Summer programs set for youngsters at Jennings

Staff report

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA.

Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Road, will once again host a series of programs for children this summer.

These hands-on learning experiences will introduce children to fun and healthy outdoor activities that instill an appreciation for the natural world. All children will receive a certificate and other materials upon completion of the series.

Registration begins Wednesday and can be made by calling 724-794-6011.

Prepayment is required by June 8. Checks can be made out to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Three age-specific programs will be offered, including Hide-N-Seekers, for children age 4 to 5, June 16, 23 and 30 from 10:30 a.m. until noon or 1:30 until 3 p.m. The cost is $5 per child, and the theme is “Trees are Terrific.”

Children age 6 to 8 can participate in “Survival: Kids ’n’ Kritters” on June 18, 25 and July 2 from 10 a.m. until noon or 1 until 3 p.m. The cost is $5 per child. Children age 9 to 12 can participate in “Survival Skills” on July 22, 29 and Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The cost is $10 per child.

Families also are encouraged to register for concurrent sessions at Moraine State Park. Moraine will host similar summer programs for 4- and 5-year-olds on Thursdays and 6- to 8-year-olds on Tuesdays, allowing families to register for both. Registration for Moraine’s programs begins May 4 and can be made at 724-368-3612.

Also, the education center is seeking volunteers willing to spend a spring morning pitching in at the park to help manage invasive plants from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 18.

A lunch catered by North Country Brewing Company, featuring some of these plants, will be provided at the end of the work session.

Participants must be 12 or older and be prepared to work outdoors, rain or shine. Registration is required by Friday by calling the center at 724-794-6011.

Invasive plants are a major factor in the decline of native plant species, second only to habitat loss. Some non-native species are introduced intentionally for beneficial purposes, while many others move as unknown stowaways and “hitchhikers,” when people and their products are transported around the world.

More than 1,000 species of exotic plants have been identified as threats to native plants in the United States. These invasive non-natives can severely alter habitats, disrupt ecological relationships and diminish biodiversity.