Lancaster Conservancy Events

The Susquehanna River is an ancient and majestic defining feature of our landscape. It connects us to each other and to nature. This fall, join us for the 14th Annual Dine on Harvest Moon Dinner & Auction, where you’ll feel like you’re dining along the beautiful Susquehanna River in the transformed Heritage Ballroom.

EVENING SCHEDULE

5:00 PM | RECEPTION
Cocktails, conversation, and hors d’oeuvres kick off our evening of celebrating conservation while you try your luck for outdoors-inspired raffle items.

7:00 PM | DINNER & PROGRAM
Get swept away by the beauty of the Susquehanna River in the transformed Heritage Ballroom and discover the significance of this ancient waterway and landscape. Eat, drink, and raise your paddle high to save nature and our riverlands during our spirited live auction.

9:00 PM | DESSERT
Celebrate with a sweet ending to a one-of-a-kind evening under the Harvest Moon!

Cocktail Attire

RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 13

HALF MOON ($300) OR FULL MOON ($500) TICKETS

Full Moon VIP Experience

There is an amazing community of life that inhabits the dark spaces in and under rotting logs. Some play incredibly important roles as decomposers turning dead wood back into life. Some have poison claws they use to prey on the decomposers, and others glow in the dark to attract mates, and warn predators they are poisonous. Join us as we explore these dark recesses and all the life that calls them home.

Your Presenter

Keith Williams is the Vice President for Engagement and Education for Lancaster Conservancy. Keith is an environmental educator, naturalist, writer and photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Biology from Kutztown University and MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from the Lesley University Audubon Expedition Institute. Keith was the founding Director of Education and is the past Executive Director of the NorthBay Education Foundation, one of the largest outdoor education programs in the US. He has served on the National Social Emotional Learning in Environmental Education Working Group, was appointed to the Maryland Governors Environmental Literacy Committee, and served on the Board of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education for 12 years.

Where to Meet

The Russo Barn at Climbers Run Nature Center

What to Expect

This program is recommended for ages 6+ (anyone under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult) and will involve a short hike (less than a mile) with some minor elevation changes. Restrooms are available onsite. The program will run rain or shine, with cancellations for severe weather made at the time of the event.

What to Bring

Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Bring drinking water and a snack if desired.

There is an amazing community of life that inhabits the dark spaces in and under rotting logs. Some play incredibly important roles as decomposers turning dead wood back into life. Some have poison claws they use to prey on the decomposers, and others glow in the dark to attract mates, and warn predators they are poisonous. Join us as we explore these dark recesses and all the life that calls them home.

Your Presenter

Keith Williams is the Vice President for Engagement and Education for Lancaster Conservancy. Keith is an environmental educator, naturalist, writer and photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Biology from Kutztown University and MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from the Lesley University Audubon Expedition Institute. Keith was the founding Director of Education and is the past Executive Director of the NorthBay Education Foundation, one of the largest outdoor education programs in the US. He has served on the National Social Emotional Learning in Environmental Education Working Group, was appointed to the Maryland Governors Environmental Literacy Committee, and served on the Board of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education for 12 years.

Where to Meet

The Russo Barn at Climbers Run Nature Center

What to Expect

This program is recommended for ages 6+ (anyone under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult) and will involve a short hike (less than a mile) with some minor elevation changes. Restrooms are available onsite. The program will run rain or shine, with cancellations for severe weather made at the time of the event.

What to Bring

Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Bring drinking water and a snack if desired.

Invasive plants take over ecosystems and eliminate biodiversity. While we have some relatively pristine areas at the Climbers Run Nature Center, we also have some areas that are infested with invasive plants. Removing these non-native plants will help make room for more biodiversity and native species to be re-introduced. One of the biggest offenders is muliflora rose, which is what we will primarily be working to remove. Nature gives to us all the time – here’s a chance to give back!

Where to Meet

Russo Barn at Climbers Run Nature Center

What to Expect

Recommended for ages 10 and up (under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult). We will use hand tools including loppers and hand saws to cut out larger invasive shrubs. Restroom facilities are available on-site. This event will be held rain or shine, with cancellation in advance for severe weather.

What to Bring

All tools and work gloves will be provided. Wear sturdy shoes. Dress for the weather, and with long pants and long sleeves. Bring drinking water.

