Top Safety Tips For Your Winter Adventures

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One of the most common misconceptions about the winter is that it limits the amount of fun you can have at your local and state parks. While it’s true that you can’t enjoy some warm weather activities like swimming, kayaking and sunbathing, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure at your parks. From sledding and ice skating to geocaching and birdwatching to hiking and hunting, there is lots of seasonal fun to be had outdoors during winter.

While you should always take the necessary precautions to stay safe when outdoors (regardless of the season), winter weather does impose some extra risks if you’re not properly prepared. To help you avoid any winter-related risks during your outdoor adventures, we’ve compiled this list of helpful safety tips!

Confirm Any Closures or Restrictions
While most parks continue to operate during the winter season, there may be times when certain parts of the park are closed or access is restricted to the public. This may be due to a variety of factors such as weather conditions, hazardous roads or trails, or other factors that may impose a risk to public safety. So, if you are planning to hike a trail, skate on a lake or go sledding, be sure to check the park’s website or call your park ranger/parks department to confirm that there are no restricted areas before you make your way to the park.

Monitor the Weather
A gentle rainshower during a summer’s day doesn’t typically ruin a good time in the park (it may actually be refreshing if it’s one of those particularly humid summer days in PA). The same can’t be said for winter. While the forecasted snowstorm may end up resulting in a few flurries, you should never take that chance.

It’s always a good idea to start monitoring the weather forecast a few days before your planned park trip. That way you can reschedule your visit if the weather is predicted to take a turn for the worse. Even if the earlier forecast calls for clear weather on the day of your planned visit, it’s always a good idea to check the weather forecast on the day of your trip. You never know when the winds will change and bring colder temperatures, freezing conditions and other risks that could prove harmful to you and others.

Wear Appropriate Clothes
Dressing appropriately for the outdoors is also important. But it’s even more critical in the winter. Since the temperature fluctuates fiercely on winter days, we recommend dressing in layers. If you arrive at the park to find that the weather is more pleasant, you can easily remove that extra shirt or get by with a lightweight fleece jacket. If the temps drop, you can easily put your heavier coat back on. When it comes to winter weather, it’s always best to have too much apparel than not enough.

Pack the Right Gear
Much like dressing appropriately, you must make sure that you have the right accessories in hand before you partake in winter outdoor activities. Even though most phones have a GPS application, bad weather or the remoteness of the park may interfere with its functionality. To avoid getting lost in the park or forests, be sure to pack a map and/or compass to help navigate your way back to safety.

Although you may think sunscreen is strictly for summer, the sun’s rays are even more harmful in the winter – especially if they have lots of sun to reflect off of. Be sure to apply sunscreen to any exposed skin and wear a hat or head covering. Dehydration is still a concern even in the winter, so be sure to bring a reusable water bottle with you and refill it at water stations or fountains when necessary.

Since there’s less daylight in the winter, you should keep a flashlight handy. And packing a first-aid kit is a necessity. Even if you’re just going to the park to enjoy a leisurely walk, you never know when you may slip on a patch of ice and scratch your hand. Remember: it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Know the Warning Signs of Frostbite and Hypothermia
Exposure to extremely cold or freezing conditions can result in two very serious cold-weather illnesses: frostbite and hypothermia.
Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing conditions that affects the fingers, toes, ears, nose and cheeks. If frostbite is severe, it could possibly result in surgery or amputation.

The warning signs of frostbite include:

  • Numbness in the extremities
  • Discolored skin or loss of color in the affected area
  • Firm, stiff or waxy skin
  • Prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures can cause the body to lose heat faster than it can produce it. This reduces body temperature which affects the brain causing issues with mobility, coordination and comprehension.

The warning signs of hypothermia include:

  • Severe shivering
  • Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Slurred speech
  • Shaky hands
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness

If you or anyone in your party experiences any of the above symptoms, please seek medical assistance immediately. Both of these conditions are serious and the sooner they can be treated the better the outcome will be.

Practice Safe Hunting
Hunting season with regular firearms typically begins a few days after the Thanksgiving holiday and lasts until the middle of December. Pennsylvania’s local and state parks/forests offer and monitor plenty of designated hunting grounds for licensed residents.

While all first-time PA hunters are required to take and successfully pass a hunter education course, it’s always a good idea to go over some of the most relevant hunting safety tips as a refresher for others.

  • Review and obey all PA hunting, wildlife and gun safety laws
  • Wear a hunter orange vest and hat at all times to ensure that you’re clearly visible to all surrounding hunters in the area
  • Never shoot at sound or movement – big game is not the only thing in the woods
  • Be sure that your firearm has been properly cleaned and sighted to avoid any malfunctions or accidents
  • Always identify your target before you pull the trigger
  • If you’re an inexperienced hunter, join an experienced hunting party instead of hunting alone
  • Report any violations by other hunters to the game warden and/or local law enforcement officials

Source: https://goodforpa.com/2021/11/01/top-safety-tips-for-your-winter-adventures/?utm_source=constantcontact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=snow_12921

Join the Hunt for Spotted Lanternfly Eggs!

