Sundays Kids in Nature (K.I.N) Club Join our K.I.N. Club for 8 afternoons of playful outdoor exploration and creative discovery! The 3rd Sunday of each month, April -November from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm, each session will feature hands-on activities including hikes, games, crafts, and stories. A special award will be given to each child that attends all 8 sessions! … Read More
StoryTime
Preschool StoryTime in Nature’s Classroom The Brandwein Institute’s StoryTime videos are designed for young children and feature nature and its creatures. The books, read by interpretive naturalist Sara Mayes, encourage preschoolers to appreciate the beauty and mysteries of the natural world. In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming Learn about what lives in and near a pond as … Read More
In a Brandwein Minute
“In a Brandwein Minute,” is a series of minute-long video explorations into the natural world led by interpretive naturalist Sara Mayes. These vignettes are designed to spur additional investigations and provide inspiration through images of the wonders of nature. Most of the videos were taken at the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve, but their subject matter can be found in backyards … Read More
2020 Calendar of Events
To our Brandwein Institute family, The Brandwein Institute Board of Directors has cancelled all 2020 activities at the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and conditions in Orange County, NY. We look forward to welcoming student science campers and resuming weekend activities in 2021. Watch our website and Facebook page for updates. Again, to all our … Read More
Suggestions for Elementary School Field Activities
(Compiled by Amy R. Bavoso, First-Grade Teacher, Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School, Port Jervis City School District, Port Jervis, NY) During the Walk: *Listen and Discuss/Draw – Have students stop along the trail and close their eyes. They stay completely silent for a few moments and listen to nature sounds. When they open their eyes, discuss with them what they … Read More
Family Citizen Science
Family Citizen Science @ the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve: Connecting Family, Community, Education, and Ecosystems through Field Research Projects Students become scientifically literate by actively learning science as science is done. Whether in the field or classroom, participating K-12 students, teachers, families, and area community groups, such as scouts and 4-H, can be engaged with the undertaking of science … Read More
Brandwein CSI: Exploring the Past Based on Observations Today
Essential Question: What will observations of natural communities tell us about land use in the recent past? Introduction/Background: All natural communities change over time. But human activity frequently impacts natural communities in disproportionate ways, accelerating change. For example, whenever humans farm or ranch, changes to the natural community are likely to occur. Even many years after the human activities have … Read More
Summer Science Day Camp
The Brandwein Institute Summer Science Day Camp at the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve July 16-20, 2018 July 23-27, 2018 9AM – 3PM daily 400 Minisink Turnpike Port Jervis, NY Logistics Location: The Summer Science Camp will be held at the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve (BNLP), 400 Minisink Turnpike, Port Jervis, New York. Directions signs will be posted on Minisink … Read More
Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve
In 2008, the Brandwein Institute created a series of nature trails on a section of the Rutgers Creek Wildlife Conservancy to honor the wishes of Paul and Mary Brandwein to engage the local community. That section became the Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve, located about 25 minutes from downtown Milford, PA; 15 minutes from Port Jervis; and 25 minutes from Middletown, … Read More
Application for Use of Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve by Groups, Schools and Organizations
Name of Group, School, or Organization: ____________________________________________ Grade Levels and Ages of Students: ________________________________________________ Number of Students and Adults: ___________________________________________________ Contact Person’s Name: ____________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ Phone: (Business and Cell)____________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________ Date(s) and times for Using the Preserve: ____________________________________________ Activities to be Performed: _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Email application, along with a valid certificate of insurance naming the Brandwein Institute and … Read More