Zwaanendael and other sites host outdoor, nature themed programs for spring and summer

As the weather gets warmer, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’s museums and historic sites across the state are hosting events to get visitors outside to enjoy history in the beauty of nature.  

One of these recent events was a nature walk through downtown Lewes led by Zwaanendael Museum Historic Interpreter Laurie Conner. Conner has a bachelor’s degree in American history but has spent her entire career working in forests and nature preserves, as many are connected to historic sites. In her spare time, she is a taxidermist and is in charge of the Slaughter Beach section of Delaware’s annual horseshoe crab spawn survey.

Conner led Zwaanendael Museum guests on a naturalist’s guide to downtown Lewes, pointing out native and non-native plants that grow in the garden plots of the town’s urban areas and what their historic uses were for the native populations and early settlers in Delaware. One notable sighting is the cedar tree that sits just across from the Zwaanendael Museum and is the same type of tree that provided the siding for the historic house that shares its yard. Another is thistle, a native plant that is also edible.  

This tour isn’t the only chance visitors will get to enjoy the beautiful sights Delaware’s spring and summer weather has to offer. The Zwaanendael Museum will host walking tours of the DeBraak shipwreck at Cape Henlopen State Park on Thursdays and Saturdays from May through September, the New Castle Court House Museum guides walking tours of the New Castle Green on Friday mornings in June, July and August and several other sites have upcoming outdoor activities perfect for all ages. See HCA’s full events calendar for more details!