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Adult Spotted Lanternfly (SPF) have died off, but now is the time to destroy the next generation that may be hiding all over your property! Find and destroy them to get ahead of next season’s outbreak.

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Spotted Lanternfly

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You see them. You hear about them. Now learn about them.

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive planthopper that is rapidly moving into our area. This insect has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops such as fruit trees, hops, and hardwoods. To learn more about them, please visit https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Pages/default.aspx

If you “spot” one, please report to https://extension.psu.edu/have-you-seen-a-spotted-lanternfly

Warminster Community Park Update

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Warminster Township Parks and Recreation Department has been able to leverage multiple grants, a land appraisal, and public and private contributions to meet the match requirements for three different grants. We were awarded over $2.9 Million to continue development of Warminster Community Park. Please take a moment to check out our video of the proposed improvements which will take place over the next three years.

P&R Forms/Documents

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Downloads

Category: Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation Volunteer Application

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COME JOIN THE FUN!
PARKS & RECREATION IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer for community events and activities. Here are just a few…

  • SPECIAL EVENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED
  • ADOPT A GARDEN
  • ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

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About Us

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Karen Whitney, Director

The Township’s Recreation Services Division provides numerous year-round special events and community services. With the changes to our programming initiatives in 2015, the Parks & Recreation Department has begun rebuilding many of our educational programs and creating new activities.  Due to the limited size our building, we have partnered with many local facilities to outsource some of our programs.  While many are free, all programs and special events require registration. Feel free to call the office at 215-443-5428 or use the online registration: www.warminstertownship.org/specialevents if you need more information.

The Department also oversees and maintains 420 acres of active and passive recreation areas in 13 parks. Warminster Community Park is the largest, 240 acres, with over 5 miles of trails. Many of our other parks are pocket parks located in neighborhoods. We encourage residents to take time to enjoy nature use this website to find local parks: https://goodforpa.com. Sport organizations such as soccer, football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, kickball, baseball, and softball are offered by various adult and youth sport organizations throughout the seasons.

PARKS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Covid-19 continues to create challenges for everyone, but the one saving grace is that our municipal park system remains available to all area residents throughout the pandemic.  It has brought to light just how important recreation opportunities and the natural environment are to the health and wellbeing of all our park users.  We have observed a dramatic increase in the use of parks, trails and recreation facilities.  Parks have become places where people can enjoy the natural environment to reduce anxiety and stress and burn off excess energy if gyms are closed.  With more than 410 municipal acres, which includes neighborhood parks as well as regional destinations, residents have been able to social distance while enjoying nature and getting exercise.  “The National Recreation and Park Association surveyed Americans to see how essential they felt parks, trails and open spaces are during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey revealed that 83% of U.S. adults agreed that visiting their local parks, trails and open spaces is essential for their mental and physical well-being during the COVID-19 ordeal”.

As we move through the seasons with so many unknowns, we will continue to try to offer our most popular programs and events, but restrictions may cause some additional cancellations.  Some of our events have gone virtual and others have moved outside.  To stay up to date and explore more options, we recommend that you subscribe to the township email.  Also, check out the websites for Warminster Free Library, Doylestown Health and the PSU Extension Service (https://extension.psu.edu) as they provide many virtual educational and free webinar programs.  Please be assured that we will continue to keep the members of the community active, happy and healthy. To prevent the spread of coronavirus, and for the protection of yourself, your family and others, please wear a mask while using the park, stay home if you feel ill, wash hands and continue to social distance while visiting township offices and parks and take care to properly dispose of trash.  We greatly appreciate the continued support of area residents during these challenging times.

 

WARMINSTER COMMUNITY PARK IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY

Work has begun on the new facilities at Warminster Community Park! Meco Constructors, the contractor for the project, is making good progress, in spite of the winter weather. Most of the work completed so far has involved earth moving for stormwater and future sport fields, and preparation of the runway for the paving of the new driveways and parking lots, so it might not look as though much is going on, but a lot is happening. Probably the most dramatic change in the park so far has been the replacement of the 6’ chain link fence along Bristol Road and Newtown Road near Munro Park with a white equestrian-style PVC fence.

