PORTERSVILLE, PA. McConnell's Mill has summer fun for kids

PORTERSVILLE, Pa. -- Birds, aquatic animals and fire safety will be featured during programs coming soon to McConnell's Mill State Park.
"Piro's Playground", a program about correctly building a fire, will be at 9 a.m. Friday in the Kildoo ball field. Volunteer Aaron Walters will discuss choosing the right type of wood, selecting a site and properly extinguishing a fire when finished. Weather permitting, a marshmallow roast will follow. Participants should bring their own roasting stick and a chair or blanket. Call (724) 368-8091 to confirm.
"Macro invertebrates" begins at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Hell's Hollow parking lot. A naturalist will discuss aquatic animals, including snails, dragonflies and crayfish, as well as what various insects look like before becoming fully grown.
"Birds of Prey" starts at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Kildoo picnic area. Earl Shriver will have various birds with him during his talk on raptors and their importance to nature. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended.
Ongoing series: Youth Environmental Learning Series programs include "Litter, Litter Everywhere, You're the One Who has to Care", which begins at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Old Mill. Four- and 5-year-olds will learn about the role they will play in the environment as they grow older.
"Where there's Smoke, there's Fire", an hour-long program for children 6 to 8, begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Kildoo picnic area. Topics will include incineration, how it works and why some places burn garbage instead of using a landfill.
"Agricultural Land Use" will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Aug. 2 in the Kildoo picnic area. Children ages 9 to 13 will learn about agriculture and the role it plays in land use. Land conservation will also be featured.
The park is along U.S. Route 422 just east of Interstate 79.