Mark your calendars and register early.  Andrew Rockhound and the Central PA Rock and Mineral Club are returning to host another Fossil event at Montour Preserve on October 19th.  May's event hit capacity, please make sure you register.
Dig, discover and learn at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19th during our fossil event at Montour Preserve, hosted by the Central PA Rock and Mineral Club.    
Central Pennsylvania is renowned for its rich geological history, particularly in relation to the Devonian period. During the Devonian period, which occurred roughly 419-359 million years ago, much of what was now Pennsylvania was covered by shallow seas creating prime conditions for the formation of fossils.

"Read and Explore" is an early STEM and Literacy program that engages young children with hands on exploration and learning opportunities. On 10 a.m. May 28th, "Read and Explore" program will meet in Heron Cove in order to learn about Watersheds and explore the shore of Lake Chillisquaque.

Megan Lehman, the Regional Communications Manager for the Northcentral Regional office of the state's Department of Environmental Protection will offer a special presentation about the peregrine falcon at the Montour Preserve at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23. 

The program will include an overview of the species' unique traits, its impressive return from near-extinction in our state as well as stories from and details learned from the nest at the agency's headquarters in Harrisburg. 

The hour-long presentation will also include a glimpse into career opportunities in the Department of Environmental Protection.

At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21st, the Vernal School's early literacy and STEM program, Read and Explore will visit Montour Preserve's fossil pit.  The fossil pit is a favorite amongst the children who regularly attend the program.

 On Tuesday 5/14 at 10 a.m. our Read and Explore group will meet in the Goose Cove Overlook parking lot for a fun morning of fishing!  We are excited that the weather is finally warm enough to visit the lake and catch some fish.  

May is going to be an exciting month for the Vernal School.  This month is bustling with a series of scheduled field trips from many different districts, our ongoing regular programs, a full Intro to Fly Fishing class, and a fossil event that has reached its full capacity. We are happy to say that it's become a time of non-stop activity for the Vernal School and Montour Preserve.

Our monthly WREN Program will meet again on May 19th at 2 p.m.  In preparation for our first outing, we will discuss how to pick a safe camping location and what gear you would use for different types of excursions.  Items being discussed include tent options, clothing, supplies and more.

Congratulations to the winners of our social media-based photography contest for April. The theme was "Wildflowers," and we received 15 stunning photo submissions. The winning photographs will be exhibited at the Montour Preserve's Visitor Center throughout May.

The theme for May's online photography contest is "Birds in the Wild." You can submit your photographs by emailing them to [email protected] or by posting them in the comments section of our Facebook post that announces the theme.