June 7             The Birds of Wildwood                         Jason Courter: Biologist, Christiansburg High School ·         Make your next walk through the park a field trip!   Come and learn how to identify many of the common visitors to Wildwood Park by sight and sound.  Information will be provided on a variety of birds ranging from woodpeckers to warblers.
June 21           Damsels and Dragons                         Clyde Kessler: Naturalist, Virginia Tech ·         An in-depth look at the amazing species and life histories of dragonflies and damselflies that frequent Wildwood Park and the New River.

July 12            The Wilderness Trail

                        Fess Green: Historian/Author

·         Find out where the Wilderness Trail came through Radford and the role it played in frontier settlements.   A PowerPoint presentation will highlight the early history of this migration route.

July 26            Bats: Myth vs. Reality

                        Karen Francl: Biologist, Radford University

·         Learn about the nocturnal lives of neighborhood bats--who they are, where they live, what they eat, and how they are beneficial to our town. We will also dispel the myths that give bats a bad reputation. Bat recording equipment will be on-hand and tested, as will nets to capture bats, in the hopes of viewing them close-up around sunset.
 

August 2         Slithering Snakes                         Frank Taylor: Biologist, Radford High School ·         A close look at some of Wildwood’s common reptile inhabitants including a presentation of live specimens. (Hands-on participation is recommended but not required!)

August 16       Vultures: Friend or Foe

                        Bob Sheehy: Biologist, Radford University

·         The myth, the misconceptions, and the natural history of one of Radford’s most infamous and amazing winter visitors.

August 30       Radford’s Railroad History (7:30pm)

Jeff Brown: Biologist/Train Enthusiast, Radford High School

·         From the steam era to modern diesel electrics of Norfolk and Southern: a multi-media presentation featuring a unique railroad perspective of Radford history.