Year-round ProgramsBirds and BoatsThis is a fun class, focusing on the use of the Delaware River's greenways as a corridor for migratory birds. The day includes an introduction to bird biology and identification, a natural history walk down the canal towpath, and then finishes with a float on the Giving Pond or down the Delaware River identifying ducks and other water-loving critters. Birds/RaptorsBirds are fascinating creatures with very special adaptations that allow them to function in various roles within nature. In this class, students learn what makes a bird different than any other animal in the world, what are the different adaptations that allow birds to occupy certain niches, and what are some of the difficulties associated with being a bird. This class can be songbird or raptor focused, and is a great introductory lesson to the "Birds and Boats" program. Boating Water Safety AwarenessIn this two-part class, students will earn a Boating Safety Education Certificate. Classroom topics include PA waters, accident prevention, required and recommended equipment, and navigation rules. In the outdoor portion, students will practice cold-water survival skills, rescue techniques, and proper boat procedure skills in a protected open-water area. Learn more about BWSA programs at the PA Fish & Boat Commission website. Ecosystems/Trophic PyramidsAll things are connected in the natural world. This class looks at ecosystems: what is in them, how energy is moved through them and what is necessary to keep them healthy and balanced. Particular attention will be given to trophic pyramids and what results when humans make changes to the environment. Forest ValuesMany of the products we use on a daily basis come from our Penn's Woods. But what we often overlook are the hidden benefits of our forests. Students will learn about nutrient recycling, water absorption and the difference between wildlife and timber trees. Introduction to Watersheds (WE)How does water effect land...and vice versa? How do people effect water...and vice versa? Why should it matter to us? Learn the basics of watersheds: What a watershed is and how to delineate the one you live in. This class is part of our PA State Parks Watershed Education Program. OrienteeringIn this class, students learn the basic skills of using a map and compass to help them find their way to different points located within the state park. Students will study topography and gain experience reading maps. Problem Solving/TeambuildingStudents are presented with a variety of problem situations that must be solved through teamwork and group interaction. Hands-on and physically active, these activities challenge the students to work together and create a fun and educational experience. Signs of a Healthy EnvironmentWe can often tell how a person is feeling just by looking at them, but how can we determine the health of an environment? This class allows students to determine the health of their local environment through simple hands-on activities focusing on the soil, water and air. SurvivalPrimarily focused on the mental aspects of survival, this class teaches students the basic thought process one should go through while in an emergency situation. Group problem solving and decision making, shelter building and fire making all fit into this very important class. Wildlife PopulationsThis class investigates the dynamics of wildlife population growth. Students manipulate a population of white-tailed deer and see what can happen when natural controls are removed and food sources are plentiful. Concepts of carrying capacity, limiting factors and life history are covered in this program. Water Ecology and Monitoring (WE)This class covers just about everything you wanted to know about water. The special properties of water, the hydrology cycle, water quality, and the critters that inhabit the water are all covered in this hands-on interactive program. Students will also be introduced to the simple, yet scientific methods of monitoring the health of a water source. This class is part of our PA State Parks Watershed Education Program. Watershed Field Study (WE)Use your stream as a window to your community. Through chemical, biological and physical monitoring of a stream, students will learn how we can affect environmental and human health. The outdoor investigation portion of our PA State Parks Watershed Education Program. Educational Trips and Bus ToursBus TourSee Delaware Canal State Park by bus! A park educator will ride along to help interpret the scenery and show you the sights. Stops can be arranged at the sites of natural and historical significance that best fit the needs of your students. For more information on Canal History bus tours, please see the historical education section. River TourSpend some time paddling down the Delaware River. Whether canoeing or kayaking, the river is a great place to learn about history, animals, watersheds, geology, and almost anything else. A park educator can accompany your group down the Lower Delaware to help interpret your surroundings. A river tour is a great companion to a BWSA workshop. Contact us for details. Shad LadderShad are amazing! They migrate, they live in fresh and salt water, and they can climb ladders!?! Join a park educator at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers in Easton PA to learn about the astonishing yearly shad migration. If you're lucky, you may even see a shad climb a ladder! Spring Only ProgramHerpetology (Reptiles and Amphibians)Bring the students to the Delaware Canal for a natural history hike along the towpath in search of the many reptiles and amphibians found in and around the canal. The students will learn what makes these animals different from others, and