Photo: Peggy Eppig

The restoration plans outlined for Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve in the Hellam Hills Conservation Area Master Plan are expansive and extensive, and we’re very excited to have them underway! Come be a part of this momentous effort as we work to begin to restore forest and grassland habitat by removing invasive shrubs alike multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle.

Where to Meet

Participants should enter Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve at the gated entrance along Accomac Road between Dark Hollow Road and Furnace Road: 40°02’18.2″N 76°34’20.8″W(please click on this link for the exact google coordinates).

What to Expect

Recommended for ages 10 and up (under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult). We will use hand tools including loppers and hand saws to cut out larger invasive shrubs. This event will be held rain or shine, with cancellation in advance for severe weather. There are no restroom facilities available at this site.

What to Bring

All tools and work gloves will be provided. Wear sturdy shoes. Dress for the weather, and with long pants and long sleeves. Bring drinking water.

Photo: Peggy Eppig

New to nature journaling? No experience necessary, just bring a sketchbook and favorite supplies and jump right in!  Our session starts with the natural history of the area and a creative lesson or prompt, followed by a relaxing hour or two of working from nature at your own pace.  Meet and mingle with experienced nature journalists and develop your own unique way of “saving nature” through art and creative writing.  Our group meets throughout the year on Lancaster Conservancy preserves, adjoining public lands, and “in studio” at Climber’s Run Russo Barn.

About Your Presenter

Peggy Eppig is an environmental historian and dynamic conservation educator who offers a hands-on approach to every theme from deep-time history to 21st century conservation methods and practices. She brings over thirty years of interpretive, experiential education experience for all who have an interest in saving our nature for this and future generations. Her wilder interests are in ornithology (birds), herpetology (reptiles and amphibians), silvology (woodlands) and natural history illustration. She is an avid long-distance hiker and enthusiastic bike-packer who shares outdoor adventures with Amos the Coonhound.

Where to Meet

Meet at the parking area at Pinnacle Scenic Overlook Nature Preserve

What to Expect

Recommended for ages teen through adult (anyone under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult). The Pinnacle Overlook is an exposed bluff and is a partially shaded site, accessible from the parking area a short walk down a gravel road. There is ample room for setting up a chair, table, or easel to work with a nearly unobstructed view north into the river hills and Susquehanna River. This event will run rain or shine – if the weather is severe (thunderstorms, high winds) the decision will be made onsite to move to Climber’s Run Russo Barn to work indoors using photographs and visuals of the site instead.

What to Bring

Dress for conditions and bring a snack and water. Provide your own art supplies and sketchbook. Bring a camp chair or sit pad to make yourself comfortable for extended sessions of twenty minutes to an hour or more.

Photo: Peggy Eppig

Have you walked with us to investigate our designated phenology trails and want to get involved in the 2024 Phenology Project? Or are you interested in learning more about phenology and why it is important for understanding how environmental changes affect plant and animal life? Join us for an introduction to our new community-based science project in partnership with USGS Phenology Network where everyone has the opportunity to make and contribute important information towards conservation research and management decisions both locally and nationally. What are our species of concern? What will we observe and when? How will we track our observations? Learn what tools we need and how to submit data. Explore ways that phenology is being used here and around the country to monitor changes and make forecasts for conservation management.

About Your Presenter

Peggy Eppig is an environmental historian and dynamic conservation educator who offers a hands-on approach to every theme from deep-time history to 21st century conservation methods and practices. She brings over thirty years of interpretive, experiential education experience for all who have an interest in saving our nature for this and future generations. Her wilder interests are in ornithology (birds), herpetology (reptiles and amphibians), silvology (woodlands) and natural history illustration. She is an avid long-distance hiker and enthusiastic bike-packer who shares outdoor adventures with Amos the Coonhound.

Where to Meet

The Russo Barn at Climbers Run Nature Center

What to Expect

This event is recommended for ages 13+ (anyone under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult). Restroom facilities are available. The event will be held in an indoor venue at Climbers Run with several outdoor observation sessions close to our meeting space in the Russo Barn. The barn is accessible to all while some observation sessions may involve walking on gravel or grass path. This event will be held rain or shine, with cancellations for severe weather made at the time of the event.

What to Bring

Dress for conditions and bring lunch and a drink. Pack a notebook, binoculars if you have them (not required), and jacket/hat if needed.