The Mercer County Parks Commission has expanded its children and family nature program offerings for the fall.
These new nature programs will be led by the Parks Commission’s naturalist staff and will reach preschool, school-age and mixed-age audiences.
Nurturing Nature, for children ages 3 to 5 and their parent, will meet at the Historic Hunt House. Session A explores the themes Insects, What is Fall, Discover Seeds and Animal Tails and meets every Tuesday from September 16 to October 7 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Session B explores the themes Scaly Reptiles, Pumpkins and Apples, Bats and Turkeys and meets every Tuesday from October 14 to November 4 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Each session is $45.
Summit Saturdays, for children ages 7 to 10, will meet at Baldpate Mountain. Themes include On the Move (migration), Roots to Seeds, Fill the Pantry (hibernation), and Wild in Winter. It meets Saturdays, September 20, October 18, November 15 and December 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. It costs $12 per program or $40 for all four programs.
On November 6 and 7, when schools are closed, the Parks Commission will be holding a Fall Break Mini Nature Camp at Baldpate Mountain. The program is for children in grades 3 to 5 and lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days. The program costs $55 for one day and $100 for both.
Sunday Strolls: Discover the Pond, for families with children ages 6 and up, will meet at Rosedale Park on September 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. Families will be equipped with dip nets, magnifying lenses, specimen jars and field guides as they observe organisms in the pond. It costs $4 per person.
Meet the Marsh, for families with children ages 6 and up, will meet at the Tulpehaking Nature Center, located at 157 Wescott Drive, Hamilton, on September 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. Families will descend the bluff into the Abbott Marshlands for nature exploration. This program is free.
October 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is Family Fun Day at the Tulpehaking Nature Center. The program celebrates the grand opening of Mercer County’s new nature center and is free.
Sunday Strolls: Family Tree I.D. Workshop, for families with children ages 6 and up, will meet at Baldpate Mountain on November 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. It costs $4 per person.
More information is online at mercercountyparks.org.
