Bringing Education Outdoors with North Branch Land Trust and YMCA
Family Nature Walks / YMCA partnership
Press Release – for Immediate Release
Contact:
Brittany Lynn, Marketing Manager
North Branch Land Trust
Phone: (570) 310-1871
Email: info@nblt.org
Website: nblt.org
Bringing Education Outdoors with North Branch Land Trust and YMCA
Luzerne County- North Branch Land Trust and The Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA invite the community to participate in a monthly, nature based educational series of family-friendly walks. These walks will be led by North Branch Land Trust’s environmental education coordinator, Leah Malarkey, who will focus on topics such as bird identification, understanding different ecosystems, and recognizing native species. The series will be at rotating locations, including North Branch Land Trust’s preserves and sanctuaries, and will take place on specified Saturdays throughout the remainder of 2025. What Lives Here?” - a discussion on Pond Life- will kick-off the series on August 23 at 11:00am, at the George & Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven, PA.
“We welcome all ages to participate,” said Malarkey. “This series is family oriented and will offer families the opportunity to experience nature and engage in environmentally focused conservation.”
North Branch Land Trust and the Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA are partnering on the Family Nature Walks series. There is no cost for participation, however registration is encouraged. Donations are welcome and will help support future events.
“North Branch Land Trust and the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA have a great opportunity together in reaching families and children of all ages to learn about and appreciate our shared abundance of natural resources, fun nature-based recreation, and the beauty of our area!” said Ellen Ferretti, Executive Director of North Branch Land Trust.
To learn more about these events or to RSVP, visit NBLT.org/events or email info@NBLT.org. Follow North Branch Land Trust on Instagram and Facebook @northbranchlandtrust for event updates and announcements.
“This is a great partnership between the Y and NBLT that will bring outdoor educational programs to the community while discovering new outdoor areas in Luzerne County. This is a great opportunity for families and children!” said Jim Thomas, CEO of The Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA.
Michele Schasberger, Healthy Communities Coordinator at the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, expressed, "This program is a great way to get families and kids out and active at local natural places, including gems people probably have never visited before, and to learn something about land conservation and preserving nature here in Luzerne County. We are really excited to partner with the North Branch Land Trust to promote this to Y families, and beyond that, we'll be able to take some of our Y Afterschool kids whose families might not have time, to visit these properties at the same time, through this partnership and a grant from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council."
North Branch Land Trust is a registered 501(c)(3) conservation nonprofit operating in Northeastern Pennsylvania. NBLT conserves properties in an eight-county region of Pennsylvania (Bradford, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Columbia) in the Susquehanna and Upper Lehigh Watersheds. North Branch Land Trust partners with landowners, communities, and stakeholders to conserve and care for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s lands and waters. 