Wild Ideas

Join us for Wild I.D.E.A.s Gets Outside!

During February’s Wild I.D.E.A.s for a More Vibrant Tomorrow, we explored how a diverse coalition of people are helping to share a more healthy and vibrant Triangle region. We left February’s event with a challenge: help introduce more people to the outdoors.

Wild I.D.E.A.s Gets Outside is your chance to explore the outdoors through fun activities at TLC’s Brumley Nature Preserve! This reimagined Wild I.D.E.A.s (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) will provide opportunities to experience nature hands on – and to share the joy of the outdoors with others.

You’re invited join TLC and partners on Saturday, October 21 from 10 AM – 2 PM for a FREE day of outdoor exploration and fun at Brumley Nature Preserve – South section in Chapel Hill, NC!

Location & Parking: The direct address to get to this location is 3323 Old State Highway 10 Chapel Hill, NC 27514, which is a private entrance into Brumley South open only for the event. You will access this location from a dirt road, on an incline (pictured below). Once you are on the dirt road, you’ll come to a fork in the road. Please continue straight, taking the right fork. You’ll continue down the road until you reach a large field that we will use for parking. Flags, signage, and volunteers will be out to help direct you!

Schedule of Events

*Please note that several events have required pre-registration. This is to help our hike and activity leaders know in advance how many people will be attending their program. Certain events also have a registration limit. If you encounter a full program, you can join the waitlist or look for another activity to attend!

10:15 AM – BLK Hiking Club Hike
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Join BLK hiking club for a morning hike at Brumley Nature Preserve to learn about the joy of day hiking! *Pre-registration is required.

11:00 AM – Budburst with NC Botanical Garden
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Become a Community Scientist with Budburst! North Carolina Botanical Garden. Join staff from the North Carolina Botanical Garden to learn about Budburst, a national community science project where researchers and community scientists work together to answer critical questions around the effects of climate change on plants and pollinators—and how we can mitigate those effects. Learn how you can contribute to the effort by making simple plant observations. We’ll practice an observation together and leave time to reflect and answer questions. Participants receive a native pollinator-loving plant! Ages 15+ (accompanied by adult). *Pre-registration is required.

11:30 AM – BLK Hiking Club Hike
Click for details and registration link

Join BLK Hiking Club for a morning hike at Brumley Nature Preserve to learn about the joy of day hiking! *Pre-registration required.

12:00 PM – Native Plant Hike with NC Wildlife Federation
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Learn how to identify common native plants on this short hike with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. *Pre-registration required.

1:00 PM – Bi-Cultural Connections with TLC
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Conservation connects communities that are miles apart. Join Laura Warman, TLC’s Grants Manager, as we explore cultural connections that link the land we conserve at TLC to Laura’s homeland in Mexico. Elements of this hike will be offered in Spanish and English. We’ll plan to hike for around 0.75-1 mile on a gradually inclining trail. *Pre-registration required.

1:30 PM – How to: Trekking Poles with TLC
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Using trekking poles can enhance your stability, provide support on all types of terrain, and can strengthen your core and upper body. During this hike you’ll join TLC Trail Guide Nancy to learn the ins and outs of using hiking/trekking poles! *Pre-registration required.

1:30 PM – Budburst with NC Botanical Garden
Click for details and registration link

Become a Community Scientist with Budburst! North Carolina Botanical Garden. Join staff from the North Carolina Botanical Garden to learn about Budburst, a national community science project where researchers and community scientists work together to answer critical questions around the effects of climate change on plants and pollinators—and how we can mitigate those effects. Learn how you can contribute to the effort by making simple plant observations. We’ll practice an observation together and leave time to reflect and answer questions. Participants receive a native pollinator-loving plant! Ages 15+ (accompanied by adult). *Pre-registration link

2:00 PM – Explore Orange County History Walk
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Enjoy a hike at Brumley North with Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation to end our festivities! Orange County staff will provide history of the area. *Pre-registration required.

10 AM – 2 PM Ongoing Activities and Community Expo

Fishing Demo with NC Wildlife Resources Comission
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Join us for a special offering of catch and release fishing at the pond led by NC Wildlife Resources Comission! Whether it’s our first time casting a fishing rod or you’re a fishing master, don’t miss your chance to try it out. Fishing equipment will be provided. *Note: Fishing is normally prohibited at TLC preserves.

Family Camp Activities with Schoolhouse of Wonder
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Here’s your chance to experience nature through the eyes of a child! Activities include fort building, whittling, forest games, primitive fire-building, critter walks, and more!

