GOOSE CREEK STATE PARK — If one’s New Year’s resolutions include learning more about Beaufort County and its natural environment, then a good place to begin is Goose Creek State Park.

The park hosts a regular series of free, educational programs offered nearly every weekend, according to park ranger Joe Martin.

“We offer programs for a range of ages,” Martin said. “Some will be more specifically for children and others are for adults. I enjoy the fact that we are exposing people to what we have out here.”

This Saturday, Martin will lead a program focusing on winter tree identification. That program begins at 2 p.m. in the visitor center.

“We’re going to have a classroom portion to introduce people to a dichotomous key to identify trees without leaves, and then we’ll have an outdoor session to practice our dichotomous key skills.”

Each ranger in the park has special interests and backgrounds that make the implementation of these programs easy and enjoyable. Drawing on their knowledge, the rangers propose program ideas and, when necessary, can further research the topics using online resources as well as a collection of materials housed in the office.

Some programs are planned around special events or are presented in response to requests from the public, Martin added.

“All of our programs are free and most of them you can just show up for that day,” Martin said. “But we do have a handful of programs that require preregistration so it’s always good to call ahead. For instance, sometimes I do a campground cooking program and we have to limit that to 10 people.”

On Jan. 19, beginning at 2 p.m., the park will host a program titled “Critter Hunt.” A short hike through the woods will hopefully yield a few of the park’s native inhabitants.

“Waterfowl of the Pamlico” is the topic of the Jan. 26 program, which begins at 2 p.m.in the visitor center. Information about the thousands of migrating ducks, swans and geese that flock to the waters of the Pamlico River and Pamlico Sound every winter will be shared.

As the seasons change, so does the focus of the park’s programs, Martin said. Wildlife hikes are always popular, as is the wildflower hike usually conducted in the spring.

Goose Creek State Park is located on Camp Leach Road approximately 10 miles east of Washington. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 252-923-2191.