| Class Name | Description | Instructor Information |
| Always a Good Day for a Hike! (4 sessions) |
Hiking is an activity that is accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities. The first part of the session we will learn about hiking gear, shoes, safety, and how to have a successful hike. Then we will venture out on the trails and trek through a portion of beautiful Oil Creek State Park. | In addition to being a busy mom and owning a business with her husband, Rebekah Deal is an avid runner and has always been a lover of the outdoors. Oil Creek State Park is one of her favorite places to hike and run. She has completed many trail races, including the Oil Creek 50K Trail Race (OC100) four times, and has ran the 100K Race once. |
| Archery (4 Sessions) |
This class is an overview of equipment, basic shooting: stance, posture, draw, aiming, release, and follow through. We will pull all this info together and practice what we have learned. | DCNR personnel will be presenting this program. Ivy Kuberry |
| Basic Kayaking (4 sessions) Paddling practice dependent on creek depth and speed. |
Participants will learn about different kayaks and paddling gear. Class will cover paddling techniques, reading water, and water safety. You will also have time to do some paddling on Oil Creek. | Barb Lake retired after 35 years of teaching Adventure Education, Health & P.E., and Early Childhood Education. Barb has done extensive paddling for the past 30 years. Barb will be assisted by Bruce Getsinger of the Friends of Oil Creek State Park. |
| 5 Basic Survival Skills (4 Sessions) |
Don't Panic, Be Prepared. Sometimes a great day in the outdoors can quickly derail into a life or death situation ...do you know what to do? Tambra will cover the 5 Basic Survival Skills and prepare you with an action plan that covers your mindset, your skill set, and what basic items to always carry with you and how to use those items. The class will involve (1) the magic of making a fire and keeping it going - even in the rain; (2) safe sheltering; (3) signaling for help; (4)food and water provisions; (5) basic items for first aid to carry with you at all times. | Tambra Sabatini has been an avid outdoor adventurist since childhood, and she has written severl books on recreational topics. She has taught a variety of rereation classes across the age ranges such as cross country skiing, kayaking, safety and self rescue skills, backpacking, adventure foods, wind surfing, and is currently teaching motorcycle ADV skills to women. She created the cross adventuring You Tube Channel and along with Mike Henderson is enjoying and sharing their back country motorcycle adventures, alnong with a variety of videos from many of their other outdoor adventures. |
| Beekeeping (4 Sessions) |
Buzz will present and discuss equipment and supplies needed for keeping bees. He will bring an observation hive with live bees. He will discuss and demonstrate bee suits, and hive parts. He will also have posters and pictures of many hive types. | Buzz Swank has spent over 20 yrs. as a hobbyist bee keeper. He has done many demonstrations and can answer many questions. You are sure to have a good time. |
| Disc Golf Introduction and Basics (4 Sessions) |
This class will teach you the basics to Disc Golf and equip you with all the necessary tools needed to go out and play a round. -Introduction to scoring and objectives -Driving/Approaching -Putting/Finishing the hole. |
Matt McFadden: There will be a handful of instructors providing hands on training for each aspect of the game. |
| Forest Bathing and Edible Plants (sessions 1 & 3) |
Forest Bathing focuses on smells, sites, sounds and tastes of the forest environment. Covering a very short distance, likely about .5 miles , while leaving pen and paper behind and our cell phones/cameras turned off, we will stop to discuss our experiences as we use our senses for discovery. Each experience will be personal, we will share aspects of our journey in a group, passing a talking stick from person to person. We will identify edible plants as the opportunity presents. The end of our journey will include a taste treat and an opportunity to discuss our experience. | Leslie Alexander is a professional herbalist and works locally with plants and people. She has a clinical practice based in Erie and works both in-person and online as a community herbalist. Leslie takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, and promotes the use of medicinal herbs in every day life. |
| Fly Casting/ Fly Fishing (4 sessions, 3-5 students per class) Not in Water |
The Fly Casting class will give explanations of the fly rod, reel line, and accessories needed to fly cast and fly fish. A hands-on class of fly-casting will follow, and students will learn several different types of fly fishing casts. | Mark Signorino is a Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor, a PA Fishing Skills Instructor, Vice President of the Keystone Fly Fishers, a volunteer with Project Healing Waters and a member of the Gem City Outdoorsmen Fly Tiers. |
| Basic Pruning for Beginners (4 Sessions) |
Correct pruning is essential maintenance for keeping trees and shrubs healthy in the home landscape. However, the thought of pruning makes a lot of landowners uneasy. This course will walk you through the basics of why, when and how to prune. Each student will gain insight into pruning for the right reasons, prune at the right time, and how to prune, using the right technique and tools. | Ty Ryen is a Bureau of Forestry, Service Forester for Forest and Venango Counties. His office is located at Oil Creek State Park. |
| Making Herbal Tinctures (Sessions 2 & 4) |
Medicinal Herbs are often available seasonally, but what about out of season? Tinctures are alcohol extracts that enable us to preserve herbs for extended periods - decades even. Join the workshop and we’ll talk about tinctures, taste a few and learn how to make them. Participants will collect herbs and make tinctures to take home. | Leslie Alexander is a professional herbalist and works locally with plants and people. She has a clinical practice based in Erie and works both in-person and online as a community herbalist. Leslie takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, and promotes the use of medicinal herbs in every day life. |
| Making an Alcohol Micro-stove (4 Sessions) |
In this fun workshop, Mike will teach participants how to take a single aluminum beverage can and, with just a couple simple tools, convert it into an efficient alcohol-burning micro stove, perfectly suited for ultralight backpacking and for survival kits. This stove, while weighing just a couple ounces, is capable of cooking an entire meal. All materials and tools will be provided for each student to handcraft their own stove. See the flier | Mike has been an avid outdoorsman all his life and has enjoyed some great adventures that include backpacking into the Grand Canyon and into the glacial ridges of Mount Rainier. He has traveled extensively throughout the U.S., exploring many of our National Parks and wilderness areas. Mike currently resides in the beautiful countryside just a mile away from Oil Creek State Park. |
| Moving in Nature (4 Sessions |
The class will begin with guided exploration of our own natural movements that are both activating and relaxing. Special attention will be given to awareness of movement sensations. This will be the basis for relating to the movement qualities of the natural environment. | Mary Ann Brehm has a PhD in Dance and Physical Education and has offered classes in creative approaches to movement for people of all ages and abilities for over 30 years. |
| Outdoor Cooking (4 Sessions) |
This class will be an overview of how to cook individual\group meals over an open fire. | James Amero is the Scout Master of Boy Scout Troup 11 in Oil City. He has mastered his skill of cooking over an open fire during his 40+ years as part of the Boy Scouts. |
| Outdoor Photography (Sessions 2, 3, 4) |
This workshop will cover the essentials in nature photography. Topics such as: composition, perspective, lighting, depth of field and, shutter speed will be discussed. This workshop will include some hands on time, so bring your camera along. | Kirby Neubert has taught digital photography for many years. |
| Preparing for the Cross Country Ski season (4 Sessions) |
This workshop will include some discussions on planning for a winter Cross Country experience along with some participatory activities that will help one develop and maintain a Nordic level of fitness, a level that will allow you to enjoy the winter season on skis. | Alan Hough is a PSIA Level 2 Cross Country ski instructor, who has a tremendous passion for the sport. Over the years, he has spent time on the trails of Oil Creek State Park along with many other trail systems. During the non-winter seasons, you can find him doing many other outdoor activities, so he is prepared for those snowy days of winter. |
| Self Defense (4 sessions) |
You will learn techniques that will keep you safe on and off the trail. | Venango County Sheriff Department presenters are highly skilled in self awareness and escape techniques where safety is priority one. |
| Stream Investigation: Collecting and Identifying Aquatic Life Water activities are dependent on creek depth and speed. (4 Sessions) |
Learn how to identify stream health! In this activity, we will collect and identify aquatic life in Oil Creek to determine the overall health of this ecosystem. Participants will learn how to sample and identify aquatic macroinvertebrates, test water quality, and determine best management practices for stream ecosystems. If the creek conditions permit, we will enter shallow water with nets to collect macroinvertebrates. Make sure to bring boots or old sneakers. | Bailey Kozalla graduated with a bachelor's degree in environmental science from Allegheny College, and is currently the watershed specialist at the Venango Conservation District. Since a young age, Bailey enjoys fishing and kayaking the local creeks and rivers any chance she gets. |
| Succulent Container Garden (4 Sessions) |
Build a beautiful succulent container garden for indoor or outdoor display. All materials will be provided to build a potted landscape to take home & enjoy. | Jan Martz Life long gardener & Penn State Extension Master Gardener for the past 8 years from Clarion PA. |
| Wood Burning on Gourds (4 Sessions) |
This class will teach the fundamentals of pyrography (wood burning). Each student will be burning patterns into gourds. You will also supplement your wood burning pattern by painting the design. You can take home the gourd design you create. | Jen Baker is a self-taught artist who continuously finds new ways to use her creative talents. |
| Gentle Vinyasa Yoga (4 sessions) |
Jessica will guide you through a gentle vinyasa yoga practice while using nature to help ground and center yourself. This class will help bring you to the present moment as you match your breath to the movements. Explore traditional yoga poses and other creative ways to move the body to feel energized, focused, and calm for the rest of your day. Class will end with a final resting pose to help quiet the mind. No experiences needed, just jump in, and go with the flow. Appropriate for all levels. Please bring yoga mat. | Jessica Hoffman is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher. She earned her Massage Therapy certificate from Clarion-University Venango Campus. Jess has operated her own massage therapy practice at the Oil City YWCA since 2010. Jessica earned her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate from Broad Street Yoga in Grove City, PA. She has been teaching yoga for over four years. She currently offers a variety of yoga classes such as gentle vinyasa, power yoga, and family yoga. Studying wellness, health, and fitness has always been a passion for Jess. It is her goal to help support others on their wellness journey with massage therapy and yoga. Website |
