Environmental Education Programs

Return to January through June programs

July 13, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Classroom , 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 20, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Center, 2:00 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 26, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Classroom , 10:00 am
PA Native Species Garden – Sue Weiland – Enjoy a tour of the native species garden at Yellow Creek.  Learn about establishing a wildflower meadow and how to integrate native plants into your home garden. 

August 3, Sunday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Flowering Trees & Non-flowering plants of Western Pennsylvania– Bob Zuberbuhler – Wonder what the name is for a certain tree?  Learn Bob’s methods to classify & identify plants.  Traditional medical use of some species will be discussed.

August 9, Saturday
Yellow Creek , North Shore Pavilion, 7:30 pm
Bats: Up Close and Personal – Mike Shaffer - Are you going “Batty” over bats?  Don’t know what to do about your bat problems?  Join the park naturalist for an in-depth discussion on PA’s bats, followed by a visit to the Park’s Bat House to conduct a bat count and just watch the little furry creatures fly around.  Bring a blanket to sit on. 

August 16, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Coyotes in Pennsylvania - Pat Snickles – Mr. Snickles will discuss the presence of coyotes in Pennsylvania, including our area.  His lecture will include coyote behavior and predation followed by a Q/A session. 

August  24, Sunday
Yellow Creek State Park, Lakeview  Pavilion, 2:00 pm
Musical Enjoyment – Terry Sabo - Join us for a pleasant Sunday afternoon with Terry Sabo and his delightful guitar music. Listen to old favorites in the natural environment of the Park.

September 14, 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 20, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 2:00 pm
Wildlife Rehab – Ayn Van Dyke – What to do and not to do if you find animals or birds that are injured, ill, or orphaned. Learn to protect yourself and the animal or bird.  Obtain behavioral information to recognize the symptoms of an injury or illness.

September 27, Saturday
Blue Spruce Park, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Covered Bridge Festival – Join us at Blue Spruce Park for Indiana County's first Covered Bridge Festival. The festival will feature tours to the covered bridges, educational programs, food, music, crafts and artisan demonstrations. Visit the Indiana County Parks & Trails website, www.indianacountyparks.org, for more festival information.

October 3 , Friday
Blue Spruce Lodge , 7:00 pm
Earthquakes: Prediction vs. Preparation – Joe Clark – The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program was established in 1977 with a goal of predicting earthquakes.  Recent history has shown that the California preparation system is more successful than the Japanese prediction system.  It is predicted that there is a 62% probability of a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Region in the next 30 years. 

October 4, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 7:00 pm®
Night Hike – Mike Shaffer – Join the Park Naturalist to 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 is required.

October 12, 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 is required.

October 19, 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! The rut is right around the corner!

October 25, Saturday
Yellow Creek Environmental Learning Classroom, 7:00  pm®
Owl Prowl – Mike Shaffer – Join the park naturalist to learn about the wonderful owls that reside in Pennsylvania.  After a short discussion we will then go in search of these night flying creatures to do a little prowling of our own.  Bring a flashlight and remember to dress for the weather.  Pre-registration is required.  

November 1, Saturday
Blue Spruce Lodge , 7:00 pm
A Photographer’s View of Padua-Venice – Jim Reber –Many photographers consider Venice the most beautiful city in the world.  We begin our tour in the old city of Padua, visit several villas of the Veneto and the mosaics of Ravenna, spend time cruising the canals of Venice and visit the islands of San Michele, Murano, and Burano.

November 7, Friday
Blue Spruce Lodge , 7:00 pm
Views of New Zealand – Jerry Pickering – New Zealand, the last landmass to be discovered, possesses a variety of landscapes.  You will learn about its geology, history and have the opportunity to look at some of the images from the land of the “Lord of the Rings”.

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