Stump Stories - Children's Storytime (best suited for children 3-5 years old)
April 7, 2026
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.
Candle Making Class
April 9, 2026
6pm
$25 per person
Roll up your sleeves for a cozy, hands-on candle making class, led by Earthbound Apothecary, where you’ll learn each step, from melting wax to adding fragrance and pouring your own soy candles to take home.
No experience needed—just bring your interest in learning something new and creating with your own two hands.
A portion of the proceeds from this class goes right back into educational programming at the Outdoor Discovery Center.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CANDLE MAKING CLASS.
Nature Play Group
April 12, 2026
12pm
FREE - donations appreciated
Let the kids dig, splash, and explore with our Nature Play Group at the Outdoor Discovery Center on Sunday, April 12th at 12pm. Kids can do a seed planting craft and make edible dirt cups. Take a hike on one of our trails and follow whatever captures their curiosity.
No registration required.
Backpacking Program
April 12, 2026
1-5pm
$25/participant
This program will teach you the essentials of backpacking. Veteran outdoorsman and local Boy Scout leader, Richard Muth, will lead the class. You’ll learn about packs and the basic gear you need, how you can comfortably sleep along the trail, what food and stove should you pack and how will you treat the water so it’s safe to drink?
This program is intended for ages 12 and up. Anyone under 15 should be accompanied by an adult.
Dr. Muth is donating his time to instruct this class. All proceeds benefit the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE BACKPACKING PROGRAM!
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.
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:
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.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE 10:00 AM OR 1:00 PM PROGRAMS.
Armstrong Nature Book Club
April 14, 2026
7pm
FREE
The book selected for discussion at the next book club meeting is Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake.
Climate Change Escape Rooms
April 15, 2026 - 6pm at Apollo Memorial Library - Registration Open
This FREE program is for students 8-14 years old - Registration Required
Do you have what it takes to break out of the Climate Change Escape Room at your local library? The Armstrong Center for Community Learning is partnering with several local libraries to offer these fun and educational escape rooms that will challenge you to solve global warming related puzzles and test your climate change and sustainability knowledge. So, grab your friends and head over to your local library for exciting puzzles and prizes. Snacks and drinks will be served too.
This program was made possible through an environmental education grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE ESCAPE ROOM.
Join us for a Forestry Health Series with the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources! Levi Thompson, DCNR Service Forester supports Armstrong, Clarion, and Jefferson counties and will lead this three-part series. You'll learn about sustainable forestry practices, cost-sharing programs, tools, funding, and assistance available to landowners to increase the health of their forested areas. These programs are free but please register. Light refreshments will be served.
April 20, 2026 at 5:30 PM - Tree Care - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
This program will teach the audience how to plant a tree - the planting process, maintenance, how to protect it, and the commonly overlooked: proper tree selection.
May 18, 2026 at 5:30pm - Invasive Species - Stay tuned for registration details!
This presentation will talk about invasive plants, why they're a problem, and how we can stop them. Mr. Thompson will go over many of the most common invasives in Armstrong County, and discuss ID and control methods. We'll search the Outdoor Discovery Center grounds to see if we can identify any invasive species.
June 29, 2026 at 5:30pm - Timber Harvesting - Stay tuned for registration details!
Mr. Thompson will talk about many of the pitfalls that surround timber harvesting and teach landowners how to properly assess their forest, and how to make sound management decisions that will benefit them and their property for generations.
Math in Nature Program
May 5, 2026
6pm
$8/student
The Math in Nature Program will encourage students age 8-14 to recognize mathematical concepts in nature in a fun and hands-on experience that will foster a love for both math and the environment.
Spiderwebs, tree rings, flower petals, the hexagonal shape of snowflakes, and more are just some of the many examples of mathematical concepts in nature. Students will learn about the Fibonacci Sequence found throughout nature, search for hexagons in the wild, examine fractals, find concentric circles, study symmetry, and look for various patterns.
The program will take place both inside and outside of the Outdoor Discovery Center and include a fun mix of hands-on activities.
This program was made possible through a grant from the Grable Foundation.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE MATH IN NATURE PROGRAM!
An Evening with Jason Bittel
May 20, 2026
6pm
FREE
All Ages Welcome
Jason Bittel is a National Geographic Explorer, an author of several kids’ books, and most recently the author of GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America's Least Understood Animals. It’s a new kind of wildlife book that leaps off the page & lights a fire in your heart. It's rigorously scientific, slightly hilarious, & written for everybody -- young & old, rural & urban, scientist & layperson. Get a sneak peak of his new book as well as some of his other writings at https://www.bittelmethis.com/
Jason considers it his mission to help everyday people reconnect with the wonder all around us. While learning about exotic animals in far away places is exciting, it is just as easy to be wowed by creatures in your own backyard.
