Community science is a great opportunity for kids to participate in hands-on or observational activities that help the natural world (and science!), all while spending time outdoors. Learn more about how to get kids engaged.

The Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula is an invasive planthopper native to Asia, first discovered in PA in Berks County in 2014 (now found in 45 PA counties😕). SLF feeds on sap from a myriad of plants, but has a preference for plants important to PA's economy, including grapevines, maples, black walnut, birch, and more. SLF's feeding damage stresses plants, which can decrease their heal and, in some cases, cause death.

Use these Spring-Themed Movement Activities for Young Children - Spring is here, which also means that kids ages 6 & under are getting the wiggles and want to be outside. It can be difficult to sit still when the world is in bloom💐! Get them moving and learning about the wonders of spring - from PLT

Rachel Carson, writer, scientist, and ecologist, grew up simply in the rural river town of Springdale, PA. Perhaps the finest nature writer of the 20^th Century, Rachel Carson (1907-1964) is remembered more today as the woman who challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature by chemicals, bombs, and space travel than for her studies of ocean life. Her sensational book Silent Spring (1962; 2022 is the 60^th anniversary of the book being published) warned of the dangers to all natural systems from the misuse of chemical pesticides such as DDT, and questioned the scope and direction of modern science, initiated the contemporary environmental movement.

WATERS💦Watershed Awareness using Technology and Environmental Research for Sustainability

In-Person at Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spence Rd., Avondale, PA 19311

Teacher Stipend of $1,000 for 4-day summer workshop ($400 after professional development & $600 after implementation), project implementation, and monthly check-ins throughout the fall. In addition, teachers will receive 1 leaf pack kit, extra leaf pack lenses, low-cost water testing kits, BT real-time sensors, training, & access to online models including run-off simulation and Model My Watershed. Travel, meals, & accommodations for 3-nights included.

Register for this exciting water science professional development training designed to be taught to middle school students in the 2022-23 Fall school year. This is an opportunity to engage in a research study, aimed at fostering students’ interest in science and water science careers as innovative, creative, and exciting fields that shape our lives. WATERS brings together teachers from CA, OR, PA, VA, and experts in K-12 curriculum and educational technology development (Concord Consortium, MA), engineering and environmental sustainability, freshwater science and conservation (Stroud Water Research Center, PA), and educational research (Millersville University, PA). Questions? Contact WATERS manager, Sarah Haavind at shaavind@concord.org. Apply NOW (due by June 1). Principal Investigators: Concord Consortium – Carolyn Staudt, Millersville University – Dr. Nanette Dietrich, Stroud Water Research Center – Dr. Steve Kerlin. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant No. DRL-1850051

Get Outdoors: Recreation 101 Workshop 🧭🥾

In-person at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, 500 Kings Gap Rd. Carlisle, Pa 17105

Act 48: 3 hrs.

Audience: Classroom teachers working with youth this summer- Scout Leaders, Camp Counselors, Youth Program Leaders, Homeschool Leaders 

Do you work with youth in the summer or during the year? Learn the skills to get them outdoors in this recreation workshop for beginners. 🥾

$10.00 fee includes:  Campfire Lunch, GO Teach Hiking Curriculum, & additional Resources. Contact KingsGapSP@pa.gov or 717-486-5031 for questions or to register.

In-Person at the Elk Country Visitor Center (ECVC), 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821 (use for navigation)

All participants will receive the award-winning Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide, WILD About Elk Curriculum Guide, and other classroom materials! Register now, email rocmann@pa.gov or call 570-398-4744 Ext. 30311. Registration deadline: June 6^th.

Audience: This is an advanced MWEE application workshop so participants must have completed the MWEE 101 course or a previous MWEE Ambassador training! This online session is open to homeschool providers, classroom teachers, and non-formal educators.

Register NOW. Questions? Please email Tara Muenz at tmuenz@stroudcenter.org.

Learn more about MWEEs. Take the MWEE 101 online course.

