Nature Nearby

Continuing to gain knowledge past our childhood is essential to stay young at heart and ALT is eager to engage adults in learning both on our properties and at your location. These programs are presentation style with hands-on activities and/or manipulatives like skins, feathers, or nests to keep participants engaged. Social clubs, adult living communities, educator trainings, and other gatherings are great ways to utilize our Nature Nearby series. Please note that all below programs involve a PowerPoint presentation, thus ALT will need a projection space for any on-site programs.

Contact Julie to learn more about this programming.

Educators’ Corner

These programs are designed to meet Act 48 and/or PQAS hours.

  • Animal Architects: Utilizing Nature to Teach STEM
  • From Ew to Ah Ha! Turning Fear of Nature into Curiosity
  • Getting Little Feet WET
  • Getting Little Hands on the Land
  • Growing Up WILD
  • Project WET
  • Project WILD
  • Utilizing Nature Storybooks
  • WOW: Wonders of Wetlands

Adult Programming

  • All About Hummingbirds: Hummingbirds are feats of nature! Explore Pennsylvania’s only hummingbird, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird, and its fascinating biology.
  • All About Salamanders: The presence of salamanders can teach us so much about the health of the ecosystem. Explore and identify salamanders of PA in this workshop.
  • All About Bees: Pennsylvania is home to more species of bees than birds. This workshop examines some of the most ecologically and economically important animals on Earth.
  • Birding in Your Backyard: Learn the identifying characteristics and calls of some of the most common backyard birds.
  • Butterflies 101: One of nature’s most beautiful and colorful creatures will be explored during this program. Learn how to identify some of PA’s common butterflies as they fly by!
  • Composting 101: How can you create a sustainable compost bin right in your backyard? Learn how to create various types of composting bins and know what you can and cannot put inside them.
  • Creating Backyard Habitats: How can you design your yard to attract native pollinators, birds and more? Learn what to plant and what to include in your yard to increase your backyard biodiversity.
  • Curious Caterpillars: Why would the early bird rather have a caterpillar then a worm? Learn the incredible biology and facts about caterpillars, and learn what the caterpillars of common PA butterflies look like.
  • Fall and Winter Gardening for Wildlife: How can you sustain wildlife in your yard over winter? Learn tricks and tips to making sure your yard is a winter wonderland for native wildlife.
  • Fantastic Fireflies: Some of the most magical insects on Earth are explored in this workshop. Learn how to tell species apart by just their lights!
  • Invasive Species of Pittsburgh: Our region is home to many types of invasive species. Being able to identify and remove them is vital to maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
  • Nature’s Early Risers: After a long winter, why do some animals wake up from hibernation earlier than others? Learn some of the benefits to being some of nature’s lightest sleepers.
  • Owls of PA: From the tiny Screech Owl, to the “tiger of the sky” Great Horned Owl, explore the amazing characteristics of PA’s 8 owl species.
  • Preparing for the Great Backyard Bird Count: What is the Great Backyard Bird Count and how can we prepare for it as Community Scientists? Learn how to aid science by counting birds every February.
  • Snakes and Frogs of PA: How many of PA’s snake species are venomous? Do we have tree frogs locally? Learn how to identify some of our native snakes and frogs.
  • Science of Spiders: Spiders have been on Earth longer than mammals. We’ll explore their fascinating biology as well as some myths and folklore.
  • Spring Ephemerals: Providing some of the first food of the spring for bees, this workshop explores the wildflowers that bloom just as the snow begins to melt.
  • Spring/Fall Wild Edibles: Learn how to correctly identify both edible and poisonous plants commonly found in Pennsylvania. We will also explore some traditional medicinal uses of plants. This program is available in a spring edition and a fall edition.
  • Utilizing iNaturalist for the City Nature Challenge: Learn how to make and upload observations on iNaturalist in order to participate in April’s international bioblitz, the City Nature Challenge.
  • Who is That Bug?: What’s that bug in your garden? We’ll take a look at some of our most common six legged garden visitors.
  • Winter Warriors: What amazing adaptations allow animals to survive harsh winters? Learn how local wildlife changes to meet winter’s demands.