Due to the parent feedback we received from June's Habitat Helpers Day Camp, the Vernal School has added an additional date and a new theme.  On July 2nd from 9-11 a.m., this program will focus on soil habitats and the creatures that live in the ground.

Local photographer Michael Kinney will be hosting an "Action Photography" workshop at Montour Preserve, 10 a.m., Thursday July 11th.  Open to photographers of all skill levels, this workshop will concentrate on action shots using GoPro, DSLR and Smartphone technologies.

On Tuesday, June 25th, at 10 a.m., the Vernal School's early literacy and STEM Program, "Read and Explore," will focus on butterflies and explore their life cycle.  This free weekly program is family-friendly and tailored for preschool-aged children.

Looking for an evening of summer fun and learning for young scientists? Montour Preserve is hosting a free evening of interactive STEM activities at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 2nd. Designed specifically for children in grades K-5, Twilight STEM Camp offers a hands-on interactive experience designed to be fun, exciting, and educational.  

Read and Explore is a weekly program designed to introduce preschoolers to early STEM concepts and literacy. On June 18th, the program will feature a reading of "The Busy Beaver Pond," providing an opportunity to learn about local aquatic mammals. 

On June 11th at 10 a.m. the Read and Explore Program will meet at Goose Cove Pavillion for a summer picnic and play time.  Read and Explore is the Vernal School's early STEM and Literacy program.  Created for preschool children, this program runs weekly with varying themes.

This summer, Vernal School will host "Camp Chillisquaque," a free educational day camp for children aged 7 to 12. The camp will be offered on four different days throughout the summer. The programming at Camp Chillisquaque will be fun, hands-on, and highlight many of most well-known activities Montour Preserve offers.

More than 150 Lewisburg third-graders converged on the Montour Preserve on Friday, May 31, for a four-station experience designed to give them a taste of different opportunities available at the preserve. 

Students were able to explore the environmental center/nature center's numerous displays with a scavenger hunt experience looking for facts and info among both older exhibits as well as newer offerings, such as a hellbender display and the new Vernal School Eels in the Classroom experience. This station was run by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky.

Another station included exploration of the preserve's popular fossil pit with presentation by Vernal School Program Supervisor Marissa Crames and her 11-year-old son Liam before students had a chance to look for their own fossils.

Often feared and misunderstood, snakes have a bad reputation.  However, these slithering reptiles can be incredibly beneficial to the environment and play an important role in their habitat.  July 13th at 10 a.m., Dr. Mary Kate O'Donnell from Lycoming College will explain how to identify local snake species, where they live and why they are so important in our environment.

Congratulations to Andrew Rockhound and Lyla Robbins on winning May's Vernal School Photography contest.  May's theme was "Birds in the Wild".  Andrew won the adult contest with his submission of a photograph featuring a family of geese.  14-year-old Lyla Robbins won for the second month in a row with a picture of a chickadee on a feeder titled "Snack Time on the Farm".  Both of these photos will be on display for the month of June at Montour Preserves Visitor Center.