presentations and tours for groups of all ages both large and small. Her duties also included the care and training of the bird and mammal collections, including animals from chickens and fancy rats to macaws, a porcupine, and even a serval. Arras has a BS in Zoology from Washington State University and a Master's in biology from Texas A&M University. Her interest is in behavioral ecology and her Master's project visualized global patterns in avian hybridization behaviors. Arras is also the owner of Endangered Art Books and has been sewing for more than 22 years!

Christina "Phoenix" Simmons is Aullwood's Summer Camp Lead Counselor. Phoenix coordinates a range of important summer camp functions, including program structure, developing hands-on lesson plans, supply acquisition, staff assignment and staff training. Phoenix has a Master of Education in Elementary Science from Wright State University. She also has vast teaching experience with the WPAFB Starbase program, Beavercreek City Schools, Xenia City Schools and Fairborn City Schools. Phoenix won a National Outdoor Education award from Sea World for developing the after-school Environmental Education Program K.I.D.S. (Kids Interested in Discovering Science). Phoenix also rescues Labradors and rides unicycles!

Together, Arras and Phoenix are the backbone of our Summer Earth Adventures program and are already working hard every day to make sure this year's summer camps at Aullwood Audubon are enjoyable, engaging and educational for your children.

Want to get your kids in on the fun? Learn about our full and half day camps for ages 4 to 12 running from June 10 through August 9, read about the sessions and register at https://aullwood.audubon.org/SEA now! Many scholarships are also available, so don't hesitate to email us at education@aullwood.org for details. Every week features a new theme as campers explore Aullwood. Your child will leave a fun-filled week with a t-shirt, a new book, arts and crafts created, knowledge learned, and adventures experienced. Find your flock and join us for a fun summer with Arras, Phoenix and all of Aullwood's SEA staff!

Arras Wiedorn (L), Phoenix Simmons (R) and friends at Aullwood Nature Center April 2024

Top Photo: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur. Summer Earth Adventures 2023 Bottom Photo: Aullwood Audubon / Jack Bradley.

May Event Calendar

• MAY 1 - MAY 31: The Troll That Hatched an Egg: An Exhibition by Thomas Dambo (Farm & Center)
• MAY 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30: Member Adult Discovery Walk, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (Center)
• MAY 4: Warblers & Wildflowers Walk, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Center)
• MAY 4: Nature Life Drawing with Chris Rowlands, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon (Center)
• MAY 6: Aullwood Birdathon, 6:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Center)
• MAY 7, 14, 21, 28: Long-term Butterfly Monitoring, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Center)
• MAY 8: Chipmunk Adventures for Preschool Children: Spring On Wings, 10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. (Farm)
• MAY 12: Pondering Pollinators Wildflower Walk, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Farm)
• MAY 18 & 19: Aullwood Spring Fest, 10:00 am - 5:00 p.m. (Farm)
• MAY 27: Aullwood OPEN for the Memorial Day holiday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Farm & Center)
• MAY 21 - SEPTEMBER 2: Aullwood is a Blue Star Museum (Farm & Center)

Coming in June: The Faerie Houses of Aullwood 2024

Aullwood Audubon is thrilled to welcome back The Faerie Houses of Aullwood in 2024! This year, the faeries wanted to discover more about birds, so they've followed these feathered beauties through the seasons and some special birding events to learn all about them. Find their charming faerie houses on the paved Cardinal Trail by the nature center, match their specially constructed houses with the magical seasons and special events, and win a prize!

The Faerie Houses of Aullwood exhibit will open on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, and will only last for a limited time, so be sure to catch it before the faeries pack up and depart for another year. Join us and discover this year's faerie magic!

The Faerie Houses of Aullwood 2022 Photo: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur

Meet Richard Crossley at Aullwood on Saturday, July 13

Aullwood Audubon is proud to present two very special events with Richard Crossley, internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award-winning author of The Crossley ID Guide series on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

"Learning to Look with Richard Crossley" is your opportunity to enjoy coffee and croissants with Richard in a select, small group setting from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Marie S. Aull Education Center. The program will be spent outdoors in Aullwood’s bird watching area learning to identify birds using the secrets experts use to identify a distant dark speck without lifting their binoculars.

"An Evening with Richard Crossley: Past, Present and Future" will be a relaxed social hour with Richard from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Aullwood's Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center. Enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, beverages and good company. Afterward, Richard will present tales of growing up in the wild British birding scene and traveling around the world, fast-paced stories told in a Yorkshire brogue and through a camera lens. Richard will also share his thoughts about the revolutionary The Crossley ID Guide series, self-publishing his latest guide on Western Birds, and writing Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body and Soul with co-authors Holy Merker and Sophie Crossley.

