ZooAmerica offers discounts, special programs
HERSHEY - ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park will offer the following special programs this winter:
$5 Fridays - In the spirit of giving, ZooAmerica will cut its regular admission prices to $5 each Friday through March 22. Regular admission is $10.50 for adults and $8.50 for ages 55 and older and for those ages 3 to 8. Children 2 and younger are free.
Wild Treats - ZooAmerica provides edible holiday presents to its animals at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Naturalists deliver the goodies to American elk and martens, Canada lynx and river otters on Thursday; gray wolves, the albino alligator and animals in the nocturnal wing of The Great Southwest region on Friday; and American black bears, bobcats and white-tailed deer on Saturday.
ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park is an 11-acre, year-round, walk-through zoo that cares for more than 200 animals representing more than 60 North American species. Open daily, ZooAmerica is one of only eight zoos in Pennsylvania accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and prides itself on following its mission of conservation.
For more information, visit www.ZooAmerica.com or call 717-534-3900.
State parks schedule winter events
State parks and other facilities in the area are planning the following winter events:
1-2 p.m. Dec. 29, Our Amazing Elk at Elk Country Visitor Center, Benezette.
Noon-1 p.m. Jan. 1, Christmas Bird Count open house at Bald Eagle State Park, Environmental Learning Center, Howard. Find out what everyone is seeing in Bald Eagle Valley, examine bird and mammal mounts or talk with a park employee.
10 a.m.-11 a.m. Jan. 3, Growing Up Wild, Bald Eagle State Park. Designed for ages 3 to 5. Call 814-625-9369 to register.
NWTF chapter plans annual event
STATE COLLEGE - The Pennsylvania chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its 38th annual rendezvous and awards banquet on Jan. 5 at the Ramada Inn.
Seminars include:
Habitat-Martin Run Project, 12:30-1:30 p.m. - Learn about this project in the Allegheny National Forest that included oak release, opening construction and restoration, herbicides, native warm season grasses, vernal pond construction, and installation of nesting and roosting structures.
Outreach workshop, 2-3 p.m. - Share ideas to improve local outreach programs such as JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin' events and hunts. Discover how to grow committees and fund events.
Understanding the New Super Fund Split, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
A prime rib and stuffed chicken dinner follows, with raffles and silent and live auctions. A variety of prizes are up for grabs.
Attendees may purchase the early bird raffle package by Dec. 31 and receive $300 worth of tickets for $100. Donations may be submitted for prizes.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, write to: Jim Panaro, 224 Buck Road, Ebensburg, PA 15931.
Game commissioners schedule January meeting
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's Board of Game Commissioners will hold a quarterly meeting Jan. 27-29 in its headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Dauphin County.
A copy of the agenda for the upcoming meeting will be posted online at www.pgc.state.pa.us in mid-January. At 1 p.m. Jan. 27, the board will hear public recommendations for 2013-14 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. Doors open at noon. Individuals interested in offering public testimony, limited to five minutes, may register at noon.
At 8:30 a.m. Jan. 28, the board will gather public comments and hear Game Commission staff reports. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony will begin at that time.
At the same time on Jan. 29, the Game Commission board will take up its prepared agenda to give preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2013-14 and establish other meeting dates for the coming year, among other things. Antlerless deer license allocations for the 2013-14 seasons will be presented for the board to consider at its meeting in April. Harvest results from the 2012-13 deer seasons will be announced in mid-March.
Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show nears
HARRISBURG - Everything you love about the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show plus hundreds of new exhibitors, features and celebrities makes the 58th edition the can't-miss event of the year. It will be held Feb. 2-10 at the State Farm Show Complex.
More than 200 new exhibitors showcasing guns, archery, fishing and boating, along with many new products, show specials and a new Tactical Gun and Accessories Section highlight this year's event. In addition, the show has made it easier to navigate the floor with color-coded halls, an online pre-show mapping program, and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Returning by popular demand will be the "Sportsman's Shop Gun Alley" featuring more gun manufacturers, gun representatives and gun retailers than ever before.
For information, visit www.easternsportshow.com.
Outdoor events sought
Do you have a meeting or outdoor event you'd like to publicize in the Sun-Gazette?
Announcements must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the date of the event, preferably earlier.
Information and news releases may be:
Mailed to Outdoor editor, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 252 W. Fourth St., Williamsport PA 17701
Emailed to outdoors@sungazette.com
Dropped off at the Sun-Gazette office, 252 W. Fourth St., Williamsport
Submitted through the Outdoor section of the Virtual Newsroom on the paper's website, www.sungazette.com.
All submissions must contain the name, telephone number and, if available, email address of a contact person. Photographs by area residents of trophy fish or game animals or other interesting outdoor occurrences also will be considered.
