Winter has finally hit Erie, but as we have seen this year, the harsh conditions can be dangerous, too.
To learn more about the skills you need to survive in the winter wilderness, join Presque Isle State Park staff on Saturday, February 10 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. This course will begin at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at noon, with an introduction to some basic survival skills and a hearty lunch. We will then carpool to Erie Bluffs State Park, about 12 miles west of Erie, for hands-on experience in fire making and shelter-building. All participants will receive a lunch and fire-making tool as part of the course. Please note that participants must register by Friday, February 9 at 3 pm, and the cost is $15 per person. There is a limit to registration, so please call soon! Also note, there are NO facilities at Erie Bluffs State Park – we will be outdoors for approximate 1.5 hours.

For more information about this, or other programs, please call the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) at (814) 833-7424. The park office at TREC is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset for hiking and other environmentally related activities.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks: at 888-PA-PARKS (voice,) (717) 558-2710 (local or international voice,) 711 (AT &T Relay Services.) With at least three days’ notice, interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are available for educational programs.