Stay tuned for more information and ticket availability for these two unique happenings with Richard Crossley! These events are presented with many thanks to our partner, Wild Birds Unlimited. Don't miss these special opportunities!

Aullwood Open for the Memorial Day Holiday

Just a reminder, Aullwood's Nature Center, Farm Discovery Center, facilities, trails and property will be OPEN from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Memorial Day holiday, Monday, May 27, 2024. Get outside and join us at Aullwood on this holiday!

Aullwood Farm June 2022 Photo: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur

Save the Date: Aullwood Birds & Brews

What's better than good music, good beer, and good food? Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 6 p.m. and get it all at Aullwood Birds & Brews!  

Enjoy an evening at Aullwood Farm as Rodney The Band serves up energetic and delightful music. Tastes will be available from local craft brewers set up around the farmyard including Full Circle Brewgarden, and full size beers will be available for purchase from the brewers or the Bonbright Distributors truck. Local food trucks will offer delicious dinner options to purchase and enjoy. Raffle tickets will also be available for great prizes including howlers, growlers, baskets and gift cards! 

This event is for adults 21 and older only, and the dress code will be nice casual. Tickets will be limited and will cost $30/person pre-sale or $35 at the door. More details and ticket purchasing will be available soon, so save the date and stay tuned. Thanks to our event sponsor, Bonbright Distributors!

Beer & Brewing with a Taste of Aullwood August 2023 Photo: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur

Aullwood is a Blue Star Museum

Aullwood Audubon has once again joined the innovative program Blue Star Museums! Through this program, Aullwood shows our support for America’s armed forces by providing free general admission to active-duty military personnel from all branches of the service, National Guard members, and Reserve members. The active-duty member or spouse may bring up to 5 family members to Aullwood Audubon in 2024 from Tuesday, May 21, through Monday, September 2.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums including science and nature centers, fine art museums and historic sites in all 50 states. Visit the Blue Star Museum website at https://www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums to learn more.

Buy and Donate Business Partnerships

Aullwood's partnerships with local businesses provide support for our environmental education programs for children at no cost to you. Please help Aullwood by registering today!

Kroger Community Rewards Program

Shop at Kroger and support Aullwood with a just a few easy steps!

* Visit their website at www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com

* Click SIGN IN to access your account or CREATE ACCOUNT to make a new one.

* Once you've logged in, make Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm your charity of choice. Aullwood’s Charity ID Number is YN601.

* Shop at Kroger as normal using your Kroger Plus account and a portion of your sales will support Aullwood’s programs for local children!

* You'll know you're giving to Aullwood when you see “At your request, Kroger is donating to Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm” on the receipt.

Dorothy Lane Market's Good Neighbor Program

It’s easy to join the DLM Good Neighbor Program and support Aullwood! Please note that you must re-enroll each year for this program.

* Visit their website at www.DorothyLane.com

* Click IN-STORE on the navigation bar across the top of the page.

* On the next menu under the "What's Happening" heading, click CLUB DLM.

* Scroll down until you see the DLM GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, then click ENROLL NOW.

* Type in your First & Last Name, Email and Club DLM / Phone Number. Don't have a DLM Club card yet? Click the appropriate link to get one.

* Select Aullwood Audubon as your charity and click SUBMIT. Afterward, every time you shop and scan your Club DLM card, Aullwood will be 'credited' with your purchase!

Volunteer Corner

(Nenita Lapitan, Senior Manager, Center & Farm)

Thank You Native Plant Sale Volunteers!

Thank you to all the volunteers who supported our Native Plant Sale on April 26 and 27. We had a record number of plants and shrubs (more than 10,000) and a record number of customers – 1,400! By the end of the day on Saturday, there were only about 65 plants that had not been sold. Thank you so much for helping us make this event so successful!

Aullwood Spring Fest

May 18 – 19, 2024

Choose your shift: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., 12 p.m. - 3 p.m., 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Location: Aullwood Farm

Help us celebrate spring on the farm, art, and nature! We’re going to have some exciting activities during these two days, including an opportunity for everyone attending Spring Fest to help create a grassland bird mural with Chris Rowlands. We’ll also need volunteers to help Chris with this project.

Other ways to help support this popular family-friendly event include assisting us in our expanded Children’s Activity area with artistic activities, games and more; taking admission by the carload; selling pop & water, being a barn monitor; assisting with horse-drawn wagon rides and more. For more information or to sign up to help with Aullwood Spring Fest, please email julia.smith@audubon.org. Thank you!

Native Plant Sale 2024 (top) and Farm Babies Fest 2023 (bottom) Photos: Aullwood Audubon / Ken Fasimpaur

Aullwood Audubon | AskUs@aullwood.org | 937-890-7360 | www.aullwood.org