Take a break from your busy day to learn something new. Local experts in their fields will lead a presentation and discussion each Thursday at noon at the Nature Center of Cape May. There will be a different speaker and topic each week. Light refreshments will be provided.

COST: $5 member; $7 non-member

Interested in becoming a member? Please click on the following link to learn more or join: Become a Member Today!

WHERE:  At the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ.

SCHEDULE:

11/30/23: Our winter season of Harborside chats kicks off with Ralph Boerner who will treat us to a presentation about “invasives.” Because it is never too early to start thinking about spring planting.

12/7/23: Today we remember that day that shall live in “infamy” when the Japanese empire carried out a surprise and unprovoked attack upon the United State fleet then moored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. That morning, Edwin Hill, from Cape May, New Jersey was aboard the battleship Nevada. His heroics that morning would not only save his ship, but earn him our nation’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, the only person from Cape May to ever have received this honor.

12/14/23: The mighty Golden Eagle. Most of us are familiar with the Bald Eagle, but how many of us are equally familiar with the Bald Eagle’s cousin, the Golden? Bigger, stronger, faster, the Golden has been known to even take prey the size of sheep. Come out to hear Dr. Trish Miller, but leave your puppies at home.

12/21/23: The Cape May Bird Observatory’s migration coordinator, Tom Reed, will bring us up-to-date on how our favorite insect fared during its recent migration. More than mere metrics, Tom will be sharing how the Monarch Monitoring Project carries out its science.

12/28/23: Cape May’s Harbor Masters, Jack Lord and Tom Carroll, will be on hand to discuss harbor issues and share an update on this first summer with harbor masters.

1/4/24: Dr. Neeti Bathala is an accomplished educator in the areas of ecology and environmental science, and she is an accomplished author who has published a children’s book called, Moonlight Crab Count. Come out to hear a truly entertaining presentation about a topic important to so many of us.

1/11/24: We all are looking forward to “Floating the Boat.” This of course is the historic Coast Guard motor lifeboat (MLB) #36358 that a group of dedicated volunteers has been restoring for the past five years. Jerry Tarrant will be on hand to give us an update. Perhaps this will be the year that we get to see 36358 in our harbor.

1/18/24: Back by popular demand, Jim Webster, Dr. Dark Sky, will share progress made in the past year when it comes to protecting our avian friends from light pollution.

1/25/24: Migratory song birds are dying by the BILLIONS! And it’s not just from the light pollution that we learned about last week, but they are dying from crashing into buildings, habitat loss, killer agricultural practices, invasive plant & animal species, microplastics, herbicides, pesticides, biocides, power-lines, and so much more, even your own windows! This will be an open discussion led by local experts about the threats and what can be done to preserve our avian populations. The New Jersey Conservation Foundation has been invited to participate, as has New Jersey Audubon and other environmental organizations. This is a pervasive problem and everyone’s help is needed; if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem!

2/1/24: Our beloved Humpback Whales face many obstacles in the deep blue sea. Ralph Boerner has agreed to make a return visit to the “chats” to bring us up-to-date on what’s up with the Humpbacks.

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