Strawberry Hill offers Dusk Discovery Walks throughout summer

(6/11) Come out to Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve to experience the sights and sounds of the evening forest during Strawberry Hill's Dusk Discovery walks this summer.

"We'll have our eyes and ears open to see the changes the forest goes through as summer days fade into summer nights," says Strawberry Hill environmental educator Eddy Rubin, who will lead the walks. "This is the time of day when the diurnal birds sing their last songs as the nighttime animals are beginning to emerge from their hiding places. In June and July, we'll see the fireflies putting on their light show, and in August, we'll hear the katydids, grasshoppers and crickets performing their symphonies.

"Summer is also a great time to watch the bats swooping over the pond as they gather their insect dinners," Rubin adds. "And if we're lucky, we'll hear the distinctive calls of the wood thrush and the juvenile Barred Owls. When it comes down to it, summer evenings are just a great time to be out exploring the forest. We'll just see what we can see."

Rubin will lead Strawberry Hill's Dusk Discovery walks on Thursday, June 11, from 8:00 to 9:30 P.M.; Tuesday, July 21, from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M.; and Thursday, August 13, from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M.

The walks are open to the public and appropriate for all ages. The cost is $5 for Strawberry Hill members ($25 for member families of five or more), and $8 for non-members ($40 for nonmember families of five or more). Children ages 2 and under are free of charge. Please pre-register by the day before the walk by calling Strawberry Hill at (717) 642-5840. Strawberry Hill is located at 1537 Mount Hope Road, three miles outside Fairfield, Pennsylvania.

For more than 20 years, the non-profit Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve has managed its 609-acre preserve as a living classroom for the community. Open to the public year-round, Strawberry Hill offers a picnic area, nature center and 10 miles of walking trails through wooded hillsides and along mountain streams. It provides educational programs and special events throughout the year. To learn more about Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve, please visit www.strawberryhill.org.