PENFIELD – Officials at the Parker Dam State Park have announced the program schedule for Sept. 11-27.
Friday, Sept. 11
Nature Nut: Man-eating Bugs
8 p.m. – Campground Amphitheater
Enjoy John Acorn, the Nature Nut, as he delves into man-eating bugs. Perhaps this episode may not be what you think. This fun and enjoyable video is about a half-hour long.
Saturday, Sept. 12
Parker Dam’s Annual Event Cache
11 a.m. – Pavilion 3
Geocachers from all over will be gathering for this annual get-together. If you’re not a geocacher, but are interested in finding out more about this pursuit, stop by after lunch and talk with some of the ‘cachers. There will be lots of fun games and activities that will give you a feel for the sport they love.
On the Trail of PA’s Black Bears
8 p.m. – Campground Amphitheater
Produced by the PA Game Commission, this video has some of the best images and information on black bears. This one-hour video will give you a new appreciation of this amazing inhabitant of Penn’s Woods.
Friday, Sept. 18
CCC Encampment
6 p.m. – Organized Group Tenting Area
The Civilian Conservation Corps built this park. Now you can live a ‘day-in-the-life’ of the CCC boys by camping in the barracks, eating chow from the mess, and working on conservation projects. This program is 24-hours long and participants must pre-register. Please contact the Park Office (814-765-0630) for information or to see if any spaces remain.
Saturday, Sept. 19
Restoring An Icon
8 p.m. – Campground Amphitheater
The bald eagle is a symbol of freedom and of our country. However, there was a time when it looked as though we may lose them completely. The bald eagle has made a tremendous comeback all over its range. Watch as the efforts made in PA are documented for you in this half-hour video.
Saturday, Sept. 26
Over One-hundred Years of Elk
8 p.m. – Campground Amphitheater
They were here and then gone. Now they’ve been here again for over 100 years. Pennsylvania elk are one of the good stories in wildlife conservation and thousands of folks travel to this area to see them each year. Come enjoy this enlightening half-hour video overview of the elk’s up and down history in the Keystone State.
Sunday, Sept. 27
On the Hunt for Mushrooms, with Guest Karen Croyle
1 p.m. – Environmental Education Classroom
There is a large diversity of fungi that can be seen growing in the yards and forests we explore. Fungi are interesting organisms that play a huge role in most ecosystems, including forests. Come for the discussion about mushrooms and the methods you can use to identify them. Then take a walk in the park to discover many types of fungi found here.
Lunar Eclipse
8 p.m. – dam breast, near CCC Museum
The full moon will be eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow this evening. The park’s telescopes will be out to aid visitors in watching this night sky event. Please be prepared to stay a couple of hours and dress warm if you want to see the full eclipse; it won’t happen right away. This program will depend on weather conditions.