Books will be available to purchase.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR AN EVENING WITH JASON BITTEL AT THE ODC!
Bringing Natives Home: Designing Native Gardens
May 23, 2026
10am
$10/person
Penn State Extension Master Gardener of Armstrong County, Stefanie Zukowski, will present Bringing Natives Home: Designing Native Gardens.
During this session, you will take a virtual tour of Stefanie's Armstrong County yard and follow her journey as she transforms hills and turf into a sustainable, beautiful habitat for birds, bees, beetles, Stef, her husband, and their pets.
This class will help you think differently about your gardening journey, and help you plan for native gardens in a manageable way. Participants will learn simple, practical, and budget-friendly steps for creating an eco‑friendly landscape in their own home gardens. There will be hands-on activities to help you learn the basics of Native Garden Designing, with feedback from local Master Gardeners.
All proceeds from this event will benefit our local outdoor community at the Outdoor Discovery Center and the Armstrong County Master Gardener program.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR BRINGING NATIVES HOME: DESIGNING NATIVE GARDENS.
Young Explorers Camp
June 8–12, 2026
Half-Day Sessions: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM or 1:00 PM–4:00 PM
$100 per child | Ages 5–7
Children ages 5–7 are invited to join us for the Young Explorers Camp this summer! This half-day camp will be offered from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM or 1:00 PM–4:00 PM, Monday, June 8 through Friday, June 12, 2026. Campers will enjoy a variety of nature and environmental-themed games, crafts, hands-on experiments, and outdoor exploration.
Activities will take place both indoors and outdoors at the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek.
A snack will be provided during each session, and every camper will receive a camp t-shirt.
Camp Fee: $100 per camper. A 15% sibling discount is available when siblings are registered at the same time. The discount applies to the second and each additional child enrolled in camp.
Registration is payable by check to the Armstrong Center for Community Learning. Registration must be received by June 3rd to secure your child’s spot in the Young Explorers Camp.
Refund policy: Registration fees will only be refunded if withdrawals are received prior to the registration deadline.
Please click the link below to download, print, and complete the registration packet for the Young Explorers Camp. If you have any questions please contact [email protected] or call 724-543-2599.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION PACKET FOR THE YOUNG EXPLORERS CAMP.
Armstrong County Junior Naturalist Camp
June 22–24, 2026
9am–2pm
$100/student
The Armstrong County Junior Naturalist Program introduces students ages 8–12 to a variety of nature and conservation topics through fun games, crafts, and outdoor exploration. Over three full days, students will learn from certified Pennsylvania Master Naturalists and other experts, sharpening observation skills, recording and sharing their findings, and working as a team with fellow young naturalists. This program is designed to inspire a lasting passion for exploring and protecting the natural world.
Each student will receive a backpack filled with naturalist tools to use during camp and take home, including a field journal, pencils, hand magnifier, flashlight, rain poncho, pocket naturalist guide, and more. Students will explore the Outdoor Discovery Center’s animal room, classroom, outdoor classroom, trails, and nearby ponds throughout the program.
Students should bring their own lunches. Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided by the Outdoor Discovery Center.
Scholarship Opportunity
Thanks to the generous Junior Naturalist Fund, one full scholarship is available this year for a student who might not otherwise be able to attend. The scholarship is awarded based on financial need.
Families interested in applying for the scholarship should:
- Download, print and complete the Scholarship Application (click here), and
- Complete the Camp Registration Form linked below (do not include payment with the scholarship application).
Scholarship Deadline: All completed materials must be received by April 30, 2026. Mail forms to:
Outdoor Discovery Center, 142 Kerr Rd., Ford City, PA 16226
If your child is awarded the scholarship, the full cost of camp will be covered. If not selected, families may choose to complete registration and submit payment to secure a spot before June 16, 2026.
Registration
To register your child (with or without a scholarship), please click here to download and print the Camp Registration Form. Completed forms and payment (for non-scholarship registrations) must be received by June 16, 2026.
PA Master Naturalist Certification Training
Registrat
ion is open for the Fall 2026 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 (6:00 - 8:30 PM) from August 13 to October 29 with four field sessions on Saturdays (August 22, September 12, October 3, and October 10)
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].
