Ridley Creek State Park
Sycamore Mills Road
Media, PA 19063-4398
Fall, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Stacey Karen Bamash
Environmental Education
Ongoing Events
Talking & Walking Club
Mondays October 8, 15, 22, 29 & November 5, 2007 10 am-12 pm
This walk is designed for beginning hikers, persons in wheelchairs, people with young children and/or strollers. The pace will be moderate. This is not appropriate for people with health conditions or walking difficulties. We will walk and discuss the flora, fauna and local history. This event will cancel in the event of heavy rain, lightening or high winds. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted. Must be able to walk .5-1 mile on relatively level paved trail. Free. Meet at area 17.
Hike with Fido, or Without
Mondays October 8, 15, 22, 29 & November 5, 2007 6:30-8:30 pm
Friendly, well-behaved dogs and their owners are welcome on this 1-2 mile hike. Dogs must remain leashed. Dog waste must be removed and bringing water for your dog is suggested. Dress for the weather. We will be on rugged hilly trails and sturdy hiking boots are suggested. Bring dependable flashlight or headlamp. This event will cancel in the event of heavy rain, lightening or high winds. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted. Free. Meet at area 17. Dog not necessary.
Youth Environmental Learning Series (Y.E.L.S.) - Nature Club
Tuesdays, October 9,16,23, 30 & November 6, 2007
The Education Department at Ridley Creek State Park will be offering an ongoing club for children interested in nature. Children who attend for 6 or more sessions receive a Passport to Y.E.L.S. booklet and patch. Classes will be held in the park office and outdoors. Children should be pre-registered and prepared for the weather. Call 610-892-3908 or email . for info or to register your child. Space is limited to 10 children. FREE.
Touch and Grow Nature Club
Preschool Nature Club-children ages 4-5
Tuesdays 10:00-11:15am and 1:00-2:15 pm. Club activities will focus on collecting, observing, demonstrations, games, projects and hikes.
Environmental Discovery &Jr. Naturalist Level 1 Nature Club
After school Nature Club for children grades 1-5
Tuesdays 4:45 pm-6:00 pm. Club activities will focus on environmental experiments, demonstrations, collecting, projects, fishing and hikes.
Individual Events
Wilderness Survival: The Native American Way
Sunday, October 21, 2007 8am-4pm
Instructing this program will be Lance Gardner. We will create a primitive camp. Bring your own food / water, a sharp non-folding knife and notebook/pen to take notes. Rain or shine. Wear sturdy boots for rugged terrain and dress for the weather. This program is for adults and children over 10. A legal guardian over 18 must accompany children under 16. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 610-892-3908 or email to register. $30 per person cash or check due at time of event. Meet at park office at 8 AM and we will carpool from there at 8:15AM. No Latecomers!
Lance Gardner has been a primitive skills enthusiast since 13 years of age. He is a member of MAPS (Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills) and a graduate of 5 classes from Tom Brown's Tracking and Survival School. Lance lectures local scouting groups and has been involved with Garnet Valley Middle School's mountain man rendezvous for the past two years teaching Native American primitive skills.
Photo Club Nature Photography Workshop Part I
Saturday, October 27, 2007 10-3pm
Instructing this program will be Bill Buchanan. Buchanan will give a workshop on photography from 10-12pm. Lunch will be on your own from 12-1pm. Then from 1-3pm he will lead a photo hike. Bring your camera. Photos should then be saved to a cd /thumb drive, emailed or developed so they can be shared in a critique session on 11/10/07. Meet in park office. Free. The photo hike part will cancel in the event of heavy rain, lightening or high winds.
Bill Buchanan has spent many years as a freelance writer/photographer before becoming the Communications and Audio Visual Specialist at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. His writings and photographs have appeared in many periodicals and have covered topics such as wetland restoration, oil spills, shorebird migration and horseshoe crab spawning. He was a founding member of the Photo Group at John Heinz NWR and the “Bill Buchanan Award” goes to the Best in Show for the annual photo contest.
Saturday Night Spooky • No young children please!
Saturday, October 27, 2007 8-11pm
Not for the easily frightened! We’ll go on a night tour of the park and hear stories about the less than pleasant and supernatural things have happened. It will be up to you if you believe them. Then we’ll make s’mores and drink hot chocolate or cider while we listen to some nightmarish stories around a campfire. This event is not for young children or anyone who doesn’t like to be spooked. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on, a dependable flashlight, marshmallow roasting stick and a mug. Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. A $2 donation per person is requested to fund refreshments. To assure that there will be adequate refreshments and for safety reasons pre-registration is required. To register call 610-892-3908 or email . Meet in the playground at Area 17. Participants should be able to hike 1-1.5 miles on rugged trails. This event will cancel in the event of heavy rain, lightening, high winds or monsters. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted.
Bird Banding Demonstration
Sunday, October 28, 2007 8-10am
Doris McGovern will be collecting data about local and migrating birds for this program. We will catch birds in mist nets and place a small numbered metal band on each bird’s leg. Birds will be identified, aged, and measured. The recorded data will be sent to the USFWS database. Banding begins at 8 am and continues as birds are caught until 10 am. Meet in upper parking lot of park office and follow signs along yellow trail to demonstration area. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted. This event will cancel in the event of rain, lightening or high winds. Free.
Map and Compass for Beginners Of All Ages
Saturday, November 3, 1-3pm
We’ll learn basic compass and map skills and then use them to follow the orienteering course. Due to the limited number of compasses, you must pre-register or bring your own compass. Call 610-892-3908 or email to register. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Participants should be able to hike 2 miles on rugged terrain. Meet at park office. $1 per map. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted. This event will cancel in the event of rain, lightening or high winds.
Singles Night Hike & Campfire Mingle • SingleAdults Only Please!
Saturday, November 3, 7:30-10:30pm
We’ll take a short hike down to admire the creek in the starlight. Then we’ll hike back to roast marshmallows and chat. Marshmallows and s’mores will be provided. Participants should bring a reliable flashlight, non-alcoholic beverages, marshmallow roasting stick and chairs or blankets to sit on. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Participants should be able to hike approximately 1 mile up and down a steep grade on a paved road. A $1 donation per person is requested to fund refreshments. To assure that there will be adequate refreshments and for safety reasons pre-registration is required. To register call 610-892-3908 or email . Meet at the playground in Area 17. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted. This event will cancel in the event of rain, lightening or high winds.
Campfire Club
Friday, November 9, 2007 7-10pm
We’ll take a short hike to explore the woods then sing songs around a campfire, hear stories and roast marshmallows. Cider, hot chocolate and s’mores will be provided. Participants should bring a reliable flashlight, a mug, marshmallow roasting stick, chairs or blankets to sit on. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Participants should be able to hike 1-1.5 miles on rugged trails. Musicians, especially guitarists welcome. To assure that there will be adequate refreshments registration is required by calling 610-892-3908 or email . A $2 donation per person is requested to fund refreshments, under 6 free. Meet at the playground in Area 17.
This event will cancel in the event of heavy rain, lightening or high winds. Please call 610-892-3908 and listen to message regarding cancellation if bad weather is predicted.
Photo Club Nature Photography Critique Session Part II
Saturday, November 10, 2007 10-12pm
Share your nature photos. You can submit up to 10 photographs for review by Bill Buchanan and fellow club members. Photos should be emailed to
(must be received by 4 pm, 11/8/07) saved to a cd or thumb drive so they can be presented in a power point presentation or bring prints. The best photographs of Ridley Creek State Park will be posted on the Internet at and click on “Photo Club.” Meet in park office. Free.
1