In-Person at Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Pollinating insects 🦋 are vital to our survival! Join educators from DCNR - PA State Parks and Wildwood Park for a fun, interactive and educational workshop on pollinators🐝. Discover the many species of pollinating insects and their crucial role in the food chain for both wildlife 🦇 and people. Explore why we should be concerned about the threats to pollinators and how we can help. Participants will engage in hands-on activities from the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide, all participants will receive the guide, and more resources. Register NOW.

FREE! VIRTUAL RAPTOR WORKSHOP SERIES for EDUCATORS 🦉🦅

Designed for both formal and non-formal educators, this free workshop series is a collaborative effort of Penn State's Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the PA Department of Education (PDE), and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Pre-registration is required.

Local Issues, Local Solutions: Empowering Students to Address Local Environmental Issues Through Research and Stewardship Teacher Workshop💦

In-Person at Gifford Pinchot State Park, 2200 Rosstown Rd., Lewisberry, PA 17339

Fee: FREE! Course costs covered by a NOAA/B-WET 💦grant

Act 48: 27 Act 48 hours. Certified Pennsylvania classroom teachers working in IU13 and IU15 are also eligible for a participation stipend and reimbursement for funds connected to a student action project through a NOAA/B-WET grant.

Do you want to expand your student-centered learning projects to include stewardship and action in your local community? Do you want to learn outside? Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and DCNR- PA State Parks for this three-day course that focuses on the management of action projects, from issue identification to project implementation. This course will walk participants through the essential MWEE💦elements and how to connect local resources to their content to create rich learning opportunities outside of their classroom walls while incorporating student voice and managing the process. Portions of the workshop will include stream/lake water investigations and a paddling experience. Participants are asked to complete NOAA's MWEE 101 online course prior to the start of the in-person course. Register NOW. CBF's COVID POLICY: Current policy requires that all participants of summer Chesapeake Classroom courses be vaccinated for COVID-19.

In-person at Johnson Flats and Kocher Park, 1519 State Route, 487, Orangeville, 17859

Pennsylvania Songbirds is a hands-on, interdisciplinary, K-12 educators’ resource and activity guide about Pennsylvania-specific songbirds. This workshop is open to all educators who work with students from pre-K to 12^th grade, from formal teachers to naturalists, scout leaders, & others! Participants will receive Pennsylvania Songbirds: K-12 Teacher’s Guide for Activities in the Classroom and other relevant resources. Registration for this workshop is limited and is required by Friday, June 17, 2022. Please call the Columbia County Conservation District at 570-317-9456 to register.

ACA Level 1: Introduction to Kayaking Course 🛶

In-person at Cook Forest State Park, 100 RT 36, Cooksburg, PA 16217

Fee: $75.00/participant payable in advance by check or money order to the ‘Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’

 In order to participate in an ACA Skills Course, each participant must satisfy the following essential eligibility criteria:

First day will consist of instruction within the river at the Park Office. On the second day we’ll apply these skills along a stretch of the National Wild & Scenic Clarion River. Refreshments provided both days. Lunch provided the second day. Those with specific dietary requirements will have to provide their own meals. Decked kayaks, appropriate gear, snacks & water provided. Everyone WILL GET COMPLETELY WET, so please dress appropriately. 

Register NOW - Participants must pre-register by contacting Dale Luthringer, Environmental Education Specialist, at (814)744-8475 or dluthringe@pa.gov by 6/16/22. Course is limited to 12 participants. Children 14 years & up permitted with participating adult. Those who successfully complete this course will receive an ACA Skills Course Completion Card, and a 50% discount on future canoe & kayaking programs sponsored by Cook Forest State Park.