what important roles these critters play in the environment. Winter Classroom ProgramsOwl Babies - Grades K-1In this 40-minute classroom program, students are introduced to owl adaptations with the story Owl Babies. We will explain the many traits that are unique to owls with demonstrations and student activities using feathers, talons, pellets, pictures and taxidermy mounts. Silent flight, night vision, camouflage, owl calls, and hunting are all presented in this hands-on program. Animals in Winter - Grades 2-3In this hour-long classroom program, students will learn about various winter adaptations and survival strategies through National Geographic's book Animals in Winter. Hands-on activities include investigation of pelts from many of Pennsylvania's native mammals and an interactive game that introduces the food storage strategies of red and gray squirrels. Solid, Liquid, Gas - Grades 4-5In this hour-long classroom program, students discover the many shapes and forms water can take as they follow the adventures of a water drop in the story A Drop Around the World. Students then become part of the water cycle as they participate in an interactive game and write the memoirs of their own water droplet. Endangered Species - Grades 4-5Through storytelling and an interactive game, students learn how human activities can impact wildlife populations in both positive and negative ways. In this hour-long program, the terms extinct, endangered, extirpated and threatened are defined and discussed with relation to Pennsylvania species. ResourcesLoan BoxesDelaware Canal State Park has standards-based environmental education kits available for teachers to use in their classrooms. Loan boxes can be borrowed for up to two weeks at a time. Attendance at a teacher workshop to introduce the boxes and their contents are required. Please visit our teacher workshop page to find out more about our loan boxes. Act 48 credits are available for attending these workshops. Loan boxes are available on:
- PA Geology
- PA Land and Water
- PA Reptiles and Amphibians
- PA Mammals
- PA Birds
- PA Native Plants
The story of Delaware Canal State Park began in the early 1800s, when Pennsylvania's economy was beginning to boom. Industrialization had begun to sweep the nation, creating a greater wealth of manufactured goods than had ever before been seen. Unfortunately the existing systems of transportation had a hard time keeping up with the forces of supply and demand. Roads were in poor shape and river travel was difficult due to seasonal high and low water events. A reliable, consistent system of transportation was needed, and canals were thought to be the answer. A visit to Delaware Canal State Park brings the canal-era to life. From 1832–1931 the Delaware Canal was in operation, shuttling cargo—coal mostly—from the outlet of the Lehigh Canal at Easton to tidewater at Bristol, the highest consistently navigable point on the Delaware River. Communities around the Delaware Canal flourished. Family and company-owned boats plied the canal from March to November, before dawn to after dark. Life on and around the canal still reflects this bygone era of transportation. Delaware Canal State Park educators offer tours and hikes along the whole canal, focusing on its importance to the local area and in relation to the bigger picture of Pennsylvania's industrial growth in the 19th century. Come learn about life on a canal boat, the history of canalside towns, and explore the marvels of engineering that made canal travel possible. Our historical learning programs can be tailored to fulfill your group's educational needs. School programs are designed to meet Pennsylvania educational standards in history, science and technology, and arts and humanities. History Education ProgramsMost of our historical programs take place at Lock # 11 and the Locktender's House Museum in New Hope, PA. Programs at other locations along the canal can be arranged as well. Please contact our educators to find out more. Lock Tender's House and Canal Boat RideThis one to two hour program focuses on the life of the locktender and his family and the workings of a canal lock. Tours of the Locktender's House, Lock #11, and the wicket shanty give perspective on the duties and life of a Delaware Canal locktender. An optional component of this visit is a mule-driven barge ride. See a mile of the canal from the water and hear stories and songs from the canal days. Group rates for the barge ride experience are available. Contact information for canal boat rides can be found here. Life on the CanalAn activity packed experience that simulates life on a canal boat. Through role-playing, story telling, music, and period arts and crafts, participants learn about a typical day on the canal. A walking tour of a section of the canal gives an idea of the pace of the canal day, as well as gives an opportunity to explore canal structures and their purposes. This two to four hour program can be presented at the Locktender's House Museum in New Hope, or at a variety of other locations along the canal. Bus TourThis program gives the opportunity to see a larger portion of the Delaware Canal, and visit some of the historically important sites along its sixty-mile length. A two to four hour tour, beginning and ending at a convenient location along the canal, includes an overview of Delaware Canal history, and can focus on industrial development along the canalway, historic land uses, canal features, and more. A tour of the northern section of the canal can stop at Virginia Forrest Recreation Area (Centerbridge), Tohickon (or Tinnicum) Creek Aqueduct, Lock 19 and State Park Office, Durham Furnace, Groundhog Lock, and Lock 24 at Easton. A tour of the southern end