2007 Family Fun Days and Lecture Series

All programs are held at the Bushkill Meeting Center, Route 209, just south of the Bushkill Falls Road traffic light.

Admission is free due to contributions for sponsorship to the Friends of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. We are a not-for profit organization devoted to park conservancy.

Please note some events draw very large crowds and reservations are recommended or required so that we present a safe event for all.

For more information about the programs or to make reservations, call 570-426-249.

May 19: Family Fun Day with Pocono Avian Research Center

Pack up the whole family and join Pocono Avian Research Center educator Darryl Speicher for a spring peek at our local bird populations. Join the Friends of the DWGNRA and NPS rangers for snacks and a craft activity following the program. Reservations are suggested.

Time: 10-12 noon.
Call (570) 426-2490 for more information or to make a reservation.

This Family Fun Day is made possible through the generous donation to the Friends
from Tri-State Insurance Agency, Augusta, NJ.

June 2: Discovering History in Your National Park

Join National Park Service staff, the Friends of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and members of local historical societies for an exploration of local history and heritage.

“Discovering History in Your Park” will be presented by Brian Van Sweden of the PA Historical and Museum Commission. His presentation is a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC), supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The PHC inspires people to come together and share a life of learning. Since 1973, the PHC has provided resources to empower local groups to help their communities explore history, literature, the arts and the ideas that shape the human experience. This presentation will show the audience how to “read” a building’s visual clues to its past and how those clues can be used to understand community history and development.

Representatives from six local historical societies will make presentations about their respective sites including the Dingmans Ferry and Bushkill historical societies and the Friends of Marie Zimmerman from Pennsylvania; and the Walpack Historical Society, the Millbrook Village Society and the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History from New Jersey. National Park Service historian Susan Kopczynski, editor of Exploring Delaware Water Gap History: A Field Guide to the Historic Structures and Cultural Landscapes of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will introduce the audience to the National Register of Historic Places- what is it, what it means, and how to get started if you are interested in having your property listed

Time: 1-3:30pm, exhibits open at noon

July 21: Alien Attack!

Members of the National Park Service’s northeast regional Exotic Plant Management Team will discuss the issue of invasive exotic plants and the impact on local ecosystems. History, identification, and treatment and removal methods will be addressed.

Time: 7 pm

August 18: The Delaware River: Current Issues

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the Delaware River. Join Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum for a look at the group’s work and an exploration of current issues facing our river including flooding, development and pollution.

Time: 7 pm

September 22: The Delaware Water Gap through Artists’ Eyes

Join local artist and retired educator Fred Beaver for a look at the Delaware Water Gap through the eyes of a painter. Explore the history of the water gap and the Delaware River valley as the subject of various works of art from Karl Bodmer and George Inness to Cullen Yeats and the many contemporary artists who, today, still find inspiration in the majestic scenery.
Time: 7 pm

October 13: Close Encounters With Birds of Prey

Back by Popular Demand!!! Delaware Valley Raptor Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and conservation of birds of prey. Join DRVC educator Bill Streeter and his live raptor friends for this up close and personal look at birds of prey. Seating is limited and reservations are required for this popular event.

Time: 7 pm
Call 570-426-2490 by October 10 to make a reservation.

November 10: Family Fun Day with Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

Bring the family along for this fun and educational program! Learn about wildlife native to the Pocono region, the problems they encounter and how they can be helped. The presentation will include a live wildlife demonstration using animals that cannot be released into the wild. Following the program, join the Friends of DWGNRA and NPS staff for light snacks and a craft activity. Reservations suggested.

Time: 10 am -12 noon
Call 570-426-2490 for more information or to make a reservation.

Visit www.nps.gov/dewa for more information about this lovely parkland of 70,000 acres straddling 40 miles of the Delaware River from Milford, PA, and Montague, NJ, south to Delaware Water Gap
at Interstate 80.