Online via Zoom by Presque Isle State Park, 301 Peninsula Dr., Suite 1, Erie, PA 16505

Virtually join certified PA State Park Educators for an interactive, hands-on Flying WILD educator workshop! Flying WILD is designed for educators working with middle school students and provides fun and easy to use environmental education activities focused on celebrating birds 🐦. The fee includes your very own Flying WILD Educator’s Guide, as well as most of the materials needed to complete two Flying WILD activities, which will be completed together virtually. Register and pay by June 18, 2022. Materials cannot be shipped until registration and payment is completed. You will receive a link to join the workshop via ZOOM, the day before the program. This workshop is open to both formal and non-formal educators. Pre-registration is required. Register NOW. Questions? Call 814-833-7424 or email John Laskos, EES at Jlaskos@pa.gov.

In-Person at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, 500 Kings Gap Rd., Carlisle, PA 17015

Act 48: Successful completion of the course and final project will qualify participants for 27 Act 48 hours. 

Are you interested in motivating your learners to think outside the box, take risks, and demonstrate their learning through real-world, hands-on, project-based learning that happens within their community? By blending hands-on investigations modeled on professional research methodologies, educators will participate in data collection💦and analysis, community networking and partnerships, stewardship, and service-learning activities—all skills that can be transferred back to the school setting. Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and DCNR- PA State Parks for this three-day institute. Register NOW. CBF's COVID POLICY: Current policy requires that all participants of summer Chesapeake Classroom courses be vaccinated for COVID-19.

In-Person at Ricketts Glen State Park, 695 State Route 487, Benton, PA 17814

Project WILD is an interdisciplinary environmental education curriculum which focuses on wildlife. This workshop is open to all educators who work with students from grades K-12, from formal teachers to naturalists, scout leaders, and others! Earn 5.5 Act 48 hours while experiencing hands-on activities related to wildlife that help develop awareness, skills, and knowledge resulting in informed decisions and responsible behavior regarding wildlife and the environment. Participants will receive the updated Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide which now offers STEM activity extensions, field investigation activities, a WILD WORK career section, and Outdoor Components. Register NOW. Registration for this workshop is limited and is required by Friday, July 15, 2022. Contact Rhiannon Summers, EES at rhsummers@pa.gov or 570-477-7780 for more information.

In-Person at the Karen Noonan Environmental Education Center, 1304 Phillips Gunning Club Rd., Crocheron, MD 21627

Fee: $65.00; course is available for graduate credits through Mary Baldwin University

Join a community of educators for 5 days of sharing stories and meals, having fun, and experiencing a unique part of the Chesapeake Bay. This workshop is based out of the Karen Noonan Center, a beautiful education center surrounded by miles of wild saltmarsh on the shores of the Bay. Join us to regroup, recharge, and learn (by doing!) how to meaningfully use the outdoors in teaching while supporting your students' social and emotional learning. This course is designed with secondary teachers in mind, but is open to all teachers interested in the topics. Register NOW. CBF's COVID POLICY: Current policy requires that all participants of summer Chesapeake Classroom courses be vaccinated for COVID-19. This training is hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

In-Person at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, 500 Kings Gap Road, Carlisle PA 17015

Join DCNR Kings Gap Environmental Education Staff to get WILD with Pennsylvania Pollinators, such as butterflies🦋, bees🐝, and hummingbirds! Pollinators are important for our ecosystem and for human survival. Use these exciting species to help you incorporate an environmental focus with science, social studies, language, music, art, and other subjects. During this workshop, participants will examine pollinators in the Kings Gap Native Plant garden, engage with live pollinators in their observation beehive, butterfly house, and as a part of community science, as well as exploring ways to help these species with hands-on projects. Project WILD provides wildlife-based conservation and environmental education activities that are hands-on, easy to use, and fun. Each participant will receive a Project Wild K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide plus additional teaching materials. Open to formal and non-formal educators.

Pre-registration required by July 22. To Register or have questions, contact KingsGapSP@pa.gov or 717-486-5031.

GO Teach: GPS 101 Educator Workshop 🧭

In-Person at Cowans Gap State Park, 6235 Aughwick Road, Fort Loudon, PA 17224

Pre-registration is required by July 21, 2022. Register NOW online or call the Cowans Gap State Park Office at (717) 485-3948. Space is limited, register early. If you have questions or need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact George Barner, EES at 717-485-3948 or Ra-nrspcogaee@pa.gov.

