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The May 4th 2024 Volunteer Work-day is cancelled due to the forecast of rain. Thanks very much for your interest. We hope to have your assistance on another day!
Join the staff of the Westmoreland Land Trust for a free board game night. Explore Schwarz Farm Future Nature and Art Park and learn how to play ecology-themed games like Wingspan, Ecologies, Mariposas, and more!
Join Dr. Jim Kellam of Saint Vincent College to observe spring birds at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve. Please bring binoculars, wear sturdy shoes, and dress for the weather.
Volunteer with the Westmoreland Land Trust!
The staff of the Westmoreland Land Trust invites all interested volunteers to join them for a morning of environmental restoration work at Schwarz Farm Future Nature and Art Park. This morning’s work will focus on our pollinator garden, treeline, and farmhouse. Please wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
Join AAron Capouellez of PA Woods and Forests for a twilight frog walk at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Latrobe. The wetlands and riparian slopes of Monastery Run in this preserve host many native amphibians, and spring is when you can hear them best. This guided walk will be slow-paced, but will involve walking through some wet areas. Please wear sturdy waterproof shoes and bring a flashlight or headlamp.
Come to Hempfield Township Park for the first in a series of family-friendly nature workshops designed for children from 5 to 12 years old along with an accompanying adult. Each session will explore the Westmoreland Land Trust’s Nature Backpacks, which are available for you to checkout at the HTAC desk.
In this session, we’ll explore the Birds backpack and examine real feathers and nests, learn to use binoculars and field guides to identify our local backyard birds, sing a few bird songs, build a birdfeeder, and make a unique piece of feather art.
Note: preregistration with Hempfield Township is required, with a fee of $15.00 per student. Registration opens on May 1st for Hempfield Township Residents and May 8th for non-residents. Deadline is 7 days prior to each date.
Calling all local birders! Ornithologist Dr. Andy Mack will present a birding talk on “Breeding Birds” at the Bellbrook headquarters of the St. Xavier Nature Preserve. This evening lecture will be followed on Saturday, June 15, by a guided bird walk from 7:00 to 10:00 AM through the fields and forests of St. Xavier. This is the second of four “Birds Across the Seasons” paired events presented by Dr. Mack. All events are open to the public and free to attend.
Following his Wednesday evening lecture, ornithologist Dr. Andy Mack will lead a “Breeding Birds” guided birding walk this Saturday through the grounds of the St. Xavier Nature Preserve. The walk is free and open to the public, and all participants are welcome whether or not they attended the evening lecture. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather.
Due to the current weather forecast of a 75% chance of thunderstorms on Saturday night, we have postponed our firefly walk to tomorrow (Sunday, June 30) at the same time.
Join us for a magical evening of firefly watching at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Latrobe. Learn about firefly life cycles and how to identify our Pennsylvania native species by their flash patterns, then take an evening nature hike to see how many you can count. The walk is free and open to the public. Bring a flashlight and wear sturdy shoes. Any cancellations due to weather will be announced on the Westmoreland Land Trust website and Facebook page.
Come to Hempfield Township Park for the second in a series of family-friendly nature workshops designed for children from 5 to 12 years old along with an accompanying adult.
In this session, we’ll explore the wonderful world of bugs! Think like an entomologist and learn to identify insects, arachnids, and bugs. We’ll go on an Insect Safari and check out our discoveries using digital microscopes and field guides. We’ll finish up by making some amazing insect art to take home.
Note: preregistration with Hempfield Township is required, with a fee of $15.00 per student. Registration opens on May 1st for Hempfield Township Residents and May 8th for non-residents. Deadline is 7 days prior to each date.
Join WLT’s AmeriCorps Service Member Sarah Poklembo for a morning walk through St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Latrobe. The grove still contains many historic trees that were planted for the former St. Xavier Academy, while other historic trees can be viewed along the path to St. Xavier Cemetery. This guided walk will be slow-paced, but will involve some gentle slopes and uneven walkways. Please wear good walking shoes and sunscreen.
Come to Hempfield Township Park for the third in a series of family-friendly nature workshops designed for children from 5 to 12 years old along with an accompanying adult.
Look up at the sky? Can you identify the different kinds of clouds, and do you know what they can tell us about forecasting the weather? Make a mini cloud in a jar, experiment with giant bubbles, make bubble art, and compete in a Water Cycle Relay Race – but watch out, this might get wet!
Note: preregistration with Hempfield Township is required, with a fee of $15.00 per student. Registration opens on May 1st for Hempfield Township Residents and May 8th for non-residents. Deadline is 7 days prior to each date.
Come to Hempfield Township Park for the fourth in a series of family-friendly nature workshops designed for children from 5 to 12 years old along with an accompanying adult. Each session will explore the Westmoreland Land Trust’s Nature Backpacks, which are available for you to checkout at the HTAC desk.
Botany is the scientific study of plants. Visit the discovery table and go on a plant scavenger hunt. Use digital microscopes to explore inside a seed and examine the parts of a flower up-close. Experiment with a seed dispersion helicopter and make-and-take home your own handmade seeded bookmark.
Note: preregistration with Hempfield Township is required, with a fee of $15.00 per student. Registration opens on May 1st for Hempfield Township Residents and May 8th for non-residents. Deadline is 7 days prior to each date.
Volunteer with the Westmoreland Land Trust!
The staff of the Westmoreland Land Trust invites all interested volunteers to join them for a morning of environmental restoration work at St. Xavier Nature Preserve. This morning’s work will focus on preparing the site for our fall Open House. Please wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
The public is invited to contribute their ideas and comments as part of the master planning process for the new St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Latrobe. The meeting will be held at Bellbrook, the Nature Preserve headquarters. All are welcome.