With the Conservation Heritage Museum now opened, it’s a great time to plan a trip out to Middle Creek.
Located just south of Kleinfeltersville, the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area has a full slate of events planned for this summer.
Middle Creek has over 100,000 visitors each year. Particularly as a location to find snow geese during their migration, it attracts both hunters and people visiting recreationally for photography, bird-watching, hiking and more.
Find the full summer event lineup below.
Pennsylvania Elk: 100 Years of Conservation (July 13 at 6:30 p.m.)
Get an overview of Pennsylvania’s elk management program and learn more about how this majestic creature was nearly exterminated before being reintroduced and nurtured back to healthy population sizes.
Raptors over the Ridge (July 16 at 10 a.m.)
Hawk Mountain Educators will be at Middle Creek to discuss the Kittatinny Ridge raptor point count survey that’s been going on for 87 years. Learn about the landscape of the Kittatinny Ridge sees thousands of raptors traverse it during the annual fall migration. Also, get a chance to meet live animal ambassadors!
Wildlife Art Show (Aug. 5 from 1 to 6 p.m., Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Following a two-year break due to the pandemic, the Art Show returns to Middle Creek, with talented wildlife artists showing off (and selling) their extraordinary artwork.
A Century of Bird Banding: Where We Started and Where We’re Going (Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m.)
First started as a practice in the 1920s, bird banding remains in use to understand bird movement, even with the introduction of GPS transmitters that can record at a finer scale. Learn about the origins and value of bird banding, and hear about a Pennsylvania Game Commission initiative to study movement of Canada geese populations.
Plant Identification and Habitat Walk (Aug. 20 at 9 a.m.)
Join Middle Creek staff for a hike on the Conservation Trail to learn about the wildlife management area’s plants and their roles in the ecosystem.
Middle Creek Wild Goose Chase 5K Run/Walk (Aug. 27 at 9 a.m.)
The third annual Wild Goose Chase 5k will again benefit wildlife education and habitat management at Middle Creek. Find more information on how to register here (PDF).
Bird ID Hike with the Lancaster County Bird Club (Sept. 10 at 7:30 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.)
The morning session will be conducive to spotting fall migrants, particularly different warbler and migrating neotropical species. The morning hike will be about 1.5 miles. A second hike will be more leisurely and involve a trek out to Willow Point to see resident waterfowl and heron/egret species. Binoculars recommended! Come do one or both hikes.
The PGC’s Kestrel Conservation Initiative (Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m.)
Learn about the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s efforts to conserve the American kestrel throughout southeastern PA. Kestrels are small falcons whose protection has been made possible through the teamwork of various conservation efforts.
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