Blanket Birding with Feminist Bird Club
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Bring your own blanket or chair (we’ll have some too) for blanket birding! This is a stationary form of birdwatching that you can enjoy from the comfort of your seat. Binoculars will be available, and no birding experience is necessary!

NC Adapted Sports
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Test ride Adapted Off-Road Handcycle and Recumbent Trike!

Community Expo
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Meet and mingle with local environmental organizations! Throughout the day, Urban Community AgriNomics, NC Botanical Garden, Great Outdoor Provision Co., Learning Outside, Bluestem, Backyard Butterflies, Eno River Association, Raptor Insights, and Triangle Trails Initiative will be tabling and sharing information and activities around ways to experience and connect with the outdoors in the Triangle.

Event Map

Accessibility and Reminders

We will have marked parking spots available within 20 feet of the event for accessibility needs, in addition to an accessible portable toilet. The main part of our event will be in an open field where you can visit the exhibit booths, learn from the organizations that are present, and partake in food and drink. While the field is relatively flat, it is grass. We are hoping that the field conditions won’t be too wet with the rain that is forecasted for Friday. If you have any questions, please contact Kayla Ebert at [email protected].

We recommend that you wear good walking shoes and ones that you don’t mind getting dirty. The conditions of the field may be a little soggy, so please come prepared! 

Water will be available at our refill station! We will have cups, but recommend that you bring a reusable water bottle with you to use. 

Meet our partners!

BLK Hiking Club

A Black hiking club with the mission to provide Black hikers with a quality and safe hiking experience. BLK Hiking Club engages in hiking activities around the Triangle and in other parts of North Carolina.

Feminist Bird Club – Durham

Feminist Bird Club – Durham started in Spring of 2022. Since then, the group has developed a community of birders whose goal is two-fold: make birding and the outdoors inclusive and affirming to people who may not have safe access to it, and leverage people’s passion for the environment and social justice to help create lasting social change.

Schoolhouse of Wonder

Schoolhouse of Wonder is a local non-profit that has been getting kids outside for over 35 years creating kind, curious, and confident kids through nature-based outdoor adventures.

North Carolina Wildlife Federation

A non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, conserving, and restoring North Carolina wildlife and habitats.

North Carolina Botanical Garden

NC Botanical Garden works to inspire understanding, appreciation, and conservation of plants and to advance a sustainable relationship between people and nature.

North Carolina Adapted Sports

An adapted sports organization raising the expectations of equity and inclusivity for an active lifestyle.

Urban Community AgriNomics (UCAN)

UCAN’s mission is to improve the health and wellness of our community. Their programs provide education on healthy lifestyles, seed-to-table food preparation and preservation, and hands-on STEM and agricultural skills. UCAN empowers Durham families with access to resources to grow their own healthy food using sustainable practices in a supportive environment.

Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation

The Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) works to conserve and manage the natural and cultural resources of Orange County.

Eno River Association

Established in 1966, the Eno River Association is an accredited land trust and conservation nonprofit driven by a mission to conserve and protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River Basin.

Great Outdoor Provision Company

From rock climbing to kayaking – and every adventure in between – Great Outdoor Provision Co. is passionate about the outdoors and eager to share their expertise. For over 50 years, Great Outdoor Provision Co. has been committed to providing North Carolina and Virginia with the best outdoor gear, no matter what.

Raptor Insights

Raptor Insights is dedicated to promoting the conservation of raptors – birds of prey – through expanding public knowledge and appreciation of the diversity of raptors, their role in the environment, factors affecting their populations, and approaches to their conservation. 

Triangle Trails Initiative

The Triangle Trails Initiative (also known as Triangle Trails) is a collaboration between government, businesses, anchor institutions and civic leaders to make the Research Triangle Region a national leader in greenways and trails.

Backyard Butterflies

Backyard Butterflies serves the greater Piedmont region of North Carolina by providing butterfly education, community outreach, and assistance with creating supportive habitats for butterflies and moths.

Bluestem

Conservation of the land, along with the stewardship of fields, woodlands, water features, native wildlife and habitat, are all privileges that we are granted by Nature. At Bluestem we practice solitary and shared experiences of caring for the earth that include silent meditation and reflection, spirited community gatherings, and the support of individuals and families with the sacred act of burial. We envision a shared community space where every person and natural being can find solace and rest at Bluestem.

Learning Outside

Learning Outside’s mission is to provide children with quality outdoor experiences that enhance their lives and learning, instill a love of the natural world and promote lifelong environmental stewardship. Key to our mission is serving individuals who do not have ready access to nature-based learning programs.


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