My name is Tom Sheppard and I am your Chief Park Naturalist at the Hunterdon County Division of Parks and Recreation. I am a lifelong resident of Hunterdon County with family roots back to the founding of the County. I have had the pleasure to work for the County Parks for the past 22 years with more than half of that time being the Chief Park Naturalist. My love of nature and the outdoors was well established in my youth, thanks to my involvement with the Boy Scouts and the places I traveled with family. I have continued both practices into my adulthood.
One of the program series that I have developed is for Homeschool groups. There is a three-year series described in our homeschool brochure. The lesson plans are spread across a typical school year of 9 months, grouping each topic into a three-month period. However, groups have the freedom to switch topics and can also request a different program. Home School Brochure Feel free to look over the brochure and contact me if you have any specific questions. If you are not part of a group, check our public program listings; I am usually offering programs for individual homeschoolers.
I look forward to the day we will once again be offering bird trips; until then, I do continue to lead free bird walks for the public. Morning walks take place in various County Parks, with locations changing every week. In spring during April and May, they typically occur from 7:00 am to 8:30 am on Thursdays. Fall walks also occur from September to October with times adjusted for sunrise. We have binoculars that we can loan for the outings; all you need to do is register and show up. Please check our websites or the Harbinger for a complete list of birding opportunities with the County, as well as the times and any costs involved.
I hope to see you out in our parks or enjoying one of our programs.