UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Children can see eggs hatch before their eyes and climb a tree like a professional arborist, and families can get tips on nutritious eating and healthy living at Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 19-21.

Parents and children who visit the event's Family Learning Hub will find a wealth of fun and information. Located on Main Street between West 8th and 9th Streets at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, the area includes the Family Room building, the ImAGination Station, the Farm Animal Learning Center and Shaver's Creek Environmental Center.

At the Family Room, important issues related to health and safety will be presented in fun, engaging ways. For instance, children can test their hygiene skills at "Handwashing University." Visitors also can see a variety of food demonstrations at "Eat Well for the Health of It," learn how to manage the risks of developing type two diabetes and discover how good savings habits can help ensure financial security for life.

At the ImAGination Station, a 4-H embryology exhibit will enable children to see eggs hatch into live chicks. Youngsters also can peer into a tree trunk and see what animals live there, look through a microscope and learn what makes plants sick, play a CD that illustrates the roles of various microorganisms in nature, and observe how button mushrooms grow. Information about 4-H clubs and activities will be available.

Shaver's Creek Environmental Center will hold talks and presentations featuring live raptors, snakes, turtles and frogs. A hands-on natural history exhibit will give children a closer look at native Pennsylvania wildlife species. Goats, sheep, miniature horses and other animals will be on display at the Farm Animal Learning Center, hosted by Pennsylvanians for Responsible Use of Animals. Master storyteller Jan Kinney will present award-winning tales and traditional yarns daily at noon and Wednesday at 4 p.m. outside the Family Room.

Elsewhere around Ag Progress Days, children also can participate in the "Kids Climb," located on Main Street near the Equine Exhibits Building, where they can safely climb 40-foot-tall trees with ropes and harness. The 4-H Shooting Sports tent on E. 7th Street will have a computer-guided laser shooting simulation and also free earplugs while supplies last. Centre County's Tussey Mountain Junior 4-H Rifle Club will provide information on 4-H shooting sports programs, shooting equipment, NRA instructor certification and firearm safety.

At the Crops and Soils Tent on E. 5th Street, kids and adults can get "lost" in the A-Maze-N Corn, a maze cut from a corn field that's accessible for wheelchairs and baby strollers.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 19; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 21. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, call (800) PSU-1010 toll-free until Aug. 21 or visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

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Contact:

Cheryl Anthony cka106@psu.edu 814-863-0938 814-863-9877 fax

Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-863-9877 fax #214