The Westminster and New Wilmington area communities are invited for an afternoon of fun and connection at a Neighbors in Nature event from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Westminster College’s Brittain Lake and Field Station.  

“Neighbors in Nature,” designed to foster meaningful interactions between community members and college students, will feature lakeside games and refreshments, a scavenger hunt, a guided nature hike, an apiary experience and a nature creation station.  

Students in the Westminster 101 course, Community Change Collaborative: Designing Creative Community, have planned and are executing the event.

“We’ve dedicated this semester to exploring the concept of positive change within a community,” says Dr. Helen Boylan, professor of the course. “Now, the students are actively applying what they’ve learned to create an event with positive impact.”

Welcome and information stations will be set up at the Brittain Lake dock and picnic tables at the Westminster College Field Station.  Parking is recommended at the lower tennis courts on the west side of Brittain Lake.  In case of inclement weather, activities will be held in Anderson Amphitheater on the east side of Brittain Lake.

Set times are planned for the apiary experience and guided nature hike.  The apiary experience has start times at 1 and 2 p.m. from the Field Station, and the guided nature hike has start times at 1:15 and 2:15 p.m. from the dock at Brittain Lake.  All other activities are casual and ongoing, and participants can come and go as they please.

The day’s events are free and open to the public, but registrations are recommended for some events and can be made here.

The Community Change Collaborate class connects Westminster College students with community members to explore and implement strategies for driving community change. Participants engage in critical reflection on change mechanisms and evaluate their community’s strengths and opportunities.

For more information about the event, please contact Boylan, professor of environmental science and faculty fellow for community engagement, at boylanhm@westminter.edu or 724-946-6293.

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