2015 Press Releases
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2015 Press Releases
December 2015 – Met Ed Sustainable Energy Grant
December 2015 – Ticket to Ride NPF Grant
October 2015 – Native American Youth Camp
August 24, 2015 – PEEC 2015 Harvest Festival
August 20, 2015 – Wild Things: Dragonfly Ball
July 15, 2015 – Greater Pike Community Foundation Grant
March 30, 2015 – PEEC 2015 Earth Day Celebration
Met Ed Sustainable Energy Grant
December 23, 2015
The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) was recently awarded $25,000 from the Metropolitan Edison Company Sustainable Energy Fund, which is administered by the Berks County Community Foundation. The grant will be used to retrofit three housing units on the PEEC campus with sustainable energy technologies including solar and wind-turbine generated power. Super-insulation materials will also be installed to ensure maximum efficiency in heating and cooling the living space within the units.
With more than 10,000 students from elementary school through college staying overnight at PEEC each year, these new technologies are also designed to be instructive as to the benefits of sustainable energy technologies. Gauges installed in each unit actually demonstrate both the energy and cost savings of these new technologies. PEEC Executive Director, Jeff Rosalsky, said, “Though we tell people all the time about the benefits of sustainable energy technologies, this message has far more impact when someone experiences it firsthand. When we show them the “numbers” of it, they become both believers and advocates.”
The Metropolitan Edison Company Sustainable Energy Fund promotes the development and use of renewable energy and clean energy technologies, energy conservation and efficiency, sustainable energy businesses and projects that improve the environment, said Heidi Williamson, Vice President for Programs and Initiatives at Berks County Community Foundation which manages the fund. “This project at the Pocono Environmental Education Center will show that energy consumption can be reduced though technology without losing comfort or convenience,” Williamson said. “Sustainable energy technologies are improving every year and are becoming standard practice in new construction and building renovations.”
Jeff Rosalsky also said the Metropolitan Edison Company Sustainable Energy Fund is one of many important partners in PEEC’s 21st Century Sustainability Campaign, which has an objective of converting all existing buildings to more sustainable energy sources over the next several years. He said that PEEC wishes to serve as an example of change for others to follow. He went on to say that with more than 25,000 visitors each year, PEEC has a huge impact.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Receives Transportation Grant From The National Park Foundation
December 8, 2015
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DWGNRA) is one of 113 national parks selected to receive a 2015 field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. The “Ticket to Ride” program allowed over 500 area fourth graders to come to the park.
As part of the National Park Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, this grant (funded in part by Disney) provides funding for materials and logistics to make national park field trips, citizen science projects, Junior Ranger activities, experiential learning opportunities, and more possible.
Including this year’s grantees, National Park Foundation grants have made it possible for more than 300,000 students to visit national parks.
“Through programs like Open OutDoors for Kids and the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement, we are creating the next generation of park stewards, connecting youth across the country to these special places and inspiring their natural curiosity and love for them,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “We are grateful to all of our partners, including Disney, that make such programs possible and help more people find their park.”
“By sharing parks with kids at such a young age, we’re building a strong generation of park stewards who will care for and protect these treasured places into the next 100 years,” said Jonathan B. Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. “Thanks to our philanthropic partner, the National Park Foundation, we’re able to strengthen and enrich our parks through the lasting bond these experiences foster.”
Students were visited by NPS staff and staff from the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) before their park visit. It was then that they learned about their upcoming trip to PEEC, more about national parks and possible activities they and their families could do in the park. Once at PEEC, they took a tour of the EcoZone and then hiked outdoors. A post-trip visit to the schools will be made, where information about the Pocono Pony and other park opportunities will be shared.
For the full list of park grantees, and their projects, visit www.nationalparks.org/ticket-adventure.
Since 2014, Disney has been the lead sponsor of Open OutDoors for Kids, helping youth experience a national park, many of them for the first time.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at: www.nps.gov.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
Native American Youth Camp
October 2015
Written by CeCe Biggoose for Delaware Indian News
A trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Park came to life in July when five Delaware teens, ages 14 to 17, embarked on a 12-day journey of their lifetimes. The trip made possible by the tribal leaders of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, including the help of Greg Brown and Brice Obermeyer, Delaware Nation of Anadarko, Stockbridge Munsee of Wisconsin, the National Park Service, Cultural Preservation committees, archeologists, professors, many elders, leaders, volunteers and so many people behind the scenes who envisioned, discussed, planned, set aside funds, wrote grants for this special event. The vision of this event spanned a decade or more.
This Summer Youth camp made it possible for our future generation of tribal leaders to see through their eyes, learn through their hearts and minds, experience hiking through their original homelands. An experience the youth never envisioned possible, none of the youth groups had ever flew on a plane or traveled so far from home!
Read the entire article: Delaware Indian News – October 2015
PEEC 2015 Harvest Festival
August 20, 2015
The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) will be hosting its fifth annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine.
