The Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill has announced several events going on at the center. Registration links to events can be found at www.carboneec.org/publicprograms.

• Creepy Crawlers: Sept. 20, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Open to all 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds, each session focuses on some aspect of the natural world.

Children participate in age-appropriate games, crafts, stories and other activities. Programs are free for members, and a $5 per-child donation is requested of nonmembers. “Fantastic Fall Fun” is the topic for September’s meeting.

• Annual Plant Swap: Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Start checking your garden now for plants to divide and share at this semiannual swap meet.

Even if you have nothing to bring, come join in the fun and take home a perennial or two.

No registration is required at this free program. Native plant species preferred, though not required. No invasive species, please.

• A History of Wildlife Conservation: Sept. 22, 6 p.m.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Information and Education Supervisor William Williams offers insight into how habitat loss, the absence of game laws, and market hunting led to the demise of many wildlife species.

Williams will discuss how the establishment of Pennsylvania’s Game Commission, with help from other agencies and individuals, aided in recovery efforts.

The program is offered in-person and virtually via Zoom. It is free and open to all, but in-person attendance is limited. Call to register and ensure space availability if you wish to join in-person.

The virtual option is free, but also requires registration. To register visit the center’s website.

• Meet the Raptors: Sept. 25, 10 a.m.

Join naturalist Jeannie Carl for an up-close look at the EEC’s nonreleasable raptors. Meet live hawks and owls to learn more about their role in Pennsylvania’s ecosystems, and the massive migration movements of some this time of year.

The free program is open to all ages.

• Art Class with Jean Perry “Plein Air Painting and Drawing”: Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to noon.

Autumn is a great season to get out and practice artistic skills while enjoying nature. And what better place to be in the “open air” or plein air, as the French impressionists termed it! Outside at CCEEC there is much to inspire. An assortment of materials will be supplied, and brief directions given, for a fun experience in the outdoors. Space is limited so call early to register. In-person only, no children please.

All materials supplied for a $20 fee.

• Rabies: History of a vaccine will take place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13. This is a change of date from the originally scheduled program.

The program is co-hosted by CCEEC’s Susan Gallagher and retired PSU biology Professor Dr. Carl Frankel.

Gallagher will explain how CCEEC staff protects themselves from disease while working with wildlife and will highlight the story of Louis Pasteur’s development of the first rabies vaccine.

Frankel will offer insight into how the vaccine works, and how it differs from today’s “mRNA” COVID vaccines.

The program is offered in-person and virtually via Zoom. It is free and open to all, but in-person attendance is limited. Call the center at 570-645-8597 to register for in-person.

A registration link for the Zoom session is available on the center’s website.

• Fall Foliage Hike: Oct. 16, 1 p.m.

Volunteer Michael Blacketter leads this annual trek at peak foliage time. Join him under the oaks, maples, and cherries on this easy hike to learn about the ecology, taxonomy, and historical uses of many species.

Field guides and binoculars available on loan or bring your own. This free event is open to all ages.

• Art Class with Jean Perry “Bats”: Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to noon

Did you know that bats are the only mammals that really fly? Their forearms and fingers are elongated and covered in thin membranes for flight. While Pennsylvania’s bats hibernate or migrate south due to the lack of insects in winter, CCEEC houses live bats for education. These will be safely displayed for observation and inspiration for a basic monochromatic watercolor painting.

Space is limited so call early to register. In-person only, no children please.

All materials supplied for a $20 fee.

• Flight to Oblivion: Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon: Nov. 3, 6 p.m., virtual presentation only

Pennsylvania Game Commission Information and Education Supervisor William Williams tells the story of how these birds went from the most abundant in North America, to extinct in only a few decades. Their demise prompted federal legislation and an international treaty that provide better protection to existing migratory bird species today.

Issues facing Pennsylvania’s current threatened and endangered birds and mammals also will be discussed.

The program is offered virtually via Zoom. It is free and open to all, but advanced registration is required. Visit the center’s website for registration.