What ’ s news in WEST COUNTY
NAMI of Erie County Wins Silver
The National Alliance on Mental Illness ( NAMI ) of Erie County won two silver awards from the 2016 Erie Ad Club ’ s American Advertising Awards . NAMI ’ s 2015 Community Report — A Star-Worth Year — won two silver awards at this year ’ s competition , which was held on April 22 . NAMI would like to thank its consultants , Andy Lapiska , Jamey Stewart , John Chacona , and NAMI of Erie County Executive Director , Denise L . Kolivoski , MBA , for all of their hard work .
Pictured above : Team NAMI celebrating their win at the 2016 American Advertising Awards . Left to right : Andy Lapiska , Denise L . Kolivoski , Jamey Stewart and John Chacona .
Yahn Planetarium Display at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center
The Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend has displayed several space oriented items at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in coordination with the newly released Big Green Screen film Journey to Space .
Items in the display include a lunar meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert in Africa , two different types of telescopes : a reflector telescope and a refractor telescope , an image of the International Space Station , photos of several astronauts that have been provided to the Yahn Planetarium throughout the years and a Mars globe , which is especially relevant given that Mars is the next frontier for the nation ’ s space program .
“ At the Yahn Planetarium , we ’ re on the frontlines for passing astronomy information on to the public , and that ’ s the mission of every planetarium ,” Jim Gavio , Director of the Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend , said . “‘ Journey to Space ’ is another extension of that , and we ’ re very excited to be a sponsor of the film .”
The display is located on the first floor of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center near the Big Green Screen Theatre . The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is open daily from 10 a . m . to 6 p . m . with free general admission .
The large-format film “ Journey to Space ” provides a timely review of how NASA has been transitioning from the end of the Space Shuttle era to a much more ambitious future that will forever change how we live and operate in space as a species . The film is
showing daily on the Big Green Screen at 2 and 5 p . m . For movie prices , movie specials and other movie information visit : www . biggreenscreen . com or call the Big Green Screen Theatre at 814.838.4123 .
The Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend is part of the School of Science . Public shows are offered year-round at the Yahn Planetarium on Thursdays at 1 p . m ., and Saturdays at 1 and 2:30 p . m . More than 20 shows are available for private groups to choose from , and programs for the general public change seasonally . For more information contact the Yahn Planetarium director , Jim Gavio at 814.898.7268 .
For more information contact the Park Office located on the second floor of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at 814.833.7424 or visit www . trecpi . org . The Park office is open from 8 a . m . to 4 p . m ., Monday through Friday .
Observing Wildlife at Presque Isle State Park
Nearly four million visitors each year enjoy the natural beauty that Presque Isle has to offer . With this many visitors , the challenge of minimizing the impact to flora and fauna is daunting . To ensure the safety of both humans and wildlife , proper etiquette must be observed . This includes watching from a distance and not feeding the animals .
Feeding wild animals threatens not only the safety of humans , but wildlife as well . Certain species , such as coyote and geese , can become reliant on humans for food . When this happens , the wild animals don ’ t get a proper diet , such as when people feed bread to Canada Geese who require aquatic vegetation . They simply fill up on non-nutritious things and become weak even though they have a full stomach . Even after a short period of receiving handouts from well-meaning visitors , these animals may alter their normal routines in order to maximize their exposure to humans to seek food rewards . This can lead to unintended consequences such as chasing , scratches , bites , disease and vehicle strikes . Vehicle strikes have taken a heavy toll on our resident foxes in recent years .
Other wildlife , such as owls , use the peninsula for nesting , feeding and shelter during times of migration . Eagles may nest at the park . It is important to give these animals the space they need so that they don ’ t abandon their nesting efforts . For example , 1,000 feet of buffer space for eagle nest viewing , and 200 feet for an owl nest is recommended .
Some of these animals , such as hawks , owls , and all other birds of prey , are protected by federal law . Harassment of these animals is prohibited by law and violators face arrest and / or fines . Harassment includes approaching nesting areas too close , attempting to startle a bird into flight to get that great picture , lingering too long , and shouting or yelling to get an animal ’ s attention .
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