Exploring the Poconos

LEDGEDALE — Explore four unique Pocono natural areas under the leadership of professional naturalist John Serrao, during a weekend-long program based at Lacawac Sanctuary, a 500-acre land preserve located in Wayne County.

The two-night, three-day event will focus on the exploration of the following areas:

Jenkins Woods Virgin Forest at Buckhill Falls — One of the few old growth virgin forests in the Poconos. The trees have never been harvested and are estimated to be between 300 and 500 years old.

Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park — One of the best examples of a glacial boulder field in the United States. This is an expanse of boulders that is one-half mile in length and one-quarter mile in width.

Long Pond Barrens — The highest concentration of rare plant and insect species in Pennsylvania.

Lake Lacawac — A 52-acre glacial lake/bog ecosystem, designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.

Participants will stay in the historic turn-of-the-century, Adirondack-style lodge. Following a Friday evening lecture, field trips will be taken on Saturday and Sunday to visit each site to learn about the plants and animals of its ecosystem.

The program is scheduled for September 7 to 9. Cost to attend is $169 for non-members and $159 for members, including lodging and meals. Without lodging, the fee is $113 for non-members, $103 for members. For more information call 570/689-9494.

Beware the Asian longhorn beetle

ARKVILLE — On Sunday, August 19 at 2:00 p.m. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development will host a talk and slide presentation by certified arborist Naomi Zurcher, Chairperson of New York ReLeaf NYC Planning Committee, who will provide up-to-date information about the invasive Asian longhorn beetle. In New York State the beetle is currently limited to areas of New York City and Suffolk County, but poses a potentially devastating threat to the hardwood forests of the northeast if it spreads.

The beetle infests and kills many valuable species of hardwood trees, and there is currently no proven control except to remove, chip and incinerate infested trees.

For more information call 845/586-2611. Pre-registration is not required.

The business of water use

NARROWSBURG — The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) will hold the next monthly meeting of the Water Use/Resource Management Committee (WU/RM) on Tuesday, August 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the UDC office, 211 Bridge Street. The agenda will include new and old business, updates on ongoing projects, reports of recent meetings and notices of upcoming events. All committee meetings are open to the public. For more information, call 845/252-3022.

In the air and on the water

HAWLEY — The Delaware Valley Raptor Center (DVRC) will present “Close Encounters with Birds of Prey” on Saturday, August 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, at the Wallenpaupack Area High School. It will be one of the featured programs at Lake Awareness Day, an all-day event sponsored by the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) to generate awareness about watershed management and environmental protection in the Pocono Region.

The DVRC, located in Milford, is dedicated to the rehabilitation and conservation of birds of prey.

Joseph Windwalker and Sandra Walks in Rain will also be special guests during the day. The Windwalkers’ extensive traveling museum of jewelry, rattles, fans, clothing and other traditional and contemporary crafts and culture will be on display from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Their display highlights the environment and Native American culture, with primary focus on the Eastern Woodland People.

Lake Awareness Day will help to illustrate the importance of watershed management and ecosystem protection. There will be more than 25 educational booths and activities on display from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. that address a wide range of subjects from organic gardening to hydroelectric power. There will also be food, live music and more than 30 arts and crafts vendors. For more information call Karen Mandeville 570/226-3855 or visit www.lwwmd.org.

Whittling workshop

DELAWARE WATER GAP — There will be a workshop on whittling on Saturday, August 18, at Millbrook Village, the park’s recreated 19th century community.

The program, presented by woodworker Bob Demarest, will run from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and is open to all adults interested in learning or improving their skills in this craft. The workshop is free and will be held in the community’s woodworking shop.

For more information call 908/841-9531.