Environmental Education Programs

Return to January through June programs

July 1, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Classroom, 6:00 pm
Turtles, Tortoises, or Terrapins – Mike Shaffer - Have you ever wondered if there is a difference? Can turtles really crawl out of their shells? Join the park naturalist for an up close and personal look at these wonderful creatures.

July 15, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Center, 2:00 pm
Venomous Snakes of PA – Mike Shaffer – Don’t let the scales fool you. Snakes are fascinating and play an important role in the environment. Join us for a closer look at these misunderstood creatures. Live snakes will be on hand!

July 22, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Classroom, 2:00 pm
Trails of Pennsylvania – Bill Dietrich – An overview of the more than 3000 miles of major hiking trails in Penn’s Woods. So how do you find them and get information to walk them? “Leave No Trace” ethics and the ten essentials for day hikers will be given, and then a short hike in Yellow Creek State Park to get our feet going and our hearts pumping.

July 28, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 10:00 am
PA Native Species Garden – Sue Weiland – Come and see PA native flowers growing. This garden project is collaboration between the state park and the Indiana County Master Gardeners. Enjoy the garden, learn about the plants and how to establish a native garden.

August 5, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Wildflowers and Trees of Western Pennsylvania– Bob Zuberbuhler – Wonder what the name is for a certain wildflower or tree? Learn Bob’s methods to classify & identify plants based largely on the characteristics of the flowers. Traditional medical use of some species will be discussed.

August 18, Saturday
Yellow Creek North Shore Pavilion, 7:00 pm
Bats: Up Close and Personal – Mike Shaffer – What do you know about bats? Do you see them as being important to the environment? If not, come and learn about these misunderstood creatures and visit the park’s bat boxes.

September 8, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lakeside Center, 2:00 pm
Coyotes in Pennsylvania - Pat Snickles – Mr. Snickles will discuss the presence of coyotes in Pennsylvania and our area. His lecture will include coyote behavior and predation followed by Q/A session.

September 9, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Art Creations from Nature’s Gifts – Rebecca Sterley – Workshop and demonstration of the use of objects found from nature to adorn small boxes of wood and cardboard.

September 16, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Birds of Prey - Earl Schriver – Come see these fascinating birds, hear their stories and learn facts about these avian predators. Earl brings a variety of live birds to this always interesting presentation.

September 22, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lodge, 2:00 pm
The Pennsylvania Black Bear – Pat Snickles – Mr. Snickles will discuss the presence of black bears in our state and area. Methods for controlling the black bear population will be discussed followed by a Q/A session.

September 29, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 7:30 pm®
Night Hike – Mike Shaffer – Join the Park Naturalist do discover some of the amazing creatures of the night-time world. We’ll venture out into the darkness searching for owls, learning how to tell temperature by counting cricket chirps, and by the end of this program you will have sparks flying out of your mouths! Pre-registration required.

October 6, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lodge, 7:00 pm
What’s in Your Haggis? – Denise Weber – View a unique slide show of Scotland from Glasgow to Edinburgh via the Highlands, Isle of Skye, Lock Ness, Inverness, and St. Andrews. Have a wee dram at the Glen Boyne Distillery and dance a reel at the Allidh at McGregor’s Barn. Meet the ghosts of the Daughtered McDonald clan at Glencoe, and ride Scotland’s newest innovation –the Falkick Wheel.

October 14, Sunday
Yellow Creek State Park Boat Rental Building®, 2:00 pm
Fall Foliage by Boat – Mike Shaffer – Always a popular program. Spend the afternoon on a leisurely tour of the spectacular fall scenery around Yellow Creek. Pre-registration required.

October 21, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Wily White-Tails – Mike Shaffer – Take a close look into the most hunted big game species in North America. Topics will include antler growth and development, PA’s present deer herd, calling and rattling, and the best places to see and hunt trophy white-tails. Get ready for the rut is right around the corner!

October 27, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lodge, 2:00 pm
Ghost Hunting in Pennsylvania - Laurel Black - Ghost Researchers in Pennsylvania will share photos, EVPs (Ghost Voices), and experiences from some of their investigations. You’ll learn what researchers think ghosts are, how investigations are conducted, and what happens during a ghost hunt, from the small details to some of the exciting moments.

November 3, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lodge, 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Violin Soloist Allie Jacobs & Company: A Celebration of Nature - Allie Jacobs - Enjoy an afternoon’s reflection on our human relationship with nature. Allie and friends will share with you a woven repertoire of violin performance, with short interludes of inspirational nature readings and poetry, all performed against a colorful and changing backdrop of nature photography.

November 9, Friday
Blue Spruce Lodge, 7:00 pm
To Yellowstone and Back – Larry Turton – Yellowstone National Park is constantly changing its geology and geography. Man has implemented a number of changes in its political-economic status. Explore these fascinating changes in Yellowstone from the 1970s to 2006 through the photography and experiences of Larry Turton.