Butler County Pennsylvania

Jennings offers a full range of educational programs. A unique attraction at the center is its relict prairie, which includes the spectacular and well-known prairie flower, the blazing star. The relict prairie ecosystem is rare in Pennsylvania. Visitors should try to visit in late July or early August when the prairie is in full bloom.

Jennings Environmental Education Center is one of several state parks specifically dedicated to provide environmental education and interpretation to the community. A variety of programs are available for children, teachers, and the general public that increase knowledge and awareness of the beauty and importance of our natural resources. By taking some time to explore Jennings through its trail network or community programs, visitors can enjoy the outdoors while learning the skills needed to be good stewards of Pennsylvania’s outstanding natural resources.

Jennings provides a unique combination of prairie and forest, which offers a wide array of resource and education opportunities. One of the park’s main features, the 20-acre prairie ecosystem, is home to distinctive prairie plants and the endangered massasauga rattlesnake. The most noteworthy and spectacular prairie flower is the blazing star. Jennings was the first reserve established in Pennsylvania to protect an individual plant species and remains the only public and protected prairie in the Commonwealth.

Directions:

The Center is 12 miles north of Butler, PA on PA Route 528. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, for hiking and other nature-related activities.

Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and National Resources. For more information visit the official Jennings Environmental Education Center web site.