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<p>A plentiful variety of decorating accessories are available in nature if you know where to find them, according to members of the Bear Creek Preserve. On Sunday about thirty nature-lovers along with professional artists and organizers gathered for their third Natural Creations Workshop event to learn about how to decorate for the holidays using what is already all around us.</p><p>BEAR CREEK &#8212; Abundant &#8220;artistic value&#8221; is available in the forest, according to Charlene Wildes.</p><p>As the Bear Creