The blustery, below-freezing weather Saturday morning kept people away from a winter walk and nature journaling program offered by the Muhlenberg Township Parks and Recreation Department.
Though several people registered for the educational program at Jim Dietrich Park, none showed up.
Though disappointing, the lack of participation did nothing to discourage Brandon Pentz, township recreation program supervisor.
Pentz, who took over the job in August, has much more to offer. He remained upbeat as he spoke of what’s in store.
“This is the first season that I’ve had the opportunity to create my own programs,” he said. “Winter is a good time for it, being that there’s not as much going on. It’s not as busy for us, and hopefully people are looking for something to do.”
Saturday’s program was just the first in the Wild for Winter nature education series, designed and planned by Pentz for the second Saturdays of the winter months.
The first program was to have included an opportunity to observe seasonal flora and fauna by walking on the park’s riverfront trails. Participants then would have headed inside the old Dietrich farmhouse, now a community center, where they would have learned the art of nature journaling.
A nature journal can be many things, Pentz said. These might include a more traditional written record of observations, sketches of plants and wildlife, leaf or other rubbings or even a collection of pressed leaves and flowers bound in a homemade scrapbook. More modern approaches would include nature photographs saved in a digital slide show or posted on a social media platform, he said.
There is no right or wrong way to keeping a nature journal, he said. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
“I keep my own one in print,” Pentz said, “And then my Instagram pages are kind of like a nature journal. It’s like 50% pictures of me and my girlfriend and 50% pictures of wild mushrooms.”
While January’s program will not be rescheduled, there is plenty of time to register for upcoming programs in February and March.
Next month, Pentz said, he will collaborate with friends from the Baird Ornithological Club to share birdwatching tips and lead participants on a short walk around the park to see how many birds can be spotted. Binoculars are recommended.
In March, adults and children will have a chance to learn more about animal anatomy by examining pelts and skulls from the Nolde Forest Environmental Center’s collection.
A huge part of parks and recreation programming involves collaborating with other organizations, such as the birding club and state forest, Pentz said.
“So whenever I’m brainstorming programs or events,” he said, “I’m always thinking about how can I find somebody to work with who maybe has some resources that I don’t that I could use, and then in turn, ‘What can I offer them?’ ”
Pentz, 30, graduated from Exeter High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in recreation services management from East Stroudsburg University, Monroe County.
Prior to accepting the job with Muhlenberg Township, he interned with the Berks County Parks Department and worked as an environmental educator for the Lancaster and York County parks departments.
“I’ve been running these sorts of programs for close to 10 years,” he said, “just doing all kinds of nature related things. So when I started here, I wanted to find a way to make my own mark, and I knew that this is the kind of thing that I can bring to the township.”
The one-and-a-half-hour-long free programs at Jim Dietrich Park, 4899 Stoudts Ferry Bridge Road, are open to families and best suited for children ages 8 and up.
Registration is required due to space limitations.
For a list of upcoming programs or to sign up visit www.muhlenbergtwp.com.
For more information, contact Brandon Pentz at bpentz@muhlenbergtwp.com or 610-929-4727 ext. 264.
Source: Berkshire mont