The Washington County Department of Parks and Recreation will offer a "Pollination Party" Outdoor Classroom for elementary-age home schooled children Thursday, May 1 at Shelter 6 in Mingo Creek Park. Two sessions are available: Session I will begin at 10 a.m., and Session II will begin at 1 p.m.

Children will learn about the life of bees, examine the parts of flowers and take part in a pollination activity.

Minimal fee; reservations required. Call the office at 724-228-6867.

to be held April 26

On Saturday, April 26, the Chartiers Creek Watershed Association will conduct its annual Wetlands Walk. The event, first held in May 2004, is open to the general public.

The walk will take place from 10 a.m until noon. Participants will meet in the parking lot next to the North Franklin Fire Hall on Sylvan Drive, just off Franklin Farms Road for the walk's starting point.

Barbara Rosensteel, Environmental Scientist, holding a Professional Wetlands Scientist certification from the Society of Wetland Scientists, will lead the walk through the wetlands and describe the various types of wetlands and the plants and animals that inhabit them.

Those attending should wear boots; portions of the walk may be marshy or swampy wetlands.

Call or email Joan Jessen (724-941-9370; jrjessen@yahoo.com) or Julie Sigler, WCCD Watershed Specialist (724-222-3060x117) to register for the walk. There is no charge, but the watershed association needs to know how many to plan for.

Center focuses on backyard habitat

The Regional Environmental Education Center at Boyce Mayview Park in Upper St. Clair will focus on "Creating a Backyard Habitat" from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 27. Pre-registration is required at 412-838-0064. The program is for ages 12 and up.

Castle Shannon ready to clean house

Castle Shannon's spring Clean House Days are May 8 and 15.

Items which are normally not collected with the regular trash pick-up may be placed curbside on these days and will be collected by the borough's trash hauler.

Construction materials, scrap metal, aluminum and large brush are among the items that will be collected. State law prohibits the collection of paint, oil, petroleum products, batteries, appliances containing Freon, chemicals, engine or car parts, and hazardous or infectious wastes.

Tires are no longer being collected. If you have any questions about which items will be collected, please call the Castle Shannon Borough Administration office at 412-885-9200, ext. 100.

Volunteers needed

for waste collection

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force is looking for volunteers to help staff a household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, April 26, at Settlers Cabin Park Wave Pool.

Volunteer tasks include traffic counting, directing traffic, taking surveys, handing out educational literature and checking materials in trunks. No volunteers will be asked to handle hazardous materials or unload vehicles.

Volunteers may work a full-day shift, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or half-day shifts, 7 to 11:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch, beverages and a T-shirt will be provided.

Every volunteer also receives a $10 gift card, free disposal of up to five gallons of household hazardous waste, and a chance to win items donated by local organizations.

The event is co-sponsored by the Allegheny County Health Department. Call or email the Health Department's Recycling Officer Joy Smallwood at 412-578-8390 or jsmallwood@ achd.net to volunteer.

Morel Madness focuses on mushrooms

The Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club will host Morel Madness on April 26 at Mingo Creek Park.

This is the biggest morel foray in the tristate area. Nationally known mycologist John Plischke III will give a slide show on morel mushrooms and their poisonous look alikes.

Pre-register with the Washington County Parks at 724-228-6867.

Conservancy sponsors nature walk

The Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy will sponsor a beginner's nature walk at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26 at the Fire Circle in Bird Park. Led by Verna McGinley as an adjunct activity of the Sunnyhill Unitarian Church's Earth Day Celebration, this hour-long walk will teach proper binocular and field guide use and help with identification of birds, plants and trees.

Bring binoculars and field guide. The Fire Circle is located on Bird Park Drive, off of Cedar Boulevard.

Magazine drive

to help the needy

The Peters Township High School National Honor Society is sponsoring "A Second Look"-a magazine drive to collect unwanted magazines that are in fair condition without missing pages or torn covers. These gently used magazines will be donated to Canonsburg Hospital, local women's shelters and area nursing homes. Donation boxes will be available in all school district buildings through May 16. Remove or darken address labels before donating.

Tour to focus on landscaping details

The first Pittsburgh Stone & Waterscapes Landscape Tour will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 3. The tour, which will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, will feature 10 homes and focus on landscaping, retaining walls, ponds, waterfalls, driveways and patios.

For ticket information, contact 412-833-5838.

Sisters sponsor Arbor Day paper drive

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God will sponsor its second annual Arbor Day paper drive on Friday, April 25.

Newspapers, magazines, catalogs and other paper to be recycled an be dropped off in the green and yellow collection bins located in the parking lot adjacent to the former St. Francis Academy building at 1401 Hamilton Road, Whitehall.

In 2007, the sisters collected 109 tons of paper to be recycled by the Abitibi Paper Recyling program and generated more than $2,100 for the sisters.

For more details on the sisters' collection, call 412-885-7232.

Native garden topic of garden club

The Giant Oaks Garden Club will meet on Thursday, May 1 at St. David's Episcopal Church in McMurray.

A Meals on Wheels workshop is set for 9:30 a.m. with lunch at 11:30 followed by a business meeting.

At 1 p.m., Susan Parker, a master gardener and teacher of landscape design at both Chatham and CCAC will give a presentation on what a native garden means. There will be a slide show and handouts.

For guest attendance information, call 724-225-3238.

Herb society sponsors plant sale

The Herb Society of America, Western Pennsylvania unit, will sponsor a herb plant sale from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24 at the store front next to Trader Joe's 6343 Penn Ave., East Liberty.

Many varieties of herb plants, books, handmade items and growing information will be available.

Annual Iris show

open to everyone

The annual Iris show will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Phipps Garden Center at Mellon Park in Shadyside. There will be a May Market May 16-18. The free show is sponsored by the Pittsburgh Iris & Daylily Society. Members and non-members are invited to enter. For more details, call Linda Herold, president, at 724-941-8101.