Pocono Environmental Education Center - Harvest Festival 2025
On October 11th, the Pocono Environmental Education Center hosted their Harvest Festival and I had the pleasure of setting up a booth during the event. Their staff were extremely kind, and their architectural design was unique, mindful, and sustainable. This was my first time at PEEC and I was so impressed by their passion for caring for the environment. While there, I learned that PEEC and the National Park Service both work to take care of our planet, especially the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. They teach people of all ages how to make a difference through education programs and hands-on activities that help keep the area clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy. They even have various hiking trails you can explore during your visit.
My booth was placed in their new Visitor Activity Center. This structure was created not only to give PEEC more space but also to show visitors what it means to build in an environmentally friendly way and to teach about sustainability. When designing the Visitor Activity Center, the architects at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson wanted the building itself to demonstrate care for the environment.
The glass wall my booth was in front of, had big, beautiful bird markings on it. I asked a staff member what it was made for, and she told me it was new, to help the birds know not to fly into the glass, preventing them from harming themselves or perishing.
Another creative feature is the north entrance wall, which is covered with shingles made from old, recycled tires. This clever design shows how used materials can be given new life and encourages people to think in new ways about taking care of the Earth.
PEEC, the National Park Service, and local volunteers work together to keep the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area clean. Their efforts often include collecting old tires and other trash left along roads and rivers. The National Park Service Recycling Center stores the tires and debris gathered from these cleanups.
Instead of letting the old tires pile up, they were reused as part of the new Visitor Activity Center—turning a waste problem into something useful.
It was a pleasure and honor to be able to be a part of this event, and I too was able to educate children who were visiting my booth. So many were curious about my displayed pelts and the animals they once were. Along with the furs, many children were inquisitive about the mineral specimen for sale at my booth, how they were formed and where they came from on Earth. It was a lovely experience at PEEC’s Harvest Fesitval and I look forward to returning for their Earth Day Celebration in the Spring!
