Thursday, May 24, 2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

"Are you up for a challenge," our friends at Fern Hollow ask

JOIN FERN HOLLOW NATURE CENTER FOR THE 1ST ANNUAL AMAZING PARKS RACE ON JUNE 2, 2012

Fern Hollow Nature Center (FHNC) is kicking off summer with an event to showcase all the wonderful parks in our community.

FHNC’s Amazing Parks Race will take place on June 2nd from 3:00-6:00PM. Our race will imitate the Amazing Race on TV and will highlight eight of the beautiful parks in the Quaker Valley area.

Form a team with friends or family – we think it will be a fun event for all ages! Each team (car load) will be given clues to direct them to a local park. Once there they will have to complete a challenge (like build a little bridge or imitate a bee) to earn the clue for the next location. There will also be bonus challenges and a few other twists. The team with the best overall time wins but there will be plenty of other awards too!

The Race ends at FHNC for an awards ceremony and ice cream provided by Sewickley Confectionary. Teams are invited to bring their own picnic dinner and linger on the grounds of FHNC for the best sunset in the Valley.

The cost to participate is $25 per team for FHNC members and $35 per team for non-members. Teams can consist of children and adults and as many people as they can fit in one car. To register your team please call 412-741-6136 or email fhnc@verizon.net

This fundraiser will directly support the education programs at Fern Hollow Nature Center. The Center offers over 50 hands-on inquiry based science programs for local schools each year that focus on Pennsylvania wildlife and habitat, geology, local watersheds, and much more. Last year over 2,500 students from ten schools participated in those programs.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

LET'S TALK: An Informal Discussion for Parents about Teens & Drinking

On Wednesday, May 30, Youth Connect will host an informal discussion that continues the group’s on-going conversation about the dangers, ramifications, and consequences of underage drinking.

Entitled “Let’s Talk,” the event will be moderated by Youth Connect’s leaders, Joan Murdoch and Susan Kaminski. Murdoch and Kaminski founded Youth Connect, a group of concerned adults and students from schools and organizations in the Sewickley area, working to provide the information, resources, and support young people need to avoid risky behaviors. The group has been active in the community for over five years, offering a full slate of events each school year that help educate parents, professionals, and students.

At “Let’s Talk” on May 30th, the pair will discuss the latest facts about the effects of alcohol on the brains of adolescents, current realities of drinking in the teen years, and research proven practical parenting ideas for preventing risky behaviors. The event runs from 10 am till noon at the Sewickley Valley Y Community Center, located near the Paddle Tennis courts off Blackburn Road. There is no cost, and the presentation is open to the public.

For more information on this important upcoming event, or to find out more about Youth Connect, email youthconnect@hotmail.com.