Children learn why native plants matter so much to pollinators and local wildlife. They'll act out the process of pollination, move through metamorphosis to become a beautiful monarch, and finish by making a seed ball of native plants to start a pollinator garden of their own. Because insects rely on native host plants — and fewer native insects means fewer birds — what we plant in our yards will decide the wildlife that can live in Pennsylvania in the future.

Bring your water shoes — children will get wet for this one. Macroinvertebrates are the tiny insects that live in streams and feed fish and other aquatic life. Kids learn the major body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen) and how to tell larval, nymph, and adult stages apart, then catch live macroinvertebrates and identify them with a dichotomous key to decide whether their stream is clean enough for a healthy fish population.

Learn how to start and care for your own garden full of food you love to eat. Children discover the different parts of a plant and why each one matters, practice proper technique for planting seeds and potted plants, and explore the soil food web — an invisible world full of life-and-death drama right beneath our feet. They'll also learn how compost improves garden soil.

Turtles are awesome reptiles. With help from our non-native friend Franklin the tortoise, children learn the difference between turtles and tortoises, then explore the habitats of Pennsylvania species like the Common Snapping Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, and Wood Turtle. Kids find out how they can help the turtles that call Pennsylvania home — protecting habitat, helping turtles cross the road safely, and remembering the golden rule: when you see a turtle, take a picture, don't pick it up!