On-site and Outreach Group Programs
Lake Crabtree offers a wide variety of environmental education programs for public and private schools, Scouts, birthday parties and other organized groups. Programs are available at the park or off-site (outreach). All programs are specific to the piedmont region of North Carolina. Please allow at least two weeks advance notice to schedule a program for your group.
Call 919-460-2723 or email colleen.bockhahn@wakegov.com for more information or to request a program date. You can also begin the reservation process by filling out a Group Program Request Form and choosing a topic from our Group Program List. If you have questions about a program topic that is not listed, please ask our staff – we will do our best to accommodate your group.
Most programs given on-site are $25/hour per staff member (fishing and canoe programs are $40/hour per staff member). Outreach programs are $40/hour per staff member. Group size per staff member will be limited to 15–30 depending on the program requested and age of the participants. Programs for pre-K groups are available to groups of 15 or fewer.
For the public:
Whether you are a child or an adult, Lake Crabtree has a program for you! All scheduled programs have space limitations and, therefore, require registration prior to the program. Please download a copy of our Registration Form or call 919-460-3355 to receive one by mail or fax, or for more information.
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Family Programs
(Everyone welcome.)
Preregistration is required for all programs unless otherwise noted.
Birding with Vernon
1st Saturday of each month (unless otherwise stated), 8:30–10 a.m.
July 6, August 3, September 7
FREE; No preregistration required.
Meet at the Waterwise Garden (first parking lot on right).
Join our bird enthusiast, Vernon, for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats.
Crabtree Casters
1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month (unless otherwise stated), 6:30–8 p.m.
June 19, July 3 & 17, August 7 & 21, September 4 & 18
FREE
Meet at the Boat Rental Dock.
Whether you already enjoy fishing or would like to learn how to fish, this program is for you! Join park staff for an informal fishing experience for the whole family. Bring your own poles or borrow one of ours through the Tackle Loaner Program. Bait and basic instruction are provided. All participants 16 years and older must have a valid North Carolina Fishing License to participate. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Beginner Orienteering
Saturday, July 20, 9–11 a.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Manager’s Office.
Learn basic map-reading skills and how to find the cardinal directions. Then we’ll use those skills in a treasure hunt around the park.
Intermediate Orienteering
Saturday, July 20, 2–4 p.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Waterwise Garden.
Leave your GPS at home and learn how to find your way using only a compass and a map. We’ll cover the basics of orienteering, including reading bearings, calculating your stride, and more. Use your new skills to find your way on our 1-mile orienteering course through the woods. Ages 7 to adult.
Fish School
Sunday, July 21, 6–8 p.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Amphitheater.
Lake Crabtree is a popular spot to fish. In this class, we’ll teach you not only how to catch fish, but also how to identify what you’ve caught. You’ll learn all the parts of a fish and what to look for to tell different species apart.
Park After Dark
Friday, July 26, 8–10 p.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Amphitheater.
Experience the sights and sounds of sunset and beyond. Learn more about the park's nocturnal animals and test your senses at night. Come prepared with a flashlight and feel for adventure!
Spider Sniffing
Saturday, August 17, 8–10 p.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Waterwise Garden.
Do you have a nose for nature? Bring it, a flashlight, and your night vision for a walk around the Old Beech Nature Trail. Meet with park staff at dusk to learn what those bumps in the night really are, and discover the secret art of “spider-sniffing.”
Down N’ Dirty
Sunday, August 18, 1–3 p.m.
$3/person or $5/family
Meet at the Manager’s Office.
Do you feel the earth move under your feet? It’s full of springtails, nematodes and night-crawlers, so it’s surprising that we don’t. These fanciful-sounding creatures are very real and lead fascinating lives just out of sight. Cast a light on the dark world of soil dwellers in this program.
CSI: Crabtree Spider Identification
Tuesday, September 24, 5–7 p.m.
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the Beech Shelter.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the waterspout...but who was he, really? What were his motivations? We’re kicking off TACO Week with an investigation of Lake Crabtree’s eight-legged inhabitants. Take your new skills home and become a spider detective.
Here, Fishy, Fishy
Thursday, September 26, 9–11 a.m. or 2–4 p.m.
(two sessions to choose from)
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the Floodplain.
Program leaders will catch fish and other aquatic wildlife using a variety of methods. We'll spend time observing and identifying the critters we catch, and learn basic fish anatomy and life history. If time allows, we'll play a game to demonstrate an aquatic food web.
Name That Tree
Friday, September 27, 4–6 p.m.
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the White Oak Shelter.
Always wondered what the trees in your yard are, but can’t tell the difference between an oak and a pine? Then this is the program for you! We’ll learn how to use a dichotomous key then walk around the park to practice identifying some common species. Ages 7 and up.
Moth-er’s Night
Saturday, September 28, 7–9 p.m.
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the Beech Shelter.
There are more kinds of moths than there are butterflies, yet butterflies get all the attention. This night program will give moths the ‘spotlight.’ We’ll focus on identifying moths as well as ways to attract them to your backyard so you can know which ones live there.
Mysterious Mushrooms
Sunday, September 29, 1–3 p.m.
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the Waterwise Garden.
Discover the amazing world of mushrooms and learn about these organisms that are neither plant nor animal. Learn how to identify some of the more common species found in our area and discover the important role they play in our ecosystem.
