Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area has announced its event calendar for 2025.
“This year we have a fresh slate of monthly activities, archery programs, and our popular annual events (including a new one!),” Brant Portner, environmental education specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said in an email.
“A new addition this year is an event called the Pennsylvania Conservation Collectibles Expo, which is looking to be an event where collectors of memorabilia from organizations like the Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, private conservation groups, and others can buy, sell, and trade their items such as old publications, patches, maps, pins, Game News, old licenses, and more,” Portner added.
Here is a list of upcoming events in the Middle Creek Speaker Series and Outdoor Explorer Series. Speaker Series events are held the second Wednesday of each month in the Visitors Center auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Outdoor Explorer Series are generally held outside and will often meet at the Visitors Center.
For more information, visit Middle Creek online, send an email to middlecreek@pa.gov or call 717-733-1512.
Saturday, Feb. 1, 5 p.m. – Deer Processing Workshop: Join Game Commission staff at a hands-on workshop on processing a deer. Tools provided. Limited to 15 trainees, must be 18 or older. Registration is required.
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m. – Allegheny Woodrats on the Road to Recovery in Pennsylvania: Allegheny woodrats, a native species found only in rocky habitats along the Appalachian Mountains, has experienced significant population declines in the past two decades and is listed as a threatened species in Pennsylvania. This talk will discuss the Allegheny woodrat recovery program in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, March 12, 6:30 p.m. – Conserving Lancaster County’s Wildflowers: Join the Lancaster Conservancy in a virtual trip around the county to learn about the diversity of native wildflowers, what the conservancy does to protect and manage them, where to see them, and how volunteers make a difference.
Saturday, March 15 (rain date March 22), 10 a.m. – Public Prescribed Fire Demonstration: This year will be the fourth year of burning a field by the Visitors Center so the public can learn about prescribed fires. Habitat workers and foresters will be on hand to answer questions and display the equipment that enables the safe use of fire as a natural management tool for forests and fields.
Wednesday, April 9, 6:30 p.m. – Hawk Mountain, Local to Global Raptor Conservation: Join the president of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association for a discussion on the lives of raptors and the people that study them.
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. – Middle Creek Geology Ramble: A state geologist from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will lead a guided hike to explore Middle Creek and the Furnace Hill’s geologic history. The hike begins at the Visitors Center and concludes at the vista at the top of the Valley View Trail.
Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – World Migratory Bird Day: Learn about bird migration, threats birds face, and how to help, while meeting local organizations involved in bird conservation.
Wednesday, May 13, 6:30 p.m. – Olympic Medalist Casey Kaufhold’s Story from the Backyard to the World’s Biggest Stage: Kaufhold, a Lancaster County native, tells how she developed from a young hunter and recreational archer to an Olympic bronze medalist and will discuss her relationship between the love of bow hunting and the passion for competing.
Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. – Backyard Bird Feeding Basics: Learn the basics of healthy bird feeding, including different types of bird feed, suet, and birdfeeders, placement and cleanliness. Additionally, native plants will be discussed that can be planted to benefit birds year-round.
Wednesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m. – Camera-Trapping for Wildlife Research: Dr. Haines will review how he uses remote cameras to study wildlife and what new efforts are underway to use cameras in wildlife research.
Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. – Watercolor Workshop: Join watercolor artist and art educator Taryn Showalter to learn how to create a landscape painting, including basic watercolor techniques to create water, trees, and sky. Each person will create their own landscape painting of Middle Creek. No experience necessary, recommended ages 14 and up. This event is limited to 15 attendees, preregistration is required. Materials will be provided.
Saturday, June 28, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Pennsylvania Conservation Collectibles Expo: Collectors can showcase their Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, and other conservation organization memorabilia of items such as patches, licenses, Game News, PGC art, pins, old maps, books, posters, etc.
Wednesday, July 9, 6:30 p.m. – Insects Rule! The Entire World Rides on the Backs of Bugs: Insects are declining in abundance and diversity, which impacts their critically important roles in nature such as pollination, decomposition and soil fertility. This presentation will explore the beauty and diversity in the insect world, will discuss the ecological roles they play, and will present solutions that will stop their decline.
