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Fantastic Fireflies
Green Hills Preserve | July 2, 2022 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fireflies are among nature’s tiniest luminaries. They are special in their ability to light up and blink at one another. Experience the magic of Green Hills after dusk—when the preserve is ordinarily closed to visitors—to watch fireflies flicker and flit across the preserve’s rolling meadows. Local naturalist Mike Slater highlights flashy features of these unique, nocturnal insects.
Green Hills Preserve is a bucolic mixture of gently rolling farm fields, woodlands, and wetlands. A tributary to Allegheny Creek, a state-designated “Cold Water Fishery” stream, bisects the preserve.
The Preserve is situated within the Schuylkill Highlands, a region at the nexus of two landscapes that have been prioritized for protection: the Highlands (as defined by the US Congress) and the Schuylkill River watershed. The area’s importance derives from the need to protect water quality, conserve habitat, and develop recreational opportunities in a region set for considerable growth over the next 20 years.
Located not far from an old stone springhouse—and fed by the cool, clear springs there—stands a towering red maple. This massive specimen has a trunk circumference of 188 inches (about five feet in diameter!) and is about 75 feet tall with a crown spread of 95 feet. In 2014, this giant was added to the official list of Pennsylvania Big Trees.
- Trails are grassy and a little hilly.
- You may bring a small flashlight to use sparingly.
- Please leave your four-legged friends at home.
- No bathrooms onsite, please plan accordingly. Though there is a full-service Turkey Hill nearby, at 3248 Morgantown Rd, Mohnton, PA 19540.
- Check directions ahead of time, as cell service may be spotty in this rural location.
Help us all stay safe:
- If you are sick, please stay home.
- CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people. Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings, especially if they or someone in their household is immunocompromised.
Registration
Registration required. Please complete and submit the secure, on-line registration form below to let us know you are coming, or call 610-353-5587 ext. 221.
Cancellation:
Events may be cancelled due to inclement weather or low registration. In that case, we will make every effort to update our website and contact registrants. Note that we cannot offer refunds of paid registrations or ticket purchases, but rest assured that your donation will help us in our work to save open space, care for nature, and connect people to the outdoors.
Photography policy:
Attendance at Natural Lands programs and events constitutes consent to be photographed for use in print and electronic media. Images will not be identified using full names without written approval from the individual. Please notify Natural Lands staff if you would prefer that your photo not be used.
Participant Waiver:
By registering for this event, I, as the participant, and/or parent or legal guardian of a minor participant, do hereby understand and acknowledge that by participating, in this, or any, Natural Lands’ event or activity, I am agreeing to indemnify and hold harmless Natural Lands, their respective administrators, directors, agents, officers, members, volunteers, employees, other participants, any sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises on which the Activity takes place, (each considered one of the “RELEASEES” herein).
I further acknowledge, agree, and represent that I understand the nature of the Program and related Activities and my and/or the Minor’s experience and capabilities, and believe that I and/or the minor are qualified, in good health, and in proper physical condition to participate in such activity. I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions of participation.
I fully understand that: (a) the Program and related Activities involve risks and dangers of damage to personal property and serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death (“risks”); (b) these Risks and dangers may be caused by my and/or the Minor’s own actions or inactions, the actions or inactions of others participating in the Activity, the condition in which the Activity takes place, or the negligence of the “releasees” as aforementioned; (c) there may be other risks and social and economic losses either not known to me or not readily foreseeable at this time; and I fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages I and/or the minor incur as a result of my participation or that of the Minor in the Activity.
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I have read this Agreement, fully understand its terms, understand that I have given up substantial rights by registering for this event, and have done so freely and without any inducement or assurance of any nature and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid, the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.