Silver Lake Nature Center,Bristol, PA, January 2014

Taking advantage of the long weekend, I ventured out to Bucks Country to Silver Lake County Park and the the Silver Lake Nature Center for a guided walk. My friend Chris joined me and a couple of dozen other people to walk with Nature Center director Robert Mercer as he talked of "winter survival." 

Merce, as he's called at the Center, led us on a stroll of a little less than a mile on a loop over the dirt and stone walking paths, stopping to call attention to the woodpecker damage to a tree or frost upheaval or whatever presented itself. He gave a confident presentation, drawing in a group ranging in age from ten to seventy. Even Chris, who has an opinion on everything and wants you to know just what it is, found Merce's free form discussions interesting. You can see Chris in the photo, dressed in his typical Easter Egg pastels. 

Following the guided walk, and some warming up in the Nature Center, my friend joined me on exploring the Delhass Woods, the land owned by the County Park across Route 13 from the Nature Center. The trails were short, but as scenic as the woods always are. Between the two hikes we got in about two and a half miles. It was a good day, and as I told a reporter filming a video on the Nature Center, if I lived closer I'd come more often. 

For more information on Silver Lake Nature Center, go to http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org/

Look for the "Things to Do" link for a list of events, including the free nature walks.