The frog slipped through the fingers of 6-year-old Spencer Clark.
“Get it, get it, get it,” he shouted, chasing it along the 3-mile Loop Trail at Wildwood Park on a hot July afternoon.
The weekly visits to Wildwood Park and the Olewine Nature Center have been a summer tradition for Spencer and his grandfather, James Clark of Harrisburg.
They usually start their visit with a hike on the Loop Trail to “get things warmed up,” Clark said. It also helps young Spencer burn off some energy before heading into the Olewine Nature Center, where displays and educational opportunities keep the boy occupied for at least an hour.
“He always learns something when we visit,” Clark said, chasing after his spunky grandson on the trail. “He’ll talk about it for days, asking when we can come back and telling his mom about the animals he saw.”
Self-guided activities at the park have always provided learning opportunities for the community, said Chris Rebert, park manager. Many overlook the fact that people can just walk a hiking trail, go bird watching or check out the art installations as part of “Art in the Wild.”
But not everyone has the initiative to discover the park on their own, Rebert said. That’s where summer programs become an attractive opportunity for new visitors of all ages to see what Wildwood Park has to offer.
If it weren’t for some of the programs at the park, 15-year-old Tiffany Ritter isn’t sure she’d have learned to love an afternoon lost in the woods. Often found walking around with a digital camera pushed up against her face, the Harrisburg girl has a collection of photographs showcasing the park’s birds, turtles and sunsets.
“I think there are a lot of beautiful things out here,” said Tiffany, who last year took the Photo Boot Camp class. “I feel calm when I’m here. I feel like I can capture a little bit of what’s beautiful and take it home with me.”
Through its programs, Rebert said, the park has reached groups of people that might otherwise never have stopped by.
“We’re looking to serve different age groups and different user groups from throughout the Dauphin County community,” he said. “We want people to walk away feeling they’ve made a connection to their local Greenway, and that this educational institution helps introduce them to lifelong hobbies.”
A lot of the programs, whether for adults or kids, focus on “nature made easy,” Rebert said. Many visitors feel comfortable knowing the trails are easy to walk and the park is a safe place to visit.
“There’s so much to explore here,” he said. “We can’t wait for people to come back and see what they might have missed.”
Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way in Harrisburg, features events throughout the summer. To find out more information, visit www.wildwoodlake.org or call 717-221-0292.
Into the Wild
Each summer, Wildwood Park offers many different types of classes for young people and even adults.
Junior Naturalist Day Camp
While the program quickly filled up earlier this summer, this weeklong program for kids 10 and 11 years old gives attendees a hands-on introduction to the park. Kicking off at the nature center each morning, campers learn naturalist and outdoor skills that help them identify animals and plant life.
Camp guides are always sure to include a little bit of fun in the learning process by getting students active on hikes, canoeing on Wildwood Lake and discovering a new way of observing nature through binoculars.
Outdoor Week
Geared for kids 12 to 14, Outdoor Week is a true adventure program. The weeklong day camp that kicks off at the end of July takes youth on a series of quests of discovery while teaching them outdoor skills. Students build a debris hut, practice their fishing skills, identify wild edibles and take a canoe ride on the Susquehanna River.
Science Series
New this year, the Science Series is for kids 10 to 15. For the true nature lover, this day camp teaches students species identification, natural history and ecology through hands-on experiences. Led by a naturalist, the students tackle the topics of wildlife, birds, streams and reptiles.
Photo Boot Camp
Nature photographers are often found snapping shots of wildlife and beautiful sunsets at Wildwood Park, said Chris Rebert, park manager. Because it seemed to be such a popular hobby among the adults, park volunteers decided to help introduce younger generations to the art.
Geared for kids 10 to 16, this program runs the first week of August and teaches young photographers the basics of mastering a digital SLR camera. With a little guidance, the students take their new skills into the park to photograph Wildwood Lake, the surrounding landscape and the park’s creatures.
For Adults
Volunteer-led walks bring visitors back to Wildwood Park each year, Rebert said. From flower walks that help visitors identify rare blossoms to a stress-relief walk that encourages relaxation in nature, these adult-focused programs help provide activities for visitors of all ages.
