WHAT: Aullwood Audubon Announces May 2023 Calendar of Activities 

WHERE: Aullwood Audubon Center 

                    1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton, OH 45414 

                    Aullwood Audubon Farm 

                    9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton, OH 45414-1129  

WHEN:   9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday 

                    1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday  

MAY 2023 CALENDAR 

May 1 - 31 – “The Troll That Hatched an Egg by Thomas Dambo” Exhibit, (Farm & Center) 

May 2 & 3 – Aullwood Backyard Birdathon 2023 (everyone), 6:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Online)   

May 3, 17 – Chipmunk Adventures, “Animal Feet are Neat!”, 10:00 a.m. -11:45 a.m., (Farm Pavilion)
May 4, 11, 18, 25 - Adult Member Discovery Walks (members only), 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (Center) 

May 6 – Spring Migrant Stroll (everyone), 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Center)   

May 9, 16, 23, 30– Long-term Butterfly Monitoring (everyone), 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Center) 

May 13 & 14 – Aullwood Farm Babies Fest (everyone), 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Farm)    

May 20 – September 4 – Aullwood is a Blue Star Museum, (Farm & Center)   

May 21 – Kids, Lambs & Chicks, Wahoo! (everyone), 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Farm)   

May 29 – Aullwood is open for Memorial Day! (everyone), 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Farm & Center)   

General admission is $12/adults 13 to 64, $10 Seniors 65+ and Active Duty Military, $8/children 4 to 12 and children 3 and under FREE unless otherwise noted with an asterisk (*). Members of Friends of Aullwood, National Audubon Society and ANCA are admitted free.  Please note that Aullwood walks are weather dependent and are cancelled if there is thunder, lightning or heavy rain. Access to Aullwood and Aullwood trails is at both the Center and Farm Tuesday - Sunday.  

Aullwood Center programs begin at 1000 Aullwood Road. Aullwood Farm Programs begin at 9101 Frederick Pike. Call 937-890-7360 for information. Check our events calendar: www.aullwood.org. 

May is the time when spring wildflowers continue to bloom, and migration is in full swing! It’s the perfect time to visit Aullwood to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring! Enjoy the arrival of beautiful neo-tropical migrants arriving in full force and farm babies! Enjoy many new attractions at Farm Babies Fest on May 13 & 14 at Aullwood Farm including The Cincinnati Circus Turtle Ride and an amazing raptor show and more! 

Aullwood has a variety of pasture raised meats and as well as farm fresh eggs for all of your cooking needs! Our pork products include pork chops, smoked ham, and bacon. We have recently added frozen whole cut chickens! We also have chicken, duck and quail eggs for sale. You can find whole milk and chocolate milk from Fresh Start Dairy as well as hydroponically-grown greens from Frank’s House of Greens! It is always free admission to shop in the Nature Store. Make purchases with credit card, check or cash. 

Important Information and Guidelines for Programs:

Aullwood is following the recommendations from government officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ohio Department of Health and the National Audubon Society. Guidelines are subject to change as State mandates change.

• Programs begin promptly at their scheduled start time, are weather dependent and are cancelled if there is thunder, lightning or heavy rain. Participants will be contacted via email should a program be cancelled.
• If you or someone in your household is sick, stay home. Do not visit Aullwood if you have a fever, persistent cough or shortness of breath, have the symptoms of COVID-19 or were exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
• We recommend you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after your visit.

We are performing a professional daily deep cleaning of our facilities and frequent cleaning of high-touch areas.  Single use masks for adults and children are available for free. We have installed touchless faucets, soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers in the restrooms. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the site.

