Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation will offer programs to the community. Unless otherwise noted, there is a per-person fee for the programs, and activities will take place at the Environmental Center in Lancaster County Central Park, 1 Nature's Way, Lancaster. Registration and payment are required by noon on the business day before the event, unless stated otherwise. To register, readers may call 717-295-2055 or visit http://www.lancastercountyparks.org.
Botanizing: Fall Flora will run from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 14, and it is open to individuals age 14 and older. The program will be held at the Exhibit Farmhouse, 2 Exhibit Farm Drive, Lancaster. Led by naturalist Emily Snyder, participants will take a fall flora identification hike to learn how to identify common herbaceous plants of Pennsylvania.
A Harvest Moon Night Hike will take place from 8 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 14 and is open to individuals age 8 and older. Naturalist Aaron Hasircoglu will lead the hike by the light of the harvest moon.
Reptile Lady: All About Snakes, open to participants age 3 and older, will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15. With naturalist Kelsey Frey, participants will get acquainted with live snakes from around the world and study their basic biology and unique features. A small group atmosphere will allow time for questions and photo opportunities.
A Wild Edibles Plant Walk will be offered from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 15. Naturalist Ann Strauss will lead participants on a walk, focusing on what plants are edible and how they can be prepared.
Munchkin Science: Butterflies, a program for children ages 3 to 5, will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Exhibit Farmhouse. Strauss will teach children facts about butterflies as well as how to recognize some common species.
Butterflies, a program for people of all ages, will run from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the Exhibit Farmhouse. Strauss will share facts about butterflies, and participants will observe monarch caterpillars or possibly monarch butterfly chrysalids and use a net to catch butterflies and examine them up close.
Beginner Birding, for people age 10 and up, will be offered on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m. Future ornithologist William Young is participating in the American Birding Association's (ABA) Young Birder of the Year Contest (YBY Contest). One module he is participating in is Conservation and Community. Accordingly, he is teaching a few classes at the Lancaster County Environmental Center. This first program of his series of three will consist of a PowerPoint presentation and a discussion about birding basics, such as identification and field guide/binocular usage.
Advanced Birding, for people age 10 and up, has been set for Sept. 20 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Young will present the program, the second in his series of three, which is designed to improve birding skills and touch upon more advanced topics including birding by impression, feather edges technique, birding by ear, and more.
People age 15 and up may take part in an Equinox Mindfulness Hike on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Kinglet Trailhead, near the restrooms by Pavilion 3, 1098 Rockford Road, Lancaster. Building on the tenets of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, naturalist Kristyn Small will lead this walking meditation and guide participants in sensory awareness. The hiking trail is relatively flat and under a half-mile in length.
A Fall Wildflower Walk and Seed Bomb Craft, for people age 8 and up, will be offered at the Exhibit Farmhouse on Sept. 21 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Naturalist Ivana Shandor Bradley will lead a hike in search of late-summer and early-autumn wildflowers, featuring a discussion about how local flora benefit the area and how the flowers are preparing for the coming winter. Prior to the hike, the group will make "seed bombs" that can be taken home to plant. Participants will receive the recipe.
Scouts ages 10 to 17 in pursuit of the Insect Study Merit Badge are invited to a program to be held on Tuesdays, Sept. 24 and Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Environmental Center; Sunday, Sept. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Exhibit Farmhouse, with a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 6; and Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Wampler Honey in Manheim. Naturalist and Merit Badge counselor Mary Ann Schlegel and naturalist Alison Mallin will assist as Scouts learn insect characteristics and major insect orders and their roles in ecosystems. Scouts will also raise a butterfly, observe and document 20 different insects, and visit a local honey producer. In addition, each Scout will assemble a scrapbook and should bring items such as drawing paper and a camera or phone for pictures. Attendance at all sessions and signed waivers of liability are required. Registration and prepayment are required by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Homeschool Wednesday: Pond Life, geared toward youths ages 8 to 12, has been set for Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Schlegel will lead students as they explore and discover macroscopic and microscopic life in Fluctuating Pond. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes or boots.
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