The Harvest Festival is an event that celebrates the autumnal equinox and traditional harvest season that occurs in September. The Harvest Festival will include local farms, handmade items, and environmental activities.
Families are invited to stroll around the vendors and exhibits, support local businesses, make a craft or two, go on a hike, and play some games! For a more laid-back experience, several options are available – relax, grab a bite to eat, and listen to music around lunch time.
PEEC staff and volunteers will lead a number of activities throughout the festival, including tie dye, cider making, autumnal crafts, EcoZone tours, and interpretive hikes around the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The Pocono Environmental Education Center, a non-profit facility, is located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, between Milford and Bushkill, PA. PEEC advances environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in a national park.
PEEC is close to home, where learning comes naturally!
Wild Things 2015 – Dragonfly Ball
August 20, 2015
The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is pleased to announce that the third annual Wild Things Ball, “Wild Things 2015—Dragonfly Ball” will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at PEEC. This year’s Ball will again support PEEC’s 21st Century Sustainability Campaign, and with the funds secured from “Wild Things” in 2013 and 2014, will enable PEEC to break ground on its new Sustainability Lodge in 2016. Jeff Rosalsky, PEEC’s executive director, noted, “The response to this campaign has been outstanding and we are now finalizing plans to build the Sustainability Lodge.”
Krave Caterers of Newton, NJ will provide the elegant dinner, and decor will again be by Randy Auman of Milford, PA, whose “1000 Cranes” origami theme last year was so striking. Rebecca Lindsey of the Dragonfly Dinner Committee noted: “We are delighted that this year’s dinner will take place at PEEC, in Peter Bohlin’s iconic dining lodge. Many of our supporters do not often see the PEEC campus, and the Dragonfly Ball will let all of our guests experience the summer splendor of the park PEEC is fortunate enough to occupy. We plan to serve cocktails outside, weather permitting, and guests who wish to do so will be able to walk to see the site of the new Sustainability Lodge, or to inspect one of the existing lodges that have been retrofitted with “sustainable” heating and hot water systems thanks to the last two Wild Things Balls. Finally, to make this year’s Ball a completely fun party, we have eliminated the live auction segment of the dinner to give more time for entertainment from the Robbi Kumalo band. Robbi, her husband Bakithi Kumalo and their band have been huge hits at our last two balls, and we wanted to have more time for them to entertain us this year! PEEC is also providing continuous free shuttle service between Milford and the PEEC campus on the night of the event so that guests who prefer not to drive Route 209 at night do not need to do so.”
PEEC’s mission is to advance environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in a national park. PEEC provides unique, year-round environmental experiences to families, school groups, scouts, and nature enthusiasts of all ages. The environmental center is located near mile marker 8, within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in Dingmans Ferry, PA (Lehman Township). For more information call (570) 828-2319 or visit PEEC at www.peec.org.
PEEC is close to home, where learning comes naturally!
Greater Pike Community Foundation Grant
July 15, 2015
Jim Pedranti (right center), Board Chair of the Greater Pike Community Foundation, presented a check for $1,000 to Jeff Rosalsky (left center), Executive Director of PEEC and Andrea Ace (center), Camp Director for PEEC Summer Camps. Maryanne Monte, Board Member of the Greater Pike Community Foundation, was also in attendance. The $1,000 award will cover the cost of constructing the new GaGa Ball Pit at PEEC, which is already in use by summer campers. A group of “Pollywog Campers” and one of their camp counselors are also pictured.
PEEC 2015 Earth Day Celebration
Where better to celebrate Earth Day than an environmental center?
The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) will be hosting its 20th annual Earth Day Festival on April 25, 2015. This festival will also celebrate the grand opening of a new trail called Trail for Everyone. The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $5 per car.
Families are invited to stroll around the exhibits, support local businesses, make a craft or two, go on a hike, and play some games! For a more laid-back experience, several options are available – relax, grab a bite to eat, and listen to music.
The grand opening ceremony for the Trail for Everyone will be at 1:00 p.m. PEEC staff will lead families on interpretive nature hikes on the new Trail for Everyone throughout the day, in addition to leading hikes on other trails around the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Crafts will include face painting as well as PEEC’s popular tie-dye station. Tie dye can be a great way to add additional years to old or lightly stained clothing. Bring white cotton shirts, pillowcases, bandanas, or other items and add some color! A limited number of t-shirts will also be available for purchase at the PEEC store.
PEEC will also be featuring a summer camp table – stop by and say hello to real camp counselors! Families who stop by the camp table will receive a special Earth Day discount when signing a child up for camp.
PEEC’s Earth Day Festival is a fun opportunity to learn more about recycling, the environment, and how to make small (and big) changes to reduce your environmental footprint.
The Pocono Environmental Education Center, a non-profit facility, is located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, between Milford and Bushkill, PA. PEEC advances environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in a national park.
PEEC is close to home, where learning comes naturally!