Homeschool Programs
Lutherlyn has been offering environmental education programs to homeschoolers for over 25 years. The Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program is excited to host another homeschool program series.
Families and groups can sign up via Lutherlyn's Online Registration Portal.
Most of our programs are appropriate for grades K-12, unless otherwise noted. Each session runs from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. (Some events may have an additional afternoon session from 1-3:30pm.) The cost is $10 per person for everyone attending ages 4 and over. Siblings ages 3 and under are welcome to come with their family at no extra cost and are not required to register. An adult must register along with the student or students. In the event of inclement weather, some activities may be adjusted or substituted as needed. If a minimum of 10 people are not registered for a session, it will be cancelled and registered participants will receive a full refund.
WINTER SERIES
Thursday, January 8th, 2026: Bird Bonanza – Families will get the opportunity to build a bird house to take home with them! Students will then learn how to use binoculars and what field marks to look for when identifying birds. The students will venture outdoors and use the skills that they have learned to identify the birds they see.
Registration Deadline: January 2
Thursday, January 22nd, 2026: Animal Tracking – Students learn the basics of identifying animal tracks using tracking keys and measuring skills. Students practice on tracking plates and then hike into the forest to use their skills. Required Age: 4th Grade and Older
Registration Deadline: January 15
Thursday, February 12th, 2026: Orienteering – This activity begins with a brief history of compasses and navigation. Students then learn to identify compass parts and how to use a compass, as well as to use their multiplication and division skills to estimate distances. The activity concludes with applying this knowledge on an orienteering course that requires them to be able to use a compass and calculate a distance. Required Age: 4th Grade and Older
Registration Deadline: February 5
Monday, February 23rd, 2026: Maple Sugaring – This program is an interdisciplinary study of tree identification, tree biology, and the cultural importance of maple syrup for the Native Americans and early American pioneers. Students learn how a tree works and how to identify a maple tree in the winter. Then they measure a maple tree, drill the hole, tap in the spile, hang the bucket, and calculate the drip rate. Students collect the sap from many maple trees, take it to the Sugar Shack where it is boiled into syrup, and taste the final product. They also learn about the techniques used by Native Americans and pioneers to make maple syrup and maple sugar. It is a great way to celebrate the coming of spring!
Registration Deadline: February 16
SPRING SERIES
Monday, March 23rd, 2026: SPECIAL ACTIVITY, Abandoned Mine Investigation – Unlike our other offerings, this event runs from 9:30AM to 1:30PM and participants should plan to bring a trail snack and bagged lunch. The site for this activity is near a closed coal mine on Lutherlyn's property. As in much of PA, the mine was not sealed properly, and the result is constant pollution that threatens life in the nearby stream. A passive treatment system has been installed to remove the pollution, and students use water testing kits to investigate the chemistry of the mine water as it passes through the system. The site is reached by a 3-mile round-trip hike over steep and varied terrain (not stroller friendly). Required Age: 4th Grade and Older
Registration Deadline: March 16
Thursday, April 9th, 2026: Frontier Life – This event immerses students in the challenges and resilience of settlers in Western Pennsylvania during the late 1700s and early 1800s—a formative era often overlooked in history classes. Students explore what daily survival required on the early American frontier by building a primitive shelter, trying the simple games that children enjoyed, tackling common household chores, and discovering how families grew and prepared their food – pioneer food tasting included!
Registration Deadline: April 2
Monday, April 13th, 2026: Stream and Pond Experience – In this immersive aquatic ecology program, students investigate both stream and pond environments to discover how organisms survive, interact, and shape their habitats. By collecting and identifying specimens from moving and standing water, students compare adaptations, assess ecosystem health, and explore the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers within interconnected food chains and food webs. Microscopes bring even the smallest aquatic creatures into focus—revealing algae, crustaceans, insects, and other microscopic life.
Registration Deadline: April 6
Monday, April 27th, 2026: Insects – Students become insect detectives as they search for and collect insects in two different habitats. They’ll learn how to recognize an insect, investigate cool adaptations, and explore life cycles up close. By comparing insects from each ecosystem, students discover why some species are helpful partners in nature while others earn the title of “pest.”
Registration Deadline: April 20
Additionally, most of the activities that are available in our Program Options Guide can be part of a customized homeschool field trip experience for your homeschool group. For more information, to talk to our Environmental Education Director, or to make a reservation, please contact the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Office at leep@lutherlyn.com or 724-865-9079.
