Upcoming Events
Eco Camp
October 4, 2025
10am-2pm
$25/student
Middle school age students (ages 10-14) will have an exciting and interesting experience at Eco Camp, where through a variety of fun and engaging activities such as making solar oven s’mores, competing in the "Recycling Olympics", creating reusable shopping bags, participating in water conservation activities, planting tree seeds to take home, and much more, they will learn about climate change, waste reduction, sustainability, and how we can make a positive difference in the world around us!
Eco Camp is supported through an environmental education grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ECO CAMP ON OCTOBER 4, 2025.
Crooked Creek Cryptid Trail Hike
October 4, 2025
6-9pm (timed tickets)
$7/person (most suitable for participants age 8 years and up)
Join us at the Outdoor Discovery Center for an evening of thrills and chills! Walk our Cryptid Trail, where legendary creatures like Sasquatch and Mothman lurk around every turn, sit at our campfire enjoying seasonal refreshments and be regaled by local ghost stories, be on the lookout for creepy invasive plants courtesy of Penn State Master Gardeners of Armstrong County and wonder at tales of PA's elusive Hellbender courtesy of Master Watershed Steward Lilly Browning!
Fun awaits you, if you dare! A guided hike will take place every half-hour from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. When registering you will choose which time slot you will take your hike. Space is limited and this event will take place rain or shine.
SORRY, THE CRYPTID TRAIL HIKE IS SOLD OUT.
Stump Stories - Children's Storytime (best suited for children 3-5 years old)
October 7, 2025
10am
FREE
Bring your little one out for Stump Stories the first Tuesday of the month. We’ll read a nature inspired children’s book, make a simple craft, and go on a short hike.
Registration requested to help us prepare any necessary supplies.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR STUMP STORIES.
Pumpkin Patch Paint Party
October 7, 2025
6pm
$30/person
Enjoy a relaxing evening with friends at the Outdoor Discovery Center as you paint a pre-drawn 11x14 canvas picture of a pumpkin patch. We will paint step by step, all supplies included. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the ODC.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE PAINT PARTY.
Monthly Nature Lessons for Elementary Age Homeschool Students
Second Tuesday** of the Month - September 2025 through May 2026
10am or 1pm sessions offered
The Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek will offer nature lessons to elementary age homeschooled students each month. The two-hour programs will occur the second Tuesday** of the month, September 2025 through May 2026. **The November class will be held on the third Tuesday.
A 10am-12pm session and a 1pm-3pm session will be offered each month. Sessions will include a fun and hands-on mix of nature lessons, crafts, games, hikes, experiments, and more.
Depending on the topic we will make use of our indoor and outdoor classrooms; our animal room which has an impressive display of mounted, taxidermized mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish; our lawn and trails.
Tentative Class Topics:
October 14, 2025 – Bats with special virtual guest PA Bat Conservation & Rehabilitation
November 18, 2025** – Crows
December 9, 2025 – Awesome Opossum
January 13, 2026 – TBD
February 10, 2026 – Igloos & Icicles
March 10, 2026 – Water Cycle
April 14, 2026 – Traveling Seed
May 12, 2026 – Pond Life
Each session is $10/child. You may pay by cash or check (made payable to the Armstrong Center for Community Learning) the day of the class.
Class size is limited.
If you have questions, please contact Rachel Filippini, ODC Program Coordinator at [email protected] or call 724-763-6316.
Homeschool Nature Lessons are supported through a grant from the Grable Foundation.
Armstrong Nature Book Club
October 14, 2025
7pm
FREE
The book that will be discussed at the October meeting is AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner.
PA Master Naturalist Certification Training
Registrat
ion is closed for the Fall 2024 PA Master Naturalist training cohort. A cohort is held every other Fall at the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek.
Do you enjoy learning about the natural world? Are you interested in sharing that knowledge with others? Would you like to know more about supporting natural resource conservation? Pennsylvania Master Naturalists are a dedicated group of people who share a passion for nature, getting outdoors and giving back. If you enjoy hiking, wildlife watching, being outdoors, and volunteering, you’ll love being a Master Naturalist.
Become a Master Naturalist by attending our 50-hour training course at the Outdoor Discovery Center. Classes will be held weekly on Thursday evenings from August 8 – October 24 with four field sessions on Saturdays (August 17, September 7 and 21, and October 5)
Click here to access the Fall 2024 schedule.
Visit the PA Master Naturalist Facebook page by clicking here.
You can also visit https://pamasternaturalist.org/become_a_master_naturalist/ for additional information about becoming a Master Naturalist.
Learn more about PA Master Naturalist training course application at https://bit.ly/PMNtraining.
For more information and registration details, contact Rachel Filippini, ODC program coordinator at [email protected].
