Programs and Workshops

At Lake Wallenpaupack, natural resources are in our backyards. With hiking trails, a 5,700-acre lake, wetlands and wooded shoreline, there are many opportunities for hands-on nature study.

Environmental programs are offered to the public year-round. Subjects may include birds, wildflowers, wetlands and watersheds, endangered species, and hunting and fishing education.

Upcoming programs are listed in PPL's online Calendar of Events and publicized via a free quarterly e-mail. To receive the quarterly listing of events, send an e-mail to pplpreserves@pplweb.com and list "Subscribe Wallenpaupack" in the subject line.

Student and youth groups visit the lake for a variety of environmental education initiatives. Their teachers visit, too, for PPL-sponsored workshops. Since 1989, the award-winning "Teaching Environmental Awareness" workshops have been offered annually to provide educators with the information and expertise they need to give their students a better understanding of the environment.

The new Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center, completed in early 2003, is a fully equipped resource facility with a 160-seat auditorium, science laboratory, resource library, offices and meeting rooms.

The 12,000-square-foot structure also is home to community organizations that share an interest in clean water, conservation and resource preservation. For instance, the center provides the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District with office space so it can advise landowners in the watershed how to apply best management practices to their properties. The Wallenpaupack Historical Society has a darkroom and workshop. Photos and some of the society's Native American artifacts are on display in the building's public spaces. The learning center is a boon to the local public school system. Some 4,000 students in grades K-12 are within walking distance of the site. They have easy access to a science lab to study the lake's water quality, a resource library with Internet access for nature study and research projects, and a resource library of environmental education materials.