Some upcoming programs at the AT Museum in Pennsylvania.


AT Museum Programs
Public Programs


Each weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day (usually 2:00pm on Sundays) the AT Museum will present Public Programs. Each presentation will cover a different topic of interest dealing with hiking, the AT, the local area or something fun.

• Programs are free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.
  
• Children 12 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult.
  
• Weather permitting and when appropriate, programs will be held outdoors on the grounds of the museum.
  
• Public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.
  
• Plan to arrive early and ask at the museum for program location.
  
• Programs are subject to change. Visit this blog or www.atmuseum.org for current information.
  
• ______________________________________________________7/5/2015 - 1:00 pm - Special Screening of the Movie The Long Start to the Journey
  
  The Long Start to the Journey is a documentary film about the Appalachian Trail. The story follows filmmaker Chris Gallaway on his personal attempt to thru-hike the AT in 2013 and to learn what the trail means to individuals he meets along the way. Chris (or "Frost" as he comes to be known on the trail) meets hikers young and old with wildly disparate backgrounds, "trail angels" who provide food and support, and an assortment of wildlife that make the journey much more exciting. This is a personal story of struggle and perseverance and of how the natural world can teach us and enrich our lives. The film captures the importance of the trail by looking back to its history and also at its current influence on culture in America. "The Long Start to the Journey" is a film for those who love the outdoors and who find insight, meaning, and enjoyment in the time they spend in wild places.
  ______________________________________________________7/6/2015 - 7:00 pm - Special Event: Warren Doyle - "My 42 Year Love Affair With the Trail"
  
  The evening will be inspiring, educational and provocative with ample time for questions.
  How can someone walk the trail sixteen times without losing a job while raising a family while not being either a trust-fund baby or earning disability benefits their entire life or military benefits from middle age on?
  How can someone walk the entire trail over the span of five decades (70's; 80's; 90's; 00's; 10's) and still have pain-free knees at the age of 65?
  How can someone organize eight group hikes up the entire trail with seven having 100% completion rates?______________________________________________________7/12/2015 - 2:00 pm - The Craighead Naturalists Presented by Tom Benjey
  
  From Frank Craighead and his siblings who grew up in a house along the Yellow Breeches, descended a battalion of people who made the study of various aspects of nature their life's work. The house at Craighead Station was a summer home where the children played, swam and fished, pioneered falconry as a sport in the U.S., studied nature and the classics, and began writing careers.
  
  A teenagers, the twins Frank and John became known for their work with hawks and owls. Soon, they were writing and photographing articles for National Geographic. Jean wrote over 100 books about animals and children, including Newbery Honor winner My Side of the Mountain.
  
  Tom Benjey, who has written about the Craigheads, will share what the has learned about this family, for whom the study of nature was central.
  
  
  

_____________________________________________________7/19/2015 - 2:00 pm - The Gentle Art of Wandering with David Ryan

The Gentle Art of Wandering is about being mindful while outdoors. It is allowing yourself to see what is already there. When you adopt the mindset of wandering you will find adventure whenever you step outside the door. Every walk will become special whether it is just around the corner, in a new town, or on the trail. "

David Ryan is an A.T. 2000 miler and is the author of Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail for the Older Adventurer. His most recent book is The Bisbee Stairs: Exploring the Stairways, Trails, and Hidden Corners of Bisbee, Arizona.

Check out David's website here.




______________________________________________________7/26/2015 - 2:00 pm - Richard Judy - A Hiker's Life of Adventure

Richard, the author of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story will talk about how he has led a Hiker's Life that stemmed from a Thru-Hike 42 years ago. He will describe how the hike led to a lifetime of adventure and how it inspired him to write a book that embodies the people, places and events that comprise an AT Thru-Hike.

Richard's blog: www.thru-novel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THRUstory


_______________________________________________________8/2/2015 - 2:00 pm - Water Races of Pine Grove Furnace

Andre Weltman, head of the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park, will speak about iron company waterwheels & water races. A “race” was a channel for carrying water toward (“headrace”) and away from (“tailrace”) a place where water was needed for industrial uses. Water from Mountain Creek and Tom’s Run once powered iron furnace air-blast machinery; the grist mill (now housing the A.T. Museum!); a water pump at the ore pit that is today Fuller Lake; and also a water race for washing iron ore before smelting. Many of the old water supply channels are still visible in our State Park, but are not recognized by visitors. We will also discuss operation of the iron company’s grist mill, and a new book from the Cumberland County Historical Society about local mills, issued in conjunction with a year-long museum exhibit in Carlisle.

_______________________________________________________8/9/2015 - 2:00 pm - Backpacking with a Dog

Craig and Nancy, aka “Kilt” and “Lighten-up”, took their 12 year old dog on the Trail for 3 months and will share their experiences, challenges, and joys of such an adventure. If anyone is considering backpacking with a dog, this would be a great primer for understanding what it will involve. Or maybe you just want to be entertained by seeing what life is like on the trail through the eyes, ears and nose of a dog.

_______________________________________________________8/16/2015 - 2:00 pm - Wild Edibles

Certified science teacher and licensed nutritionist, Debbie Naha will talk about Wild Edibles. Check out her website here.
The presentation will start with a PowerPoint slide show, followed by an outdoor walk covering plant identification, safety, look-alike plants, sustainable harvesting, nutrition, etc.



_______________________________________________________8/23/2015 - 2:00 pm - Senior Citizen Thru Hike Story

Jim Zumwal will share his story of being a Thru Hiker as a Senior Citizen. Come listen as he tells of his challenges and triumphs of being an "older" hiker.

________________________________________________________8/30/2015 - 2:00 pm - Preserving and Protecting the Trail

David Startzell, past ATC director and 2013 AT Hall of Fame Inductee will talk about the trials and tribulations of preserving and protecting the Appalachian Trail so that future generations would have a trail to walk on.

________________________________________________________9/6/2015 - Open