In-Person at Pymatuning State Park, 2660 Williamsfield Road, Jamestown, PA 16134

Join certified PA State Park Educators for an interactive, hands-on Flying WILD educator workshop at Pymatuning State Park! Flying WILD is designed for educators working with middle school students and provides fun and easy to use environmental education activities focused on celebrating birds 🐦. Activities address Pennsylvania state and national science standards and complement many concepts presented in Project WILD and Project WILD Aquatic curricula. Workshop highlights include taking part in a PA Game Commission duck banding field experience, a live birds of prey program presented by Tamarack Wildlife Center, 6.5 Act 48 hours, and a Flying Wild Curriculum book. This workshop is open to both formal and non-formal educators. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Emily Borcz, EES at eborcz@pa.gov or 724-932-3142 ext. 106.

Project Wild is a hands-on, wildlife-focused conservation education curriculum designed for educators working with students from Kindergarten through 12^th grade. This workshop is open to all educators, from formal teachers to naturalists, scout leaders and others! Earn 7.5 Act 48 hours with 2 hours of at-home activities before the workshop and 5.5 hours of in classroom instruction while experiencing hands-on activities near the shores of Lake Arthur. Participants will explore and receive the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. Pack a lunch and dress for the weather, as we will be outside for part of the time. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Environmental Education Specialist Mike Shaffer at mishaffer@pa.gov or call 724-368-8811.

Join Kings Gap EE Center Staff for a free morning of learning and fun! Students will learn all about water through self-guided and staff-led endeavors. There will be activities for middle and high school students. Upon arrival, participants will receive a checklist of activities and locations, which they can attend at their own leisure. Pre-registration required. Register NOW.

Penn State Extension's Tick Webinar - Tick Prevention on Companion Animals

Ticks seem to be everywhere and they are more than a nuisance on your pets; they can carry pathogens that cause diseases. Protecting pets from tick bites with products that are safe and effective is essential year-round, but reducing the risk of tick bites shouldn't stop there. Managing ticks around your home can help reduce tick encounters. Pets can also bring ticks indoors so it is also important that pet owners take measures to prevent ticks from biting themselves and others in the household. Registration is required. Register NOW.

This summer, join MIT Climate for a free eight-week “email mini-course.” Each week you'll receive a short, easy-to-read email which will teach about a key climate issue which will be paired with communication tips you can use right away in & out of the classroom. Participants will also get receive classroom-ready resources from MIT’s award-winning podcast - TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate). Resources are aimed at high school STEM, ELA, and Social Studies standards, but can be adapted from middle school through early college and out-of-school-time programs. Register NOW.

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office is leading a cohort of Mid-Atlantic educators in the Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, hosted by Climate Generation in partnership with NOAA’s Climate Program. Gain the skills, tools, and resources to teach climate change concepts and empower students in all subject areas, and receive on-going support throughout the year. This year’s theme, “Finding our Collective Strength”, centers the Institute on building the collective strength to inspire hope and action in our communities while connecting you to an engaged and authentic network of educators from across North America. Scholarships are available. Register NOW.

Virtual Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Education CONVENING (MACCEC)

Join educators from throughout the Mid-Atlantic in a 1-day virtual convening focused on climate change education. This one-day event will bring together examples of education and outreach happening across our region focused on climate change action. Join a community of educators for an inspiring day of learning and looking to the future as we all share what needs to happen to move forward on climate change action. Space is limited. Reserve your spot - www.maccec.org/registration. Organized & sponsored by NOAA, Sea Grant, Maryland DNR, & the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves.

Do you want to build science literacy, increase scientific credibility of information, and initiate actions to address pressing environmental issues with your students or your community?

Visit NOAA Planet Stewards Resources page to learn more information about planning a project for this grant.

