Science 2025

S01 Bugs and Slugs … Advanced!

Weeks:  5, 6                      Grades:  3 – 6

Bugs are everywhere! Want to learn the major insect groups and how they differ from spiders and other small creatures? We will use scientific methods to discover things about them using simple experiments, microscopic observation, and creation of an insect zoo.  Instructor:  Jerry Dievendorf

S02 Science Fun

Weeks: 1, 2                                                   Grades:  2 & 3

Do you know why certain animals live where they do?  Explore the forest with us, probe the pond and swamp, examine evidence of deer activity and learn how to find salamanders, snakes, frogs and insects.  Recognize animals from their tracks.  We’ll conduct chemical tests of water and berries to make deductions about what certain animals eat and where they live.  We will also examine stream beds to find fossils of ancient life, and we’ll try to guess what our environment might have been like in those earlier times.  Come and have fun with us!! Instructor: Jennifer Hess

S04 Early Birders

Week: 1                                                        Grades: 3 – 7

Join us on an adventure through the Heldeberg fields and forests to learn about our amazing and elusive feathered friends! We will walk through streams, hike to the swamp and climb around boulders to see what birds we can hear and see, while we try to understand why we find them in these special places. We will have plenty of hands-on activities and play games to explore and learn about bird songs, nest building, bird behavior and more! Instructor: Ruth Brooks

 S06 Rocks & Fossils

Weeks: 1, 2, 3, 5                                           Grades: 4 & up

Dig into the world of rocks, minerals and fossils. Learn about earthquakes, glaciers, volcanoes and much more! We go on hikes to various fossil-collecting sites, create model volcanoes, and learn to navigate the woods 7with ease (an essential life skill!) using a map and compass. We’ll complete the week with a “treasure” hunt! Instructor:  George Pafumi

S07 Swamping

Weeks: 4, 5

Make a splash with the wild world of swamping.  Get your hands and feet wet and muddy as you explore the wetland habitats of Heldeberg Workshop and find out why they are so important as you meet the local inhabitants of these wetlands up close and personal. Instructors: Leni Erdil and Jordan Bein

S08 Wee Beasties                                      

Week: 3                                                        Grades: 4 – 6

Explore the hidden microscopic universe of Heldeberg Workshop. Through the use of microscopes, we will learn just how different things look under powerful magnification. There are thousands of different forms of microbial life in the wilderness. We will search the entire Workshop for as many of these “wee beasties” as we can find. We will figure out how to protect ourselves from bad microbes that can harm us. And we will experiment with other microbes to do fun things, like make yeast bread. We will also learn how microscopes can help us solve crimes and study molecules like DNA. Instructor: Dan Chaize

S09 Fossil Hunting

Weeks: 4, 6                                                   Grades: 3 & 4

Find the remains of organisms that lived here hundreds of millions of years ago!  Learn about the prehistoric environment that these creatures lived in.  Discover how to search for fossils in an area known for its geologic richness.  Get your hands dirty identifying fossils such as trilobites, bryozoans, ancient corals, and many, many others, as we talk about their significance. Instructor:  George Pafumi

AS10 Wonderful Trees

Week: 3                                                        Grades 3 – 6

Come learn all about the trees native to this area and make drawings, paintings and plock prints to illustrate your findings on our daily walks in the forest. You will also look at paintings of trees and leaves in art history. Then you’ll mix shades and values of greens and browns to make your own beautiful paintings. Instructor: Dagmar Frinta

AS11 Wonderful Rocks and Stones

Weeks: 6                                                      Grades: 3 – 6

Learn all about the rocks and stones native to this area and make drawings, paintings, and block prints to illustrate your findings on our daily walks at the base of the mountain and also what we bring in to share. You will look at depictions of rocks and mountains in art history. You will learn to mix many shades and values of grays and browns to add specks of color to make your beautiful paintings. Instructor: Dagmar Frinta