The Troll That Hatched an Egg Exhibit (Everyone) 

Aullwood Audubon is proud to host “The Troll That Hatched an Egg”, an exhibit from the internationally renowned recycle artist Thomas Dambo! Bo, Bodil, Bibbi and their troll-sized bird nest have come to life at Aullwood and are ready for your visit. Learn more and plan your trip at
https://aullwood.audubon.org/trolls now. We recommend that you carefully plan your visit to allow for adequate time to explore our property and the Troll That Hatched an Egg exhibit. You can read more about Thomas Dambo at www.thomasdambo.com. (Farm & Center)

Adult Member Discovery Walks (Members Only) 

May 4, 11, 18, 25 – 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Bring your binoculars and delight in a weekly walk along Aullwood’s trails spotting birds and exploring the seasonal changes taking place at Aullwood. These walks are a benefit for Aullwood and National Audubon Society members only and there is  no cost to attend. Please be ready and waiting on the main sidewalk of the Nature Center 5 minutes before the start of the walk. (Center) 

Spring Migrant Stroll (Everyone) 

Saturday, May 6, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Stroll through woodland, wetland, and prairie to discover which birds have arrived after a long migration. Bring binoculars; we will also have some available. Please pre-register online at http://store.aullwood.org . (Center) 

Long-Term Butterfly Monitoring (Everyone) 

May 9, 16, 23, 30 – 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Join Sam Romeo and Aullwood’s Long-term Butterfly Monitoring team to identify, count and monitor butterfly populations. Walk the same route each week through different habitats to record butterflies and skippers. This important data is then compiled with other monitoring stations around the State. No experience is necessary.  Bring binoculars. Please preregister at http://store.aullwood.org . Those who are registered will be notified if the walk is cancelled due to weather. (Center) 

Chipmunk Adventures Classes 

Wednesdays, May 3 & 17 - 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Chipmunk Adventures Classes for Preschool children ages 2 - 5 accompanied by an adult. Discover and share the excitement of nature with us at Aullwood Audubon. Visit farm animals, hike in the woods, crunch in the leaves, or walk in the creek. We’ll do hands-on activities, nature art, stories, and songs together at each session. Classes are conducted outside under the Farm Pavilion unless weather conditions dictate otherwise. Then we begin inside, but our hikes are outside. Dress for the weather conditions. Come and explore the wonder of winter with us!  

The theme in May is “Animal Feet are Neat!” The class fee for members is $25.00 and non-members is $30.00. Maximum of 8 child/adult pairs. We require a minimum of 4 child/adult pairs to hold this program. Email [email protected]  for more information or call Beverly Holland at 937-890-7360, ext. 206. Visit https://aullwood.audubon.org/ChipmunkAdventures to sign up. (Farm Pavilion) 

Aullwood Backyard Birdathon 2023(Everyone)

Good fun, good friends, good birding! Join us for Aullwood's 2 day Backyard Birdathon 2023 on Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3 as we try to identify 125+ different bird species in a 48 hour period and raise $8,000 of support for Aullwood. Join Team Cardinal or Team Warbler and go birding with us, or make a pledge at a level of your choice. Donations of all amounts as well as per species pledges are welcome! Visit https://aullwood.audubon.org/BirdathonPledge to Pledge, learn more and join us today!

On Day 1, Tuesday, May 2 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. rain or shine, Team Warbler will be spotting birds all over the Miami Valley from Spring Valley to Beavercreek Wetlands to Oaks Quarry, Huffman Prairie and beyond! Sam Romeo, Aullwood’s Environmental Educator and expert birder, will lead the team and will post updates on Aullwood’s Facebook event page! For a donation of $150 or more you can join the team! Lunch, transportation and snacks are included.

On Day 2, Wednesday, May 3, Team Cardinal will be birding in the morning only from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Aullwood Audubon and Englewood MetroPark. Environmental Educator Sam Romeo will lead Team Cardinal and will post more updates on Aullwood’s Facebook event page. You can join the team for a donation of $75 and enjoy a complimentary breakfast at Aullwood.

You don’t have to be a 'birder' or join us on a trip to participate! You can also look for birds in your own backyard or come to Aullwood to spot birds! Birding can keep you physically active or can be as relaxing as sitting in a comfy chair and watching birds at your feeders. Everyone can participate in Aullwood’s Backyard Birdathon as a great way to involve the whole family and learn something new! Enjoy migrating birds and those that stay with us all year and help us identify as many bird species as possible on May 2 and 3. 

