Families attending two recent spring programs at Shaver’s Creek were invited to participate in a new research study on family learning and how they might use science-like, exploration tools during a hike. At each of these programs, families were given the opportunity to fill a small backpack with tools to use on their hike: magnifying…
The Naturalist Notebook
Welcome to the Shaver’s Creek blog! The entries here are posted by staff, interns, and volunteers, and aim to keep you informed about the programs, updates, and natural history happenings here at the Creek. Enjoy!
We are all buoyed by the beautiful spring weather here at Shaver’s Creek. The last few days we have been hearing the sweet woodland song of the Brown Creeper, joined around the center by the songs of Chickadees, Titmice, Juncos and our resident Carolina Wrens. Today we were greeted with our First of the Year…
In late February one of the best ways to see that spring is on the way, other than Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow, is to take a walk and look for Skunk Cabbage. The flowering plant with an unfortunate odor, hence the name, is commonly found in wetlands, marshes or along stream sides. The rotten meat smell…
In March of 2010, I took a trip to San Antonio, Texas for a conference with the National Center for Accessibility (NCA). The conference focused on Universal Design; making recreational areas accessible to not only people with disabilities, but accessible to everyone. The concept of universal design was new to me, and since we were…
Maple syrup harvesting season is fast approaching, and here at Shaver’s Creek we are hard at work making sure we are prepared when it comes time to start tapping trees! Things are really coming together in anticipation of the Maple Harvest Festival at the end of March– the new syrup evaporator arrived on Friday, February…
Hello Members and Friends of Shaver’s Creek, The birds are singing their spring songs, the sap is starting to rise, and Shaver’s Creek is excited to welcome you back to the Center for our 2011 season! We have lots of fun programs and special events coming up — and we look forward to seeing you…
We are excited to announce that Shaver’s Creek Summer Camp registration is now open to the public! You may download the registration form below, or by visiting our Camps page at: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/shaverscreek/index-camps.html Please note that during the members-only registration period, the following camps filled: Discovery/Explorer 5-Day Camps: July 11–15: FULL–no waitlist August 8–12: FULL–no waitlist …
WOOHOO!!! This Wednesday, Shaver’s Creek will open our doors to the public for our spring 2011 season! The flowers will be blooming soon (hopefully), the trees will be budding and the animals will soon be crawling, flying and gliding about. What does this mean for Shaver’s Creek? We have been busy (like the bees that…
Attention Penn State Students! If you’re interested in learning about and/or teaching about the natural world, then Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center has some courses for you this spring that are still open for enrollment: RPTM 297G: Maple Harvest Festival (2 credits) Course Dates: Tuesdays, February 15: 6:00–7:30 p.m., February 22: 6:00–8:00 p.m., March…
The middle segment of the trip has been busy! Read on to catch up on our travels and see some pictures of the fun. On Thursday we left Hulbert and drove to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park where we went back in time to 1890. We did everything from making a home cooked dinner (lunch), making…