STUDENT REPORTER: The Northwestern Press is looking for a student reporter for Northwestern Lehigh High School. The reporter would be responsible for a news column once a month. This is a paid position. Interested journalists should respond to gtaylor@tnonline.com.

DEAN’S LIST: Talha Ali of Breinigsville was named to the dean’s list at Elmira College for the fall 2025 term. The dean’s list recognizes full-time undergraduate students who were registered for at least 12 computable credit hours and who earned a term grade-point average of 3.6 or higher.

FAFSA WORKSHOP: The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is hosting several free webinars to assist college-bound students and their families in correctly completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

All students and contributors (such as parents and spouses) must establish their StudentAid.gov Account (FSA ID) at StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account before attending a FAFSA completion workshop. Attendees should visit the PHEAA website before attending an event to determine who should create a StudentAid.gov Account.

PHEAA Access Partners will present an overview of the 2026-27 FAFSA process to guide students and families through a step-by-step process of filing the FAFSA and PA State Grant applications. You can register for these webinars at pheaa.org/virtual.

Jan. 14 and March 11, both from 6–7 p.m.

PHEAA Access Partners will provide one-on-one support with completing the 2026-27 FAFSA. This is especially helpful for families with unique circumstances. Sessions are approximately 30 minutes long. Registration is required for these events as space is limited.

Jan. 22 and April 21, both from 5-7 p.m. You must register for these sessions.

PHEAA also provides free FAFSA resources online and offers a free FAFSA toolkit to aid counselors and partners in assisting students and families with FAFSA completion.

WRITERS WORKSHOP: Registration for the 2026 Write Stuff Writers’ Conference, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group is open. One of the premier writing events in the area, the conference welcomes writers in all genres, at all levels of publication, from unpublished to several writing credits. The conference will be held on March 12-14, 2026, at Homewood Suites Center Valley, 3350 Center Parkway, Center Valley. Early Bird prices are available through Jan. 15, 2026. Conference registration deadline is March 1, 2026, or until the hotel’s maximum capacity has been reached. New York Times-bestselling author Kristin Bair is the keynote speaker and main presenter. Bair will be presenting two half-day workshops as well as a breakout session on Saturday.

Recorded sessions will be available for a limited time after the event for those who cannot attend the conference. Registered conferees under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, with separate registration. For a complete schedule, list of presenters, and rate schedule, visit glvwg.org.

HAWK MOUNTAIN

APPALACHIAN WINTER ECOLOGY WORKSHOP: Taught by Dr. Dan Ardia, professor of biology at Franklin and Marshall College. This 3-day workshop will explore Hawk Mountain’s winter wildlife and how plants and other wildlife adapt to this critical life cycle period 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 2026. There is a cost and registration is required to attend this program. For more information or to register go to hawkmountain.org.

LEHIGH GAP

BIRD COUNT: Join the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society in partnership with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center for their 12th annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 10, 2026, at Muhlenberg College, Allentown. CBC4Kids is a fun introduction to birding that teaches kids ages 6-12 and their families. Participants will learn how to use binoculars, identify common birds, collect scientific data and form teams and conduct a bird count in a nearby park. After an hour of birding, everyone will reconvene to tally up the data and share their discoveries. Participants are encouraged to stick around for a tour of the Muhlenberg College bird museum. To register, visit https://bit.ly/CBC4Kids.

SENIORS GROUP: Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, has formed a new group for nature-minded seniors. They seek to bring together LGNC members for fellowship and conversations about nature, conservation, and other topics. Each session will include coffee/tea, refreshments, and a time for socializing. This will be followed by a brief presentation about a topic of interest and an open forum discussion among the group members. The sessions will be held in the Great Hall at the Osprey House on the second Monday of each month from 9-10:30 a.m.

SPEAKER SERIES: Join LGNC staff on select Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. through March to learn about local history and ecology, conservation initiatives, and more. There is a suggested donation per person for nonmembers. For more information or to register, go to https://lgnc.org, email mail@lgnc.org or call 610-760-8889.

ECOLOGY CLUB: LGNC’s Ecology Club is back for the 2025-26 school year! Children ages 9 and older are invited to meet from 4:15-5:15 p.m. at the Osprey House on the first Wednesday of every month until June 3 for fun, hands-on nature adventures. Participation is free to all LGNC members and their families, and no registration is required. Email riley.davenport@lgnc.org if you have any questions.

BOOK CLUB: The Cabin Fever Book Club meets once a month from 10 a.m. to noon during the fall and winter months to discuss books on ecology, environmental history, and environmentalism. The book list for 2026 is “The Comfort of Crows” by Margaret Renkl for Jan. 15, “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge for Feb. 19 and “Tip of the Iceberg” by Mark Adams for March 19. Books are available at the Palmerton and Slatington libraries, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, or on Amazon for purchase. For more information, email mail@lgnc.org.