York County Parks will be offering a wide variety of fun educational programs for all ages this Fall. Check out their full Fall schedule of events below.
PLEASE NOTE PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL EVENTS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Spaces are limited. All programs are free unless otherwise noted.
To register call 717-428- 1961 or email NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov and include your name, number of participants, ages of children, and phone number.
Children's Programs |
Nature Storytime & Craft
Sunday, Sept 4—TREES THEME
Sunday, Oct 30—TURTLE THEME
Nixon Park, 1:00-2:30pm
Join a parks naturalist for a themed story, a short walk, and a fun craft to take home.
$5/child.
Sensory Nature Walks
Saturday, October 8
Saturday, November 12
Nixon Park, 10am-11am
Join a parks naturalist on a short adventure through the woods and around the pond to explore the sights, sounds, and sensations of nature.
Indoor Nature Play Drop-In
December 1-29 (Closed Mondays)
Nixon Park, regular hours
Drop-in anytime to dress-up, use puppets, touch & feel natural objects, explore with short scavenger hunts & be creative.
Various play stations will be available inside the nature center.
Family Activties & Programs |
Fall Native Plant Sale
Saturday, September 24
Rudy Park, Pines Pavilions, 9am-2pm
Shop from local native plant nurseries with a wide variety of perennials, trees, and shrubs.
Visit educational displays and non-profitnature organizations.
No registration
required.
Photo Contest
Deadline for submissions: Sept 30
Heritage Rail Trail
Submit photos including a recognizable element of the Heritage Rail Trail, its’ Northern Extension, or Hanover Trolley Trail
to info@YorkCountyTrails.org with “photo contest” in the subject. Complete and include the “Permission for Use of Photography Form” from
www.YorkCountyTrails.org. Top entries will be included in the 2023 York County Rail Trail Calendar!
Fall Tree Walk
Sunday, Oct 16, 2:00-3:30pm
Nixon Park
A park naturalist will lead a casual nature walk to view fall leaves and learn how to identify some of Pennsylvania’s common trees.
Stream Study in the Old Mill Stream
Sunday, September 18
Wallace-Cross Mill, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Penn State Master Watershed Stewards will help you understand the life found in Rambo Run. This high class trout stream is in a near pristine state and is filled
with wondrous aquatic life forms. Wear a pair of old sneakers, rain boots, or water shoes. No open-toed shoes, flip-flops, or bare feet permitted. In
addition, the historic grist mill will be open for tours from 1:30-4:30pm.
Stream Discovery
Sundays, October 2 & 23
Nixon Park, 2:00-3:30pm
A park naturalist will guide a search under rocks in the stream to find baby insects and other aquatic critters. Bring extra water shoes or rain boots for
walking carefully into the creek. Appropriate for ages 5 and up with adult helper.
Pumpkin Walk
Saturday, October 22
Rail Trail, Seven Valleys, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Walk along the rail trail with the family to see more than 200 hand-carved pumpkins, music, food, and giveaways.
$5 donation suggested for adults supports the Rail Trail Authority. No registration required.
Habitat Action Days
November 1-6
Nixon Park
Special displays in the nature center and native plants for sale.
Events planned each day to help improve habitats at the park by removing invasive species, planting native species, and learning how to identify plants.
Lunch & Learn: Invasive Plants vs. Friendly Natives
Tues, Nov 1, 12:00-1:30pm
Sat, Nov 5, 12:00-1:30pm Munch on your provided bag lunch while learning about common invasive plants and how to tell them apart from common natives. Take a walk along the trail to get hands-on experience. $12/ person, registration required by Friday, October 28.
Invasive Plant Demolition Parties
Tues-Fri, Nov 1-4, 9:00-11:30am & 1:00-
4:00pm, Sun, Nov 6, 9:00-11:30am
Register your family or group to help attack invasive plants in target habitat areas.
Naturalists will teach you about our most harmful plants as we pull, cut, dig, or otherwise remove them to make way for more beneficial species.
Kain Park Clean-up Walk
Sat, Nov 5, 9:00am-10:30am
Meet at Kain Park’s Hess Farm Road parking lot and walk a short trail to clean-up the park. Gloves and bags for litter will be provided.
