Plainsboro Park rangers plan many activities in the Evenings in the Park series for children of all ages. All programs are free and few require registration. Tara Miller, a Plainsboro Park ranger, teacher, naturalist, and a Plainsboro resident, coordinates the activities.
Juggling in the Park takes place on Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, and 20 at Morris Davison Park, Plainsboro Road, for ages five and up. Participate in one session or all sessions. “Learn how to juggle using tennis balls or bean bags — easy, simple things to practice with at home,” says Miller. Bring your own equipment if you like.
Fireflies in the Park takes place on Thursday, July 2, at 8:30 p.m. in Community Park, Scotts Corner Road. Did you know that different species have different “blinks” and that the females do not fly? “If a female firefly is impressed by the male she will flash back to him,” says Miller. “Males will know by the series of blinks if she is part of a correct species for him.”
A drumming circle for families will be held at Schalks Meadow Park, Princeton Collection, Parker Road, on Wednesday, August 5, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Drums will be provided by Sharon Silverstein, Living in Peace.
An Insect Safari takes place on Thursday, July 20, at Waters Edge Park, Pond View Drive. Butterfly and sweep nets will be provided. Did you know that there are more than 1 million species of insects in the world? “We will collect and identify insects,” says Miller.
Kid’s Volleyball for middle school kids takes place every Tuesday through July 28, in Plainsboro Park, Edgemere Avenue.
Miller, a Plainsboro resident for six years, was raised in South Central Pennsylvania. She graduated from University of Pittsburgh with a degree in geology and a graduate degree in education from the California University of Pennsylvania. “I loved teaching more than being out in the field but I did not want to go into a classroom,” she says.
She worked at the Pocono Environmental Center and then taught physics and chemistry to eighth grade students in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. “I loved the kids but I missed teaching outside,” she says. When she was offered the opportunity to work with New Jersey Audubon Society she took it. Miller worked at the Plainsboro Preserve in the trailer — before the center was built. “We worked mostly with after school clubs and school groups,” she says. “There were only two of us working.”
When she was offered the opportunity to work at the non-profit agency, Stony Brook Millstone Watershed, she accepted. Miller was soon offered a chance to do the same type of the thing she was doing there — right down the road from her house. Miller, single, lives on a farm with a dog, a cat, 28 chickens, a big vegetable garden, and two roommates. Miller, who still volunteers at Stonybrook, works on the Butterfly Festival and fall weekends.
A recent activity is the kids’ gardening club focusing on a small children’s garden in back of the library. The children planted seeds, annuals, tomato, strawberries, pepper plants, and herbs — perfect for the kids to sniff and smell.
“I love working for the Township with the public works guys, being involved in the stream cleanup this spring, and working on some grants,” she says. “We also offer a junior ranger program that is growing with a core group of kids who are faithful.”
Plainsboro Park Rangers, Plainsboro Parks and Recreation, 609-799-0909, ext. 354. www.plainsboronj.com.