Saturday, July 26, 9 p.m. – Insect Night Life: Discussion of the anatomy and life cycle of nocturnal insects. Attendees will have an opportunity to hold some of the largest (live) bugs in the world and use light stations to attract insects in the dark.
Friday, Aug. 1, from 12 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Wildlife Art Show: Join dozens of artists to admire and/or buy wildlife art in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. – The Power of Mussels: An Overview of Pennsylvania’s Freshwater Mussels and their Importance to the Health of our Aquatic Environments: Freshwater mussels are considered keystone species in aquatic communities around the world, filtering water and stabilizing streambeds to help maintain the health of streams, rivers, and lakes. In North America, 74% of freshwater mussel species are recognized as endangered, threatened, or of special concern. This presentation will provide an overview of freshwater mussel life history, diversity, and ecology including a case study examining species recovery efforts in several Pennsylvania rivers.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. – Invasive Species and How They Impact Our Lives: Go for a walk and discuss common invasive species, how they impact the ecosystem, and different strategies that can be used to manage them.
Saturday, Aug. 30, 9 a.m. – Wild Goose Chase 5K Run/Walk: Proceeds benefit habitat restoration work at Middle Creek.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m. – Light Pollution: The Destruction of Night Skies in Southeastern Pennsylvania: Learn how the excessive and misdirected use of artificial light at night is obscures our view of the cosmos. This presentation by a local astronomy educator examines the impacts of light pollution on wildlife, human health, climate change, safety, and culture, and offers solutions to help create a darker, healthier, and more sustainable future.
Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. – Native Plant Exchange: Increase backyard biodiversity by swapping native plants. Some plants sourced from the Visitors Center’s native plant garden will also be available to trade.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – National Hunting and Fishing Day: Learn about hunting and fishing from representatives from over 35 organizations.
Wednesday, Oct. 8 (rain date Oct. 12), 6:30 p.m. – More than Just a Good Time: Pennsylvania’s Outdoor Economy: Outdoor recreation is a growing industry in Pennsylvania and a strategic tool for development, creating jobs and providing experiences that fuel the economy. Learn about the diverse industry that supports the outdoor recreation industry.
Saturday, Oct. 11, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – 2025 Big Sit! with the Lancaster County Bird Club: Join LCBC member Bruce Carl throughout the day on the hillside just up from the Visitor Center along Conservation Trail for a semi-competitive one-day birdwatching event started in 1992 by the New Haven Bird Club. The event challenges participants to spot as many bird species as possible from a 17-foot circle. Bring binoculars.
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 6:30 p.m. – History of Conservation and Conservation Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania: The program will provide a history of conservation law enforcement in Pennsylvania and in the United States, with a special focus on the rise and fall of wildlife populations through the centuries and an overview of people who fought to protect wildlife in the nation. This event is part of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration.
Saturday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. – Avian Anatomy: Join staff from the Wildlife Futures Program to get an inside look at bird anatomy and learn more about how birds fly and float. Note: the presentation will utilize deceased birds for demonstrations, so attendees should be prepared to see dead animals and organs. Only birds testing negative for avian influenza will be used in the program.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m. – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Christmas Bird Count Season: Explore the history of the Christmas Bird Count, the world’s longest-running community science survey, which began in 1900 as a new tradition to replace Christmas “side hunts,” where participants competed to see how many birds they could kill. This year marks the 126th Christmas Bird Count; learn about its origins, its influence on local birding, and how bird occurrences in this area have evolved since the first count was conducted.
Saturday, Dec. 27, 10:30 a.m. – Winter Bird Walk and Christmas Bird Count Scouting: Join Lancaster County Bird Club for a field-based complement to the Dec. 10 lecture on the Christmas Bird Count. This hands-on birding experience will allow participants to explore Middle Creek’s winter landscape and observe the season’s local bird species while gaining insight into the process of counting birds.
Also, Middle Creek will host public archery events at Willow Point Archery Range from 5 to 7 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: June 11 and 25, July 9 and 23, and August. 6 and 20. A women’s pop-up event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, and a crossbow event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3. Equipment is provided. All ages and levels of experience are welcome.
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