PEEC: Pocono Environmental Education Center

Seasonal Highlights

a Sense of Place…
“There is a great deal of talk these days about saving the environment. We must…for the environment sustains our bodies. But as humans we also require support for our spirits … and this is what certain kinds of places provide.

The catalyst that converts any physical location – any environment if you will – into a place, is the process of experiencing deeply. A place is a piece of the whole environment that has been claimed by feelings. Viewed simply as a resource that sustains our humanity, the earth is a collection of places.

We never speak, for example, of an environment we have known; it is always places we have known- and recall. We are homesick for places, we are reminded of places. It is the sounds, the smells and sights of places which haunt us against which we often measure our present
Alan Gussow
Founder – Friends of the Earth

At PEEC … ‘our environment’…and all that it provides is driven by nature and natural systems…celebrating all of the celestial seasons. Opportunities for ‘experiencing deeply’, learning and connecting are offered all year long…nature’s calendar designs our calendar.

Read a little more about the Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox and then celebrate the seasons…celebrate the diversity:

Naturally – in what you see, hear, smell, touch and taste
Celestially – in what you can imagine
Actively – in what you can do at PEEC
Sustainably - in what you can do (simply) to sustain and conserve

Summer Solstice - June through August
Have you ever had one of those days that seems like it is never going to end? If that day lands on June 21st then there is something else to blame besides work. Every year around June 21st the sun lingers around longer than any other day of the year. If this is the longest day, then it must also be the shortest night. The end of June signals the beginning of summer and the day begin to get gradually shorter.

Autumnal Equinox - September through November
Once again the sun is directly over the equator, and night and day are again roughly the same length. Fall is here the trees are turning and the birds are beginning to leave for their wintering grounds. Winter is right around the corner, dress warm because there is a chill in the air!

Winter Solstice - December through February
Every year around December 22nd when seasonal holidays are right around the corner winter officially begins. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year …or the longest night of the year…when the sun is furthest south in sky. As the days gradually get longer we can seek comfort in our homes as we sit in front of the fire sipping our hot coco that spring is on its way!

Vernal Equinox - March through May
If you are one of those folks that love when things are in balance, then this is your day. Every year around March 20th the sun is directly over the equator causing day and night to be roughly the same length. The vernal equinox also signals the first day of spring. Yippy!!!