of the canal can stop at Bowman's Hill/Thomson Neely House area, Washington Crossing Historical Park, Lock #5 (Yardley), Wide Waters at Black Rock Road (Yardley), Bristol Borough and the former sites of Locks #1, 2, and 3 and the tidelock. Sites visited will depend on program length and desired content. Canal History HikesThere is no better way to understand life along the canal than to walk a mile or four in the mule tender's shoes. Walking tours along the towpath focus on the workings of a canal, the differences between canals and rivers, historic canal structures and local sites of historic interest, and the day to day life of a canal boat crew. These programs can be designed for almost any part of the towpath and for any duration, from an hour to a whole day. Our educators can also suggest other sites along the canal that might supplement your historical field trip or outing. Other Location-Based ProgramsSome locations along the Delaware Canal have a very specific story to tell. These programs are all based at a specific point along the canal: Innovation and Industry Along the CanalA one to two hour program at Groundhog Lock near Raubsville, PA. Groudhog Lock (Locks 22 and 23) tells a story of using available resources to make something more. A visit to what's left of the Raubsville Hydroelectric Plant shows how the energy created by the moving waters of the canal were sometimes harnessed in different and unusual ways. We'll also talk about some of the other enterprising industries that have taken place in this spot. Finally we'll do some innovating of our own, and try to harness another type of freely available energy. Flat-Bottomed Boats and Iron FurnacesDurham marks what was once one of the most influential industrial centers along the canal. Today little remains of the bustling iron community that once stood in and around this spot. Historical photos and drawings will help us imagine how the site might have once looked and we'll learn about how the canal might have changed an already established industry. We'll visit nearby canal structures and figure out how they worked, and hear some local legends about the Durham area and the massive caves that once stood here. The Mystery of the Vanishing CanalThis hike through Bristol will focus on the last mile of canal travel before the outlet to tidewater. We'll see some of the local points of historical interest and follow the traces of the Delaware Canal through town, trying to imagine what the town might have looked like during the years when the canal was in full swing. Our tour will end at the river, where the canal boats were rafted up and towed to their final destinations. We'll discuss historical preservation and modern land needs, and try to figure out what happened to the canal in Bristol and why. Classroom VisitsIntro to the Delaware CanalThe history of the Delaware Canal comes alive in your classroom. While nothing can compare with a visit to the actual canal, a park educator can visit your classroom to share a little about the history of the canal. Photos and video help bring the past alive. We'll touch on how the river affected (and continues to affect) the canal. This broad overview of the Delaware Canal's history is a good precursor to a field trip visit to Delaware Canal State Park. Life on the CanalHow long was a day on the Delaware Canal? How far did a canal boat go in a day? How fast did they travel? How did a boat get through a lock? How much did the boat crews earn? This presentation will address all these questions and more. Active games and simulations help the Delaware Canal come to life for your students.
Get Outdoors, PA! Delaware Canal State Park is a great spot to get outdoors. During the spring, summer and fall we offer lots of programs that are free (or at least inexpensive) and open to the public. Check out the Calendar of Events to see what's coming up, or call the park office to find out. We are also happy to schedule a special event for your group of 10 or more. Contact our educators for details.
Hikes
What better way to experience the pastoral beauty of Delaware Canal State Park than by taking a walk along the canal towpath? Delaware Canal State Park educators offer regular themed hikes for the public from April through November. From bird watching to herp hunting to canal history, our hikes focus on many topics. We hope you'll join us for a program this season.
Bike Hikes
Just like a hike, but on a bike! Our bike-hikes are BYOB (bring your own bike) and are paced for the beginning to intermediate biker. Children are welcome. We combine the joy of a long bike ride with a little bit of interpretation, pointing out some of the historical and natural features of note along the way, with a few tips on bike care and maintenance thrown in as well.
Canoeing and Kayaking
Besides a 60-mile towpath, Delaware Canal State Park has plenty of wonderful water resources to explore. One of our most popular programs, Giving Pond Canoe Paddle, happens every first and third Saturday from June to October. Learn canoe basics and some wildlife identification while exploring our 90-acre pond. The Delaware River and the canal also provide plenty of beautiful water for kayaking and canoeing. In addition to the annual Delaware River Sojourn, we can arrange educational river trips for your group.
CAUTION - The river poses natural hazards and visitors should use caution on and around the river.
For complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.
Rock Climbing
Strap on your harness, clip onto your belay line, and go! High Rocks Overlook at Ralph Stover State Park offers some of the finest climbing in the northeast. Come join us for a few hours of rock climbing for beginners. It's fun for the whole family!
