Charles Brightbill Environmental Center

4881 Fort Loudon Road, Mercersburg, PA 17236717.328.2126
Located adjacent to the James Buchanan High School on Fort Loudoun Road.

Hours:  The Center is open the first Sunday from October thru May from 2:00 – 4:00. Appointments for family outings can be made by calling the Center at 717 328-2126   or via the TWEP website or Facebook page. 

Educational Opportunities: This Charles Brightbill Environmental Center hosts monthly programs open to the public. School groups – public, private, and homeschool – may schedule visits for an educational experience that will meet PA State Standards.  Lessons are offered on a wide variety of topics such as predator/prey relationships, ecosystems, animal adaptations, migration, recycling, tree identification and much more. The Center includes a classroom, 2 large displays of stuffed wildlife in dioramas representing ecosystems from all over the world. The Center also has displays of  fossils, rocks, skulls, and  nests. 16 acres of natural habitat with walking trails and an outdoor classroom make a visit even more enjoyable. 

Outdoor Walking Area: The center includes a natural habitat area with trails and a stream, with an abundance of birds and butterflies..

For more information:  www.twep.org

Tayamentasachta Center
for Environmental Studies

500 Leitersburg Street, Greencastle, PA 17225
717.597.6458
Directions to this 45-acre environmental center: Exit 5 off I-81, left onto Baltimore Street to Ridge Avenue. Follow Ridge Avenue until it ends, turn left at the stop sign at Leitersburg Street.  Remain on Leitersburg Street to Tayamentasachta.

Hours: Call for hours.

Environmental Education: This center is operated by the Greencastle School District and has education programs for kindergarten through 5th Grade, including plant identification, learning to be stewards, environmental protection, ecosystems, habitats and much more. Tayamentasachta derives from a Native American word that means “never-ending water” and the center includes a 19th century farmhouse and barn, spring, spring house, log cabin, longhouse, pavilion and orchard.

Walking Trails: The center is open dawn to dusk seven days a week to the public and has walking trails, woodlots, field and gardens for the public to walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Tayamentaschta Apple Festival: This fall event happens every October and highlights apples, which are a big industry in Franklin County. Local students are invited to help peel apples for apple butter and learn more about apples during the day. Other activities include making corn husk dolls, s’mores, scenic wagon rides, and apple dumplings for sale.

For more information:
https://sites.google.com/site/tayamentasachta/home

The Institute 

239 B East Main Street, Waynesboro, PA 17268
717.762.0373

The offices of this environmental education organization are located on Route 16 East, take Exit 5 off I-81 (Main Street is Route 16).

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Institute is a non-profit organization serving the region with outdoor programming in environmental and cultural education, and a wide variety of family events. Activities are conducted at various parks and natural areas around the greater Waynesboro area.

The Institute was formerly based in Waynesboro’s Renfrew Park, but left that property in 2020. This departure resulted in expanded programming opportunities for area residents of all ages. 

Environmental Education: First-hand experiences help students understand how nature works and what role humans play in the eco-system. Younger children explore sensory activities and introductory concepts in ecology and older children explore more advanced topics such as watershed and wetland studies. Youth can also attend after-school watershed and stream study programs.

The Institute has recently expanded offerings for children with a series of outdoor EXPLORE! programs, and for preschoolers with their WonderWalks series.

Community Learning: Adults and teens can attend lectures and workshops on cultural and environmental topics throughout the year, such as Pennsylvania geology, astronomy and regional history. Outdoor programs include family trail hikes, geology field trips, owl walks, and bi-weekly bird walks.

Summer Institute: After school is out for the year, Summer Institute provides fun, educational activities for children including discovering nature, hiking, gardening and much more.