Earth Day April 22 in Bradford Woods

Slimy toads and newts will be part of the Earth Day Celebration April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at the Bradford Woods Reserve.

The free event is hosted by the Bradford Woods Conservancy, which holds an annual Earth Day event there every year featuring a variety of nature-related activities and speakers, according to Diana Berendowski, chairperson of the event and a member of the conservancy.

“It’s one of our green spaces, and we want to share it with everybody,” Berendowski said.

The reserve, established in 1993, is a more than 4-acre wooded lot in the center of Bradford Woods off Lincoln Road. The site was turned into a conservation easement through the Allegheny Land Trust in 2010, according to Berendowski. This means the borough gave up its rights to development so it will always remain in its natural state.

To celebrate all things nature, the Earth Day event will feature crafts for the whole family, beginning at 10 a.m., including a repurpose table to take old things and make them new again. One activity includes molding old newspapers into a pot in which to plant seeds, Berendowski said.

Local herpetologist April Claus will host an interactive, hands-on discussion 11 a.m. to noon.

She will bring reptiles and amphibians from Western Pennsylvania and talk about their importance to the ecosystem. This could include species like a milk snake; black rat snake; an American toad; red-spotted newt and box turtle, said Claus, who holds educational programs like these for schools, events or other groups.

“Most American kids don’t get outside very much, so I try to be an ambassador for outdoor recreation in your own backyard,” she said.

Claus suggests bringing boots and a net, if possible, as she’ll lead curious participants along the pond to try and catch a few critters.

From noon to 2 p.m. a picnic lunch will be provided along with more activity tables. They will include a monarch butterfly station with monarch butterfly enthusiast Linda Ferguson, a science teacher at McKnight Elementary. She will teach about the butterflies and distribute milk seeds, a favorite plant of the monarch.

There will be a nature scavenger hunt and a lesson on how to make deer spray. Ray Morris, a member of the Bradford Woods Conservancy and a member of the Audubon Society, will show how to build a bluebird nesting box.

The conservancy will distribute plants native to the area to take home, courtesy of Joe Bayer, a conservancy member, Berendowski said.

Parking is very limited and Berendowski suggests parking on Forrest Road and walking to the reserve.