Wishing for an end of the season adventure to remember on cold winter days? How about an exciting Discovery Weekend at a Pennsylvania State Park that includes tagging butterflies, studying owls and night sky investigation?

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is offering a Discovery Weekend package September 22-24 at Sinnemahoning and Cherry Springs State Parks in the 12-county, northcentral Pennsylvania Wilds region.

The Discovery Weekend is family oriented, and will be limited to 12 to 15 people.

The weekend includes a hands-on monarch butterfly migration tagging program at Sinnemahoning State Park in Cameron County, and a saw-whet owl study and night sky investigation with telescopes at Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County. Cherry Springs has some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States.

All meals Saturday and breakfast on Sunday are included, as well as transportation between locations.

The package can be done with accommodations at the Frosty Hollow Bed and Breakfast in Coudersport. The package is $386 for two adults and two children age 4-12 with accommodations, and $238 without accommodations.

The goal of the Pennsylvania Wilds initiative is to increase outdoor recreation and heritage tourism across north central Pennsylvania consistent with responsible stewardship of the region’s public lands. The Pennsylvania Wilds covers Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga and Warren counties.

Information and registration materials are available by calling Lyman Run State Park at 814-435-5010 or email at lymanrunsp@state.pa.us .

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities, contact the Bureau of State Parks at (888) PA-PARKS (voice) or 711 (AT&T Relay Services).

9/1/2006