Digital Photography
Have an interest in digital photography, but not quite sure how to get started? Or maybe you just want to get a few tips? Come participate in this hike, designed to get you familiar with some digital camera basics and awaken your creative eye. We'll focus on still or slow moving subjects (rocks, plants, scenery) and explore some of the ways that light and shadow can affect your shots. For a small cost we'll mail you a CD of the photos you shoot during the class. Because digital cameras vary in their operation, we will loan you one of our cameras for the duration of the hike.
Wildlife & Plant Identification
Come explore Delaware Canal State Park, and meet some of our denizens. These programs focus on learning to identify some of the common birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and plants that live along the canal. What makes a plant invasive? Did you know that birds are not the only migratory animals? How can you tell an American crow from a fish crow? This program can be combined with almost any of our recreational activities (hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking) to make a complete active educational experience.
Fishing
Learn the basics of baiting and casting, then settle in for some serious fishing. We provide loaner rods, bait and instruction. For details about Pennsylvania fishing license requirements, visit the Fish & Boat Commission's Fishing Regulations page. Join us for Gone Fishin' Fridays at Ralph Stover State Park during the summer months. Loaner rods are also available Monday to Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Delaware Canal Park Office in Upper Black Eddy. Please call ahead to make arrangements.
An integral part of the educational mission of Pennsylvania's state parks is to give teachers tools they can use to bring environmental education into their classrooms. We offer low cost or free trainings in many nationally recognized, standards-based educational curricula that can be used to enhance classroom offerings. Often these workshops can be taken for Act 48 credit. The education staff at Delaware Canal State Park provides workshops for individual schools and school districts. Workshops are designed to give educators the knowledge and skills necessary to implement environmental education with their students. All workshops are hands-on and are designed to give educators the knowledge and skills necessary to address the PA Standards in Environment and Ecology with their students. Many of the curricula we offer are nationally recognized. Delaware Canal State Park regularly offers both credit and non-credit continuing professional education courses through local school districts, intermediate units, and our own Act 48 providership. Our teacher workshops provide:
- Hands-On Methods
- Inter-Curricular Activities
- Discovery Learning
- Service Learning
- Problem Solving
- Correlation to the PA Academic Standards
Workshops We OfferHistory Teacher InstituteA new professional development program especially for history teachers. Focusing on land use and transportation history of the Delaware River basin, this three day institute will introduce our Watershed Education: History of Land Use in Our Region (Lower Delaware Area) curriculum, and showcase some of the sites of historical and cultural significance in Bucks County. The Delaware Canal, a National Historic Landmark, will provide the underlying theme for the workshop. We'll explore its past and present, to help frame the question "Why were canals important to the development of our nation, and why should we bother to preserve them?" Through exploration of this topic, we will help participants find new and exciting ways to show their students how heritage is still relevant, even in today's technology-driven world. Leopold Education Project: Environment & LiteratureThe Aldo Leopold Education Project is an innovative, interdisciplinary, literature-based conservation program targeted for grades 6-12. It is designed to increase students' awareness of the land and assist them in making responsible choices for our environment, while simultaneously teaching important collaborative and critical thinking skills. This program is unique in that it uses a classic environmental literary work, Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, to reach students with a conservation ethics message that strives to instill an appreciation for the land community. Loan BoxesOur standards-based education kits were designed to be used by classroom teachers to introduce and teach environment and ecology concepts like those mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. After attending an introductory workshop, teachers can take the loan boxes into their classrooms for up to two weeks at a time. Loan-boxes are available at four convenient locations along the 60-mile canal park. During the workshops we will introduce Pennsylvania's natural resources and engage in hands-on activities designed to help bring these resources into the classroom. Loan boxes are available on the following topics:
- PA Geology > PA Land & Water
- PA Reptiles and Amphibians
- PA Mammals
- PA Birds
- PA Native Plants
Pennsylvania Land Choices (6 - 12)Pennsylvania Land Choices is an educational program developed by the Bureau of State Parks to help teachers better understand land use through hands-on activities. These workshops are facilitated by trained staff from the Bureau of State Parks in partnership with local planning professionals. From viewing aerial photographs to designing a park, Pennsylvania Land Choices provides inquiry-based activities aligned to current state academic standards. The activities are available in a guidebook and CD filled with background information and resources. PA Songbirds (K - 12)PA Songbirds is a hands-on, interdisciplinary K-12 teacher's resource that includes the following topics: bird biology, migration, observing and identifying songbirds, research techniques, birds and people, and action. This 6-hour workshop introduces teachers to the activity guide and provides natural history on songbirds. Participants