Comment on the birds you're seeing on Aullwood’s Backyard Birdathon Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/143613371995847/ and we will count your birds as part of the Birdathon. Post a photo in the comments to tell us where you are and what birds you're seeing, and see what the 'pros' are spotting with Sam Romeo. Learn more about birds and identifying at www.ebird.org/home, www.allaboutbirds.org/news or www.audubon.org/birding. 

For more information about the Aullwood Backyard Birdathon, contact Laurie Cothran at [email protected] or 937-890-7360 x216. Aullwood Backyard Birdathon 2023 is brought to you by Riverdale Optimists.

*Aullwood Farm Babies Fest (Everyone)

Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Join us for a Farm Babies Fest that's bigger and better than ever! Aullwood's 18th annual event will be held at Aullwood Audubon Farm, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton Ohio. Visit the many farm babies in the Bank Barn including our goat kids, piglets and lambs. See the amazing new Ayam Cemani — all black chickens including their skin, bones, comb, and eyes — or the Indio Gigante chicks — destined to become the world’s tallest chicken, with roosters reaching over 36 inches high. Welcome the Ohio School of Falconry’s Raptor Roadshow, watch raptors free fly and learn about the ancient art of falconry during 45 minute shows each day. 

Enjoy great food from Timeless Tacos, Buckeye Burgers, Bella Sorella Pizza (Sunday May 14 only) and Graeter's Ice Cream, or enjoy a classic hamburger or hot dog from the Vandalia Lions Club. Take the opportunity to enjoy performers from the Cincinnati Circus as they juggle on stilts and create amazing balloon sculptures. Take a turn on our stilts if you’d like to learn, or take a seat on the fun Turtle Parade ride! Enjoy a weekend of time spent together and explore the farm. Meet farm babies, enjoy our tried and true free Children’s Activities, shop our traditional craft vendors and browse the Greenview Garden Club's Plant Sale. Be sure to explore and admire our “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” exhibit by Thomas Dambo too! 

Nonmember admission to Farm Babies Fest is the same as regular Aullwood Audubon admission, free for children 3 and under, $8.00 for children 4 to 12, $10.00 for seniors age 65 and over and active-duty military members, and $12.00 for adults 13 to 64. Friends of Aullwood members with membership card receive discounted admission! FoA member admission is free for children 3 and under, $6.00 for children 4 to 12, $8.00 for seniors age 65 and over and active duty military members and $10.00 for adults 13 to 64. Aullwood's Marie S. Aull Education Center at 1000 Aullwood Road will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14, during this event. The parking facilities at 1000 Aullwood Road will also be closed to the public during Farm Babies Fest.  Aullwood does not have an ATM onsite, but we do accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover. 

Farm Babies Fest 2023 is presented by R. B. Jergens Contractors with support from Dayton Freight, Shook Construction and Riverdale Optimists. We appreciate their support! (Farm) 

Aullwood is a Blue Star Museum 

Aullwood Audubon has once again joined an innovative program - Blue Star Museums 2023. Through this program Aullwood will show 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, as well as Reserve members. The active-duty member or spouse may bring up to 5 family members from Saturday, May 20, 2023 until Monday, September 4, 2022.  

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among 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 that offers free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families during the summer. Blue Star Museums provides the gift of an outstanding museum experience to thousands of military families. The program strengthens both museums and military communities and says thank you to military personnel who give so much! See the list of museums at https://www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums. 

Kids, Lambs & Chicks, Wahoo! (Everyone) 

Sunday, May 21, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. If you missed Farm Babies Fest, this is your opportunity to meet our newest additions at the farm. Giggle as you watch kid goats jump on their mothers, watch a baby piglet, and see some amazing unusual chicken breeds. Please pre-register online at http://store.aullwood.org . (Farm) 

Volunteer & Support Aullwood (Everyone) 

To volunteer at Aullwood please contact Nenita Lapitan, Manager of Volunteer and Rental Services at 937-890-7360, x214 or email at [email protected]. Become a member of Aullwood now! Visit https://aullwood.audubon.org/membership  for information. If you have any questions, email [email protected]. Make a tax-deductible gift at https://aullwood.audubon.org/donateto support Aullwood’s mission of conservation and education.