Waterbirds
Sunday, September 29, 5–7 p.m.
FREE (in celebration of Take A Child Outside Week)
Meet at the Amphitheater.
Explore the park at sunset with us as we search for herons, cormorants and eagles, oh my! Learn the natural history of these birds and their connection to Lake Crabtree.
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Adult Programs
(Adults only)
Butterflies Through Binoculars
Saturday, July 6, 10 a.m.–noon
$3/person
Meet at the Manager’s Office.
Get an up-close look at wild butterflies. No need for pins or microscopes; you can view Lake Crabtree’s most colorful denizens alive in their natural habitat. We’ll tour the park and its gardens and learn some basic butterfly identification techniques.
Rain Barrel Workshops
Thursday, September 5, 4–5 p.m. or 5:15–6:15 p.m.
Friday, September 6, 4–5 p.m. or 5:15–6:15 p.m.
$40/barrel (Checks must be made payable to the Agni Institute)
Meet at the Maintenance Yard.
Build your own rain barrel! Participants in these workshops will take home a fully functional 55-gallon rain barrel with installation kit. These are the same rain barrels that retail for $99 and up! Space is limited, so reserve your spot early. Registration is limited to two people per barrel. Minors may accompany their adults, but they must be 12 years or older. Registrations and payments must be received by September 2.
Call 919-460-2723 for more information.
Mushroom Mastery
Saturday, September 14, 2–4 p.m.
$3/person
Meet at the Waterwise Garden.
Here’s one program that breaks the mold. You’ll really take a lichen to Lake Crabtree’s own Mistress of Mushrooms as she leads a fungus collection hike and shares information about these strange organisms that belong to their own kingdom and provide us with food, drink and medicine. Then you’ll be taught you how to identify what you’ve found; it’s the yeast she can do!
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Storytime for Tots
Discover nature, beginning with a story, followed by outdoor, hands-on nature exploration. Each program will end with a fun activity or craft to take home. Come prepared to actively participate with your child. First Wednesday of each month. Programs run from 1–2 p.m. at the Beech Shelter. Cost is $4 per child, or sign up for three programs for $10. Preregistration is required. Ages 2–5.
I Love Bugs
by Philemon Sturges
Wednesday, July 3, 1–2 p.m.
Come explore the amazing world of bugs! You'll meet bugs that crawl, fly, hop, burrow and more. After the story we'll go on a bug safari and make a bug to take home.
The Barn Owls
by Tony Johnston
Wednesday, August 7, 1–2 p.m.
Learn all about the mysterious Barn Owl and its habits. We'll also learn about the other owls that call North Carolina home and how to identify them. Participants will see owl feathers and pellets up close, and make an owl puppet.
An Earthworm's Life
by John Himmelman
Wednesday, September 4, 1–2 p.m.
Have you ever wondered why earthworms come out after it rains? Or how they get around with no legs? We'll learn all about earthworms and why they are so important to us. Participants will meet real earthworms and perform experiments with them. We'll also peek into our worm bin to see worms at work.
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Homeschool and Track-Out Programs
These programs are open to students 5–12 years old. Cost is $8 per child. Each lesson meets at the Beech Shelter, unless otherwise noted. Preregistration is required.
Radical Raptors
Tuesday, June 18, 1–3 p.m.
Hawks and owls and vultures, oh my! Whether it's an eagle, a kite or a buzzard, all these birds are 'raptors,' ones that hunt for their food. They may not all be related, but they all possess fascinating adaptations to fill the same role in the environment. Come learn about these adaptations, and we'll see if we can find some resident raptors at Lake Crabtree.
Arachnophilia
Tuesday, September 17, 1–3 p.m.
Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. But here at Lake Crabtree, we’ve got arachnophilia, which means we love spiders! Come learn about what spiders do to survive, how to identify them, and why there’s nothing to be afraid of unless you’re a delicious insect.
Special Events
Pollinator Festival
Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Meet at the Beech Shelter.
June 24–30 is National Pollinator Week. Lake Crabtree is excited to host its first Pollinator Festival, featuring games, crafts, guest speakers and all sorts of other activities celebrating everything that pollinators do for us and the rest of the planet. There'll be prizes, crafts and other cool stuff for you to take home. Preregistration is not required. Show up anytime for some family fun.
Big Sweep
Saturday, October 5, 9 a.m.–noon
Meet at the Boat Rental Tower.
Join volunteers around the globe and help clean the world's waterways. Teams will pick up trash along the shore of Lake Crabtree and its connecting creeks. Gloves, bags and other supplies are provided by the park. We’ll raffle off prizes and learn why it's important to educate others about litter. Individuals and groups are welcome. Make a difference in your community! Preregistration is required. Call 919-460-2723 to sign up.
Creepy Crabtree
Saturday, October 26, 4–7 p.m.
This free, park-wide event will investigate the darker side of nature. Learn about bats, snakes, spiders and other 'creepy-crawlies' with unfortunate and undeserved reputations. You can make dreadful decorations or creepy crafts, go on a scary scavenger hunt, listen to spooky stories and tour our park in the dark during a haunted hike. Join us in celebrating the night and come in costume if you like. Come anytime for some family fun; no registration or sign up necessary for the main event, but please preregister for one of our night hikes (7:15–8:45 p.m.).