As with all public improvement projects, there will be some inconvenience to the public during construction. But as they say, good things come to those who wait! When construction is completed, the park will have a new pavilion with rest rooms; a new playground; two new baseball fields; a new soccer field; a multipurpose field; new basketball courts, including a Bankshot inclusive court; a permanent entrance at Bristol/Hatboro Roads with the new fencing along Bristol and Newtown Roads; expanded driveways and parking; and landscaped areas on the runway. Most of the work is taking place on and west of the runway (across from Munro Park), and those areas of the park have been temporarily closed to keep park visitors safe. We ask that all park users follow the signs and observe the closed areas so that we can keep the rest of the park open during construction. The basketball courts, Safety Town, much of the runway, and the interior trails, including the crossover trail, are blocked or closed. However, the perimeter trail and the interior trails on the east side of the runway are open for walking, jogging, and cycling. The pavilion and playground are open, as is the Bark Park, which can be accessed by walking on the grass to the left of the orange construction fence.

This project is made possible with grant funding from the Bucks County Municipal Open Space program, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2), Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) and donations from developers, community organizations and individuals. If you have any questions regarding the park project, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 215-443-5428 or email us at recreation@warminsterpa.org.
We look forward to opening these new facilities this summer!

 

EV CHARGING STATION NOW AVAILABLE IN WCP
Warminster has gone green with a new Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Warminster Community Park (WCP)!  Thanks to a grant from the PA DEP Driving PA Forward Funding Program, and donations from Renk Electric and the Friends of Warminster Parks, this ChargePoint EV station is available to any resident with an electric vehicle. EV designated parking spaces are located by the Park & Rec office in WCP’s main parking lot and ChargePoint cards are available for distribution during office hours. The EV station is available during park hours for a fee. Come enjoy the park while charging your vehicle!

Charging fee: $0.15/kWh (Estimated around $1.95 for 2 hours of charging)
Station Parking fee: is free for the first 3 hours, after that $5.00/hour
Payment: Once you have an account with ChargePoint, Credit Cards, Apple and Samsung Pay are accepted.  Warminster Township / Parks and Recreation cannot accept any money onsite for charging.
Accounts: An account will be needed with ChargePoint (at no fee) to pay/use the charging station. You can pick up an account card in the Parks and Recreation office during regular business hours, or you can create a free account at www.ChargePoint.com.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
For our events to be successful, we are seeking volunteers who wish to assist. No worries about the time commitment – it can be as little as a half hour to multiple hours and on a flexible schedule. Let us know if you are interested by contacting the Parks & Rec office at 215-443-5428. Please be aware.

DISCOUNT TICKETS
Although Covid-19 has greatly reduced the options, Warminster Township Parks and Recreation Department offers discount tickets to various amusement parks, attractions, and ski resorts, click here to view price list and availability. Tickets are sold Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM at the WREC@WCP. No refunds or returns – while supplies last.

Discount Movie Tickets for Regal Entertainment Group
Movie Tickets are sold for $9.50 each at the Parks & Recreation office, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. These are Premiere tickets for Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theaters and may have some restrictions for 3D or IMAX movies.

SAFETY TOWN OPEN FOR BUSINESS:
There are still a few facades available in Warminster Parks & Recreation’s Safety Town at Warminster Community Park for a 5-year lease period. Business sponsorship is also being sought for recyclable benches, a shed for big-wheel/trike storage and a sunshade. If interested, contact the Parks & Recreation Department for more information.

Dog License and Bark Park Paw Passes
Annual Dog Licenses and Bark Park Paw Passes are available for purchase in the Parks & Recreation office, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Bark Park classes are now forming for new members and are available online until we can meet again in person. Check on line for more information: www.warminstertownship.org/barkpark.

parkandrecMemorial Bench & Memorial Tree Programs
Warminster Parks & Recreation recognizes the value of commemorating life experience. In response to many resident requests, the Township is proud to promote our memorial bench and tree programs. Throughout our community parks, newly planted trees and benches made from recycled plastics are being installed to provide comfort to park visitors to enjoy not only the shade but various views of our parks.  Click here to download the memorial tree form.

Today, many people buy a memorial gift of a bench to honor the memory of a lost relative, pet or fallen soldier or to celebrate a joyous occasion, accomplishment, family milestone or new addition.  Often they are placed in a park where relatives and friends can visit. If you enjoy a particular park and wish to place a lasting memorial, consider donating a bench or tree to the community. Click here to download the memorial bench form.

Weather Cancellations
For weather closings and program cancellations at the WREC, listen to KYW News Radio, 1060 AM, Fox 29 News or check Channels 22 or 45, or the Township website at www.warminstertownship.org. Just listen or watch for our name and message! We are unable to give refunds or credit for emergency or weather-related cancellations, or other circumstances beyond our control. However, we will make every possible attempt to reschedule the event.

Accessibility
Warminster Parks & Recreation recognizes the importance of recreation for everyone. Many of our facilities are barrier free. We will, to the best of our ability, adapt our parks, trips, and special events to make them accessible to persons with special needs. We invite physically challenged persons to let us know what kinds of adaptations we can make so that as many people as possible can enjoy quality leisure services.