‘Summertime welcomes new life’ at North Park’s Latodami Nature Center

It’s hot and the convenience of air conditioning makes staying indoors alluring, but naturalists at the Latodami Nature Center in North Park may be able to top that.

“Summertime welcomes new life and exciting opportunities to view animals, plants and fungus, and Latodami helps nature lovers explore these experiences,” said Katrina Stanley, interpretive naturalist for Allegheny County Parks at Latodami.

Latodami Nature Center,575 Brown Road, comprises 250 acres with seven hiking trails totaling more than 5 miles.

“The area is designed to immerse you in nature and learn passively, with an array of educational signage and QR codes along the trails,” Stanley said. “Summer also allows us to dive deeper into some season-specific topics.”

Latodami is open dawn to dusk every day for outdoor exploration, and the barn at the nature center is only open during scheduled programming.

That includes exploring North Park Lake, such as on the LL Bean and Latodami Sunset Beaver Kayak Paddle July 27. Cost is $15 for Allegheny County residents and $19 for nonresidents.

Or a nighttime experience is at the Perseids Meteor Shower Party from 9 to 11 on Aug. 10. Cost is $5 for residents and $6 for nonresidents.

The Latodami’s Young Naturalist Summer Camp, for ages 9 to 15, helps teach campers about being a naturalist, exploring a different ecosystem each day. The camp is $38 and is scheduled for July 15-17, July 29-31 and Aug. 5-7.

“One day, we head into the meadow to catch butterflies, learn about pollinators and discover indigenous history,” Stanley said. “The next day, we explore the forest and learn how to identify trees, play games that teach us about predator-prey relationships, and discuss threats to our forests. And my favorite day is Water Day, where we hike a stream to look for salamanders, try catching frogs in the pond, and learn how to use microscopes and chemical testing kits to determine the health of our waterways.”

More casual Latodami programs include Thursday Adult Nature Walks, Tuesday Evening Hikes and Bird Hikes, Stanley said. Specific times and registration can be found on through at www.alleghenycounty.us.

Some free programs include Day Hike with a Naturalist, for ages 13 and older, on Aug. 31. Children 12 and younger can attend with an adult. Also free is the Young Nature Explorers on Aug. 13 at the Latodami Center is for children ages 3 to 6.

New this year is the Latodami Hummingbird Party on Aug. 17, which will include red fruit punch, fun facts about hummingbirds and perhaps a chance to see them up close at native coral honeysuckle and feeders, according to an event description.

“Attendees will get creative by dressing in red and competing to get a hummingbird to visit them. Prizes are awarded to most creative outfit, trivia winner and best effort at attracting hummingbirds,” said Stanley.

Registration is required, and the cost is $5 for county residents and $6 for nonresidents.

And summer offers an excellent time to volunteer at the nature center’s Wednesday and Friday volunteer work days and litter cleanups.

“Litter is not only an eyesore, but harmful to the park, wildlife and humans,” Stanley said.

For example, a thrown-away fishing line can become a death trap for birds and turtles, and littered food encourages wildlife to stop seeking natural nutrition and become reliant on humans.

“In general, litter doesn’t stay still. It can travel in rain storms, end up in our waterways and decrease water quality. The more we litter, the more we intervene in nature’s natural processes and harm the wildlife that we care so much about,” Stanley said.

Trash collected at the center’s litter clean-up days can range from one trash bag to well over 10 bags.

“As I always tell my ‘litter gitters,’ a litter cleanup with less than one bag collected is a good sign. We don’t want to find trash, but if we do, we remove it. If you want to help make a difference, sign up for one of our litter cleanups,” Stanley said.

Vests, trash bags and litter grabbers are provided. Attendees should bring gloves.

Either way, with 3,000-plus acres of land to enjoy in North Park, Stanley encourages people to take a chance on the outdoors this summer.

“In our forests, you can discover white-tailed deer and their recently born babies, migratory birds like scarlet tanagers and Baltimore orioles building nests, and mushrooms appearing after summer rains,” she said.

Heading out into the meadows, four of which are located at the Latodami Nature Center, nature observers can catch glimpses of butterflies and other pollinators, turtles and snakes soaking up the sun, and colorful wildflowers.

“In the wetlands, you’ll find busy beavers working on their dams and lodges, red-winged blackbirds defending their nesting sites, and dragonflies efficiently catching prey. On the water is where you’re likely to notice great blue herons and green herons gracefully stalking fish, water lilies in bloom, and fish jumping to catch freshly hatched aquatic insects,” she said.

More information and registration for the programs is at www.alleghenycounty.us/Parks-and-Events/Parks/North-Park/Latodami-Nature-Center.