Nature Lessons for Middle School Age Homeschool Students
September 15, 2026
1pm
$10/student
With generous support from the Grable Foundation, the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek will offer nature lessons to middle school age homeschooled students. The approximately two-hour program will occur once every month, September 2026 – May 2027. 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.
Upcoming Class: September 15, 2026 – Students will learn about taxonomy, the science of organizing and classifying living beings into groups. They’ll learn the different taxonomic ranks: domain, kingdom, phylum, etc., and work through a taxonomy sorting activity. Students will also learn the differences between invertebrates and vertebrates as well as warm-blooded versus cold-blooded creatures.
Each session is $10/child. Advanced registration is required so that we may plan accordingly. 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.
Forest Bathing
September 22, 2026
6pm
FREE
Learn the art of "forest bathing", just another way to say immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere, with PA Master Naturalist Kay Owen. The practice encourages people to simply spend time in nature. This is an opportunity to slow down, turn off your devices, and give yourself the best chance of relaxing, being mindful, and enjoying a sensory forest-based experience.
Did you know, spending time outdoors, especially in green spaces, can improve health - lowering stress, blood pressure and heart rate, while encouraging physical activity and improving mood and mental health?
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING FOREST BATHING PROGRAM.
Fireside Conversation with Daryln Brewer Hoffstot
September 23, 2026
6pm
FREE
Join us for Fireside Conversations: An evening of stories, science & conversation with authors, naturalists, conservationists, gardeners, photographers, & others who inspire a deeper connection to the natural world.
Our inaugural fireside conversation will feature Daryln Brewer Hoffstot, the author of A Farm Life: Observations from Fields & Forests and the new book This Patch of Earth: Observations on a Rural Life.
Daryln Brewer Hoffstot has observed the fields and forests of her western Pennsylvania farm for thirty-eight years. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Pittsburgh Quarterly and the Philadelphia Inquirer, among other publications. Her New York Times essay, “On a Pennsylvania Farm, Nature Is Not Just Carrying On,” won a Notable Mention in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2021 and her Pittsburgh Quarterly essay, “What Would Rachel Carson Say,” won a 2024 Science/Environment Award from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR OUR UPCOMING FIRESIDE CONVERSATION.
Story Hike with the Ford City Library
September 30, 2026
11:30am
FREE
Bring the little ones out for a fun story hike. Ford City Library staff will read Trunk goes Thunk! A Woodland Tale of Opposites, by Heather C. Morris. The story will be followed by fun activities inside the Outdoor Discovery Center.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR STORY HIKE WITH THE FORD CITY LIBRARY.
Stump Stories
October 6, 2026
10am
FREE
Bring your preschooler out for Stump Stories where we'll read a nature inspired story, make a simple craft, and go on a short hike.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR STUMP STORIES.
Cryptid Trail Hike
October 9th and October 10th, 2026
6-9pm (timed tickets)
$10/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.
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.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CRYPTID TRAIL HIKE.
Nature Lessons for Elementary Age Homeschool Students
October 13, 2026
Sessions offered at 10am and 1pm
$10/student
With generous support from the Grable Foundation, the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek will offer nature lessons to elementary age homeschooled students. The approximately two-hour program will run the second Tuesday of every month, September 2026 – May 2027. Sessions beginning at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM will be offered each month, and 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.
Upcoming Class: October 13, 2026 –
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE HOMESCHOOL NATURE LESSON ON OCTOBER 13, 2026 (coming soon).
Each session is $10/child. Advanced registration is required so that we may plan accordingly. 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.
Nature Book Club
October 13, 2026
7pm
FREE
The book being discussed at the October meeting is The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoe Schlanger.
The book is a New York Times Bestseller. According to Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, the book is "A masterpiece of science writing." Join us for lively and informative conversation.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING NATURE BOOK CLUB MEETING.
History of Halloween Program
October 26, 2026
6pm
$10/person
All ages welcome. Snacks & refreshments provided
Explore with local author, Ron Murphy, The Haunted (and Not So Haunted) History of Halloween. This program explores the origins and evolution of Halloween from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain through the Christian observances of All Hallows Eve and into the modern celebration we know today. Attendees will learn how beliefs about the dead, spirits, witches, ghosts, monsters, and the supernatural became intertwined with seasonal traditions and eventually transformed into popular culture.
This talk will investigate the historical development of Halloween traditions including jack-o'-lanterns, costumes, trick-or-treating, bonfires, divination, haunted houses, witches, black cats, bats, ghosts, and other Halloween symbols. Particular attention will be given to the folklore surrounding the boundary between the living and the dead and humanity's enduring fascination with the unknown.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN PROGRAM.
Ceramic Turkey Lantern Painting Class
November 1, 2026
1pm
$35/each with a portion donated back to the Outdoor Discovery Center
Paint your own ceramic turkey lantern and learn some interesting facts about wild turkeys at the Empty Nest Art Studio in nearby Shelocta, PA.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE CERAMIC TURKEY LANTERN PAINTING CLASS.
PA Master Naturalist Certification Training
Registrat
ion for the Fall 2026 PA Master Naturalist training cohort is full and closed. 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 with four field sessions on Saturdays.
Click here to access the Fall 2026 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].