Through federal funding opportunities of up to $5,000, NOAA Planet Stewards supports educators in carrying out hands-on stewardship projects with elementary - college age students, as well as the general public. Stewardship projects must make a substantive and quantitatively measurable impact on an environmental issue related to the educator’s community. Projects should focus on the conservation, restoration, and/or protection of human communities and/or natural resources in one of the following four focus areas:

• Marine debris

Find more details about the application process and supporting documents.

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Receive up to $5000 to carry out a hands-on project! Planet Stewards supports educators in carrying out hands-on stewardship projects with elementary through college age students, as well as the public in one of the following focus areas: Marine debris; Habitat conservation and restoration; Carbon footprint reduction; and Carbon sequestration.

Find more details about the application process and supporting documents.

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Save the Date! The DEP EE Grant Application period for 2023 Environmental Education Grants to open Early in August!

The 2023 Environmental Education Grant application period will open a month earlier than usual, to provide applicants more time to submit applications and related documents. Applications will be accepted beginning August 1, 2022. The application deadline is December 9, 2022 by 4:59 pm.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Single Application system.

Join us in a friendly competition to see which participating park can tally the biggest species list between May 7 - May 15, while contributing to the study of birds at the same time! Birders of all skill levels are invited to contribute!

If you or someone you know uses a wheelchair, is looking for a trail that will work with a stroller, or needs a smoother hiking surface, check out the many PA trails that are wheelchair accessible. 

Check out this map to find a trail near you!

During the height of the lockdown, many of us only left our homes for three reasons: to get our essential supplies from the grocery store and pharmacy, to go to our essential jobs, and to go outside for our essential outdoor recreation. Read more here.

DEP’s Tick Surveillance and Testing Program has found Lyme disease and the rare but dangerous Deer Tick Virus (DTV) in ticks at high levels for the first time in multiple locations around the state.

• Apply tick repellents containing permethrin to clothing and EPA-registered insect repellents such as DEET to exposed skin before entering the outdoors. Reapply as needed according to product label instructions.

The Deer Tick Virus, which is a type of Powassan virus, is rare in the United States, but positive cases have increased in recent years. It is spread to people primarily by bites from infected ticks and does not spread person-to-person through coughing, sneezing, or touching.  Powassan virus can be transmitted from tick to human in as little as 15 minutes after a bite occurs, while other tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease, take much longer to cause infection, often 24+ hours after the tick attaches to the host. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Powassan viruses. Preventing tick bites is the best way to reduce risk of infection and disease.  Initial symptoms of a DTV infection may include fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. Some people who are infected with DTV experience no symptoms, and therefore infection may go undetected. However, 91% of patients treated for DTV infections develop severe neuroinvasive disease. For more information about the health impacts of DTV, visit the CDC Powassan Virus website.

Location: Shikellamy State Park, 401 Bridge Ave., Sunbury, PA 17801 (event will be held at the MARINA section of the park).

The Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo is here to meet all of your outdoor recreation needs! Browse over 50 booths, chat with the experts in outdoor recreation, learn about events and adventures in the Susquehanna Greenway, and try your hand at interactive demos, clinics, and workshops. Win a free Perception Kayak 🛶!

The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership also offers tons of Paddle-Related events from film festivals to organized paddles to Paddler's Toolkit workshops, and more!

En caso de mal tiempo, nos trasladaremos al interior de McConnell Hall; ¡el personal estará afuera para mostrarle el camino! ¡Estamos ansiosos por leer contigo en la belleza de la naturaleza!  Se requiere registros. Registros Ahora.

Join your friends from Bilingual Buhos at Nolde Forest for a family story time in Spanish. Listen to the story, and then explore the forest with park staff. Fun for the whole family.

*Note: this program will be taking place primarily in Spanish but is great for all families and language abilities so that we can all learn about nature together! 

Registration Required. Register NOW.

Carissa Longo, Environmental Education Program Coordinator

Christine Ticehurst, Recreation and Interpretation Coordinator

Visit the DCNR Events Calendar- Teacher Workshops to find additional training opportunities! Click the arrows to see upcoming months.