Habitat Restoration Plantings
Sat, Nov 5, 2:00-4:00pm
Sun, Nov 6, 2:00-4:00pm
Help by planting young trees or shrubs in restoration areas throughout the park, install tree cages, and hammer in stakes.
Pre-Colonial PA Natural History
Sunday, November 27
Nixon Park, 2:00-3:30pm
Learn about the history and ecology of Pennsylvania prior to European colonists arrival in the area. Park Naturalist Carter will lead this indoor program.
Rocky Ridge Winter Nature Walks
Wednesdays, December 14 & 21
Rocky Ridge Park, Hidden Laurel Picnic
Area, Pheasant Pavilion, 1:30-3:00pm
Come out for a crisp stroll through the woods to search for wildlife signs & identify plants without their leaves.
Learn about how animals survive the winter.
Kid’s Christmas Bird Count
Wednesday, December 28
Nixon Park, 10:00am-12:00pm
Children ages 8 and up will join with a birding mentor from York Audubon in small groups to participate in the annual Christmas Count.
Mentors will lead teams hiking & help identify birds. Children must attend with an adult.
Teen and Adult programs |
HawkWatch Drop-In
Fridays and Saturdays, Sept
2—Oct 29, 10am-2pm
Rocky Ridge Park, Oak Timbers Parking
Lot, North Overlook
Drop-in anytime to practice identifying raptors in flight alongside naturalists and citizen scientists. Bring binoculars, field guides, lawn chairs, and dress for the weather. If it’s raining or the conditions are otherwise poor for hawk migration, volunteers may not be present.
Introduction to Hawk Watching
Saturday, Sept 17
Saturday, Oct 1
Rocky Ridge Park, Oak Timbers Parking
Lot, North Overlook, 10:00am and 1:00pm
Each fall thousands of raptor species pass over Rocky Ridge as they migrate south for the winter. Visit the hawk watch to learn more about this extraordinary phenomenon and get an introduction to raptor identification and counting. Bring binoculars, field guides, lawn chairs, and dress for the weather.
Rain Barrel Virtual Lesson
Wednesday, September 21
Virtual Zoom Program, 7:00pm
During this virtual program learn about the benefits of having a rain barrel to reduce water runoff and conserve water in our watershed with Penn State Master
Watershed Stewards. Then, pick-up your rain barrel kit (optional purchase) on
Saturday, Sept 24, at the Native Plant Sale at Rudy Park between 10:00am- 1:30pm.
Registration required at https://extension.psu.edu/rain-barrel-workshop
Beginner Mushroom Identification
Sunday, Sept 25
Nixon Park, 2:00–4:00pm
This indoor and outdoor program will introduce you to a world of local fungi.
Local naturalist John Dawson returns to lead this exciting program.
Program begins indoors, followed by a short walk outside.
Raab Park History and Nature Walk
Thursday, November 10
Raab Park, 10:00am-12:00pm
Find out how miners removed and shipped ore and see how this history hasbeen preserved today.
Learn about efforts to conserve the bats living in some mineshafts. Learn about wildlife preparing for winter.
Meet at the parking lot on Hoff Rd. for a two-mile hike with steep terrain. Please wear proper hiking attire.
Project FeederWatch
Tuesdays and Wednesdays,
November 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30,
December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Nixon Park, 9:00am–4:00pm
Project FeederWatch is a citizen science program in which participants identify and count birds visiting the feeders from November through early April.
The collected data becomes part of a nation- wide data set which tracks winter bird population trends. Beginners are welcome.
ADA accessible. One hour every other week commitment for volunteers.
Visitors welcome to drop-in and learn about winter birds anytime.
Public Star Watches
York County Astronomical Society often hosts public star watches at the Rudy Park
Observatory on the second Saturday of each month at 8pm.
Visit www.astroyork.com for information on this season’s events.
Parks Advisory Board Meetings
Nixon Park, 6pm
These meetings are open
to the public.
Tuesday, Sept 20 & Tuesday, Nov 15
