Some outdoor lovers like to watch birds, some go wild for flowers and others may enjoy exploring woods and waterways.
Resources for any of the above interests now can be checked out, along with books and other media, at Westmoreland County’s public libraries.
Westmoreland Nature Backpacks are available for library patrons to borrow through a partnership of the Westmoreland Land Trust and the Westmoreland Library Network.
They come in three varieties, based on subject matter: birds; flowers and pollinators; and streams and forests.
“The backpacks are suitable for all ages,” said Betsy Aiken, executive director of the Westmoreland Land Trust. “There is content in them that is appropriate for kids, but there is also much good information that would be useful for adults.”
Each backpack comes loaded with informational guides and tools for the amateur naturalist — such as a mesh strainer for scooping up stream sediment and a magnifier for examining the tiny macroinvertebrates that live there.
There are other gadgets for trapping and releasing bugs, binoculars for focusing on feathered friends, and a flower and pollinator scavenger hunt.
Each of the 67 backpacks distributed among network libraries includes tips for exploring with the enclosed tools as well as a copy of the Westmoreland County Parks Passport, a guide to 10 parks and five trails in the county.
There also are recommendations for pertinent websites and smartphone apps.
The Land Trust created the backpacks “to encourage children and families to enjoy exploration of nature.”
The backpack project was led by Loree Speedy, an AmeriCorps service member with the trust. It was funded in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.
Paula Purnell, the trust’s partner for educational programming, is leading a series of family-friendly workshops at participating libraries to explain how the backpacks can be used:
June 18 — 1 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Public Library;
June 20 — 1 p.m. at Penn Area Library and 6 p.m. at Delmont Public Library;
June 21 — 6 p.m. at Jeannette Public Library;
June 22 — 6:30 p.m. at Sewickley Township Public Library;
June 25 — 10 a.m. at Murrysville Community Library;
June 28 — 6 p.m. at Monessen Public Library;
July 8 — 2 p.m. at New Florence Community Library;
July 9 — 10:30 a.m. at Ligonier Valley Library;
July 12 — 6:30 p.m. at Norwin Public Library.
Visit westmoreland-landtrust.org for more information.