will receive the teacher's guide and other materials, participate in activities for the classroom, gain experience with identification keys and field techniques, and gather background information on songbirds. Participants will learn how this information and associated resources can be utilized in the classroom to help meet academic standards. The PA Birds Loan Box will also be available for classroom use by those who participate in the workshop. PA Songbirds is a cooperative project between The Audubon Society, the PA Game Commission, and PA State Parks. The curriculum was funded through a Resource Conservation Fund grant. Project Learning Tree (K - 8)Using the forest as a window into natural and man-made environments, Project Learning Tree focuses on the total environment: land, air, and water. PLT is a pre-8 national curricular supplement that is administered in PA by the Department of Education and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. A 6-hour workshop led by a trained facilitator is required to receive the 400 page Project Learning Tree activity guide. Project WET (K - 12)Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a collection of innovative, water-related activities that are hands-on, easy to use and fun! Project WET activities are easily incorporated into a school's existing curricula. Project WET is intended for teachers and non-formal educators working with young people in grades K-12. The program focuses on peoples' relationship to water throughout their lives. Students learn that water is a shared resource as well as a shared responsibility. Project WET is easily integrated into a schools existing curricula. It also meets the curricular needs of nature centers, museums, teacher trainings, pre-service classes, and community organizations. A 6-hour workshop led by a trained facilitator is required to receive the Project WET activity guide. Project WILD (K–12)An interdisciplinary conservation and education program emphasizing wildlife, Project WILD activities teach how to think, not what to think. A K-12 national curricular supplement administered in Pennsylvania by the PA Game Commission. Hands-on and problem solving activities are suitable for classroom and outdoor teaching. A 6-hour workshop led by a trained facilitator is required to receive the Project WILD activity guide. Project WILD Aquatic (K–12)Project WILD is a conservation education program. The Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide emphasize aquatic wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. Because these activities are designed for integration into existing courses of study, instructors may use one or many Project WILD Aquatic activities or the entire set of activities may serve as the basis for a course of study. A 6-hour workshop led by a trained facilitator is required to receive the Project WILD Aquatic activity guide and education resources. Training includes the use of the guide and aquatic ecology background information. Watershed Education (6–12)This award-winning program for teachers and students of grades 6–12 is educational, action-oriented, and multi-disciplinary. It promotes investigation, research and decision-making skills. Watershed Education is designed to introduce the topic of watersheds, comply with the watershed-based management directive of the Department of Environmental Protection, and address the Environment and Ecology standards from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. A 15 hour (2 day) workshop led by a trained facilitator is required to receive the manual and participate in the program. Additional in-classroom educational support is available upon completion of the first level WE workshop. Please visit our Watershed Education page for more information. Watershed Education: History of Land Use in the Lower DelawareThis curriculum is specific to the Lehigh and Lower Delaware Rivers area, and was developed by educators at Delaware Canal State Park with support from natural resources specialists throughout the Delaware Valley. Unit One of this curriculum focuses on historic land use. Unit Two focuses on land use planning and environmental protection. To find out more about this curriculum and to download lessons, please visit our resources page.
In addition to curriculum-based educational workshops for teachers, Delaware Canal State Park educators are available for one-on-one or group consultations on a variety of topics. We Offer: Curriculum DevelopmentThe educational staff at Delaware Canal State Park provide assistance with developing new curricula or incorporating environment and ecology into existing coursework to meet state academic standards. We also provide information on a variety of supplemental environmental education curricula. Schoolyard Habitat PlanningThe schoolyard is often an underutilized and undervalued resource. With a little bit of planning and care you can turn the space around your school into an outdoor classroom. Delaware Canal State Park educators can visit your school and help you begin the planning process to turn your schoolyard into wildlife habitat. Assistance is available on an "as staff is available" basis to assist schools in planning and implementing school environmental education sites and environmental study areas. We can provide assistance in planning, layout, pre-inventory, design and utilizing and coordinating other resource agency personnel. Benefits of Schoolyard Habitat include: The process of planning and building wildlife habitat provides children and communities with a unique hands-on experience. A more diverse landscape offers many teaching opportunities in science, English, mathematics, social studies and art. Children's play is an important part of learning. A more varied schoolyard provides opportunities for informal learning and nature observation. Schoolyard habitat can be important for local and migrating wildlife and can help protect water quality of nearby streams. From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Schoolyard Habitat Website.
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