Take a short walk and learn how you can help wildlife survive the winter. Temperatures drop fast, the smallest creatures struggle to keep warm, and larger ones must find enough food to get through the night. We'll discuss how animals make it through — by hibernating, staying active, or migrating — and the ways you can help: planting native plants, building brush piles for shelter, and leaving tall grasses and bushes standing through the fall.

Stay active by gardening and growing your own healthy food. We'll explore different methods of gardening so you can choose the one that fits you best. Learn about soil and the different ways to compost — cutting down what goes to the landfill while creating your own natural fertilizer to help your garden grow.

Even a small backyard can make a difference in local water quality. Got a wet spot that never seems to dry out? You may have the perfect place for a rain garden — learn which native plants thrive in wet soil and how to turn that spot into a beautiful, natural display. Want to collect free water for your garden? We'll show you how to build a rain barrel that captures runoff straight from your downspout.

Learn how to easily check your local stream's water quality. Macroinvertebrates — the tiny insects that live in streams — are a quick, simple indicator of stream health. We'll catch live stream macroinvertebrates and identify them using a dichotomous key to determine whether the water is clean enough to support a healthy fish population.

Learn why native plants matter so much to the pollinators in our area. Research by Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware found that 90 percent of our native insects are specialists, feeding on three or fewer plant families. These insects rely on native host plants and can't eat the exotic species common in our yards and nurseries — and fewer native insects means fewer birds, with not enough food for their young. What we plant in our yards will shape the wildlife that can live in Pennsylvania in the future.

Location, location, location. We'll talk about where, how, and why to plant your own riparian buffer. Live near a small stream? Learn why streamside buffers matter — how they shade the water and keep pollution from reaching it — and how to establish one of your own.