Environmental center needs volunteers

Staff report

slippery Rock , Pa.

Shake off those mid- winter blues by pitching in at Jennings Environmental Education Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 15 for the 11th annual Prairie Improvement Day.

The Jennings staff is looking for individuals willing to spend a Saturday morning outdoors to help manage the unique prairie ecosystem. For lunch, generous local restaurants will provide plenty of warm, hearty soup. Each participant will receive a commemorative soup mug as a special thank-you.

Participants must be 12 or older and should dress for the weather, including gloves and warm, waterproof boots. Register for this program no later than Jan. 7 by contacting the center at 724-794-6011 or online at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/calendar/list.asp.

Jennings Environmental Education Center staff says the center has the only preserved prairie in Pennsylvania. A unique ecosystem, it is home to the massasauga rattlesnake and stunning wildflower, the blazing star.

A variety of management techniques are used to preserve distinctive prairie habitat.

One such technique is to clip and remove the woody invaders that may eventually out-compete native flowers and grasses. This activity is best accomplished in winter when the soil is frozen and vegetation is reduced.

With the help of volunteers, this undertaking can be completed much more quickly and effectively. The fruits of this winter labor will be on vivid display during the prairie bloom of the coming summer.

Jennings is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and on weekends as scheduled. The trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset for hiking and other environmentally related activities.