UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After being closed for more than 16 months due to the pandemic, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will open its doors to the public on Thursday, July 8.
All of the raptors, reptiles and amphibians, hiking trails and other activities and amenities will be accessible daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Penn State’s nature center, which is located 12 miles from the University Park campus in Petersburg, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County. Shaver’s Creek is a Penn State Outreach service.
Mark McLaughlin, director of Shaver’s Creek, says the staff is excited to share the stories of their wildlife ambassadors once again with friends, neighbors and the community.
“We know there is nothing like immersing yourself in an outdoor setting like ours,” he said.
The public can visit the:
- Litzinger Herpetarium and Discovery Room- home to more than a dozen salamanders, frogs, turtles and snakes
- Klingsberg Aviary- featuring a variety of hawks, owls, eagles, vultures and falcons
- Hiking trails- including several trails that wind through the surrounding 7,000 acres of woodlands, hillsides and marshlands of Penn State’s Stone Valley Forest
- Visitor center, bookstore and picnic areas
The return of in-person summer camps has already started, and other in-person public programs and events are slated to resume. A full schedule of available programs, which will be updated regularly, is available at the Shaver’s Creek website.
All visitors will be required to follow Penn State’s protocols for masking and physical distancing. Fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear face masks indoors, and the physical distancing and outdoor masking requirements have been lifted for everyone. Masks are required for nonvaccinated individuals inside University buildings, including those at Shaver’s Creek.
Visit the Shaver’s Creek website for more visitor information.