​Carbon County
Environmental Education Center
FREE AND LOW-COST PROGRAMS
Throughout the year, CCEEC offers a variety of lectures, hikes, children's programs, and other activities. Information on these is available on our Facebook page.
Many of these programs are free with CCEEC membership.
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SCHOOL PROGRAMS
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School programs available for students from pre-K through college
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Topics tailored to meet the needs of any teacher or class
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Programs available year-round at CCEEC or at your school
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See our program fees and download list of school program topics
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Call 570-645-8597 for available dates
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
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Program tailored to meet the needs of any organization or audience
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Programs available year-round at CCEEC or at your facility
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Most popular off-site programs include live educational animals, such as eagles or other raptors, reptiles, and bats
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For cost information, see our program fees
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Call 570-645-8597 for available dates
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BIRTHDAY PARTIES
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One-hour program at CCEEC on one of these select topics:
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Birds of Prey
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Pennsylvania Mammals
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Reptiles
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Animal Adaptations
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Free T-shirt for the birthday child
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Two hours’ worth of staff time and use of indoor facilities
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Unlimited use of outdoor facilities, dawn to dusk
Cost is $125.00
Date availability is limited
Adult supervision required. One chaperone per 5 children suggested
Maximum number of children is 25
No piñatas and no decorations taped or tacked to walls
Call 570-645-8597 for available dates
Fee Schedule
School Programs
At CCEEC, $67 per hour, per class
In Carbon County, $75 per hour per class
Adjacent counties, $125 per hour per class
Non-adjacent counties, $225 per hour per class
Note: A “class” is considered to be 30 students or fewer
School Assemblies
$175 per hour in Carbon County
$225 per hour outside Carbon County
Non-school Groups
At CCEEC, $75 per hour
In Carbon County, $125 per hour
Adjacent counties, $175 per hour
Non-adjacent counties, $225 per hour
Eagle Programs
(School and non-school Groups)
In Carbon County, $175 per hour
Outside Carbon County, $225 per hour
Adjacent counties include Schuylkill, Lehigh, Northampton, Luzerne and Monroe.
At CCEEC, hourly fees are charged ONLY for the time our staff spends working with your group. There is no fee for time spent on your own, such as during lunch or self-guided activities.
Bats
Bats are important to you—yes, YOU! Some of the plants you eat, such as figs, dates, agave, and wild bananas, depend on bats to grow. Bats eat mosquitoes, moths and crop pests in great numbers.
CCEEC’s bat program looks at myth vs reality, touches on the great diversity of bats worldwide (there are over 1,100 species!) then focuses on the nine species found in Pennsylvania.
Providing the latest information on serious threats facing our local bat populations, such as wind turbines and White Nose Syndrome, and including a live bat*, the program informs and entertains, and can be tailored to any group or grade level.
As with all CCEEC programs, a variety of touchable items such as stuffed specimens and skeletons are included.
* Flash photography of live animals is permitted, but please no video without prior approval. CCEEC is not permitted to allow public contact (touching) of live bats, and bats do not fly during programs.
Reptiles
CCEEC’s reptile program is a safe, enjoyable experience, unlike the surprise encounter you might have with a snake in the backyard. We hope that by meeting one of these scaled, slithery animals in a calm, controlled setting, you’ll be less frightened, and more understanding of snakes and other reptiles in the wild.
Live snakes are a big part of the program*. Most are rescued, discarded pets not native to Pennsylvania. Typically included are corn snakes, milk snakes, western hognose, and one live turtle, though we cannot guarantee the appearance of any species in particular.
Touchable specimens are included in all of CCEEC’s programs, and may include snake skins, turtle shells, and wet specimens (that means things in jars!)
* Depending on the number of program participants, you may be allowed or encouraged to touch CCEEC’s live snakes. However, we recommend that due to salmonella concerns, children under five and those with a compromised immune system refrain from touching any reptiles.
Eagles
CCEEC is one of only a few places in Pennsylvania to offer eagle programs, both on- and off-site, featuring two species of live eagles.
“Rennie”, our resident bald eagle, fell victim to a car strike in 2001. “Miss Charles”, a golden eagle, suffered a gunshot wound that same year. Neither bird can return to the wild, so under permit of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Pennsylvania Game Commission, they serve as part of our raptor education program.
Live eagles make for impressive animal ambassadors, and help us talk about the importance of apex predators in an ecosystem. They also help us understand the kinds of hazards these birds face in the wild.
Some of those hazards—like poisoning from accidental ingestion of lead fishing tackle or ammunition left in the environment—are the direct result of human activity. We feel it’s important to talk about those kinds of things, and to remind everyone that there are often more environmentally-friendly alternatives for many of the choices we make.
We also discuss eagle migration, identification, nesting and feeding habits, and reasons behind the phenomenal increase in bald eagle populations over the past thirty years—this is a story of past success, with important implications for present-day decision-making.
Since most eagle programs require two CCEEC staff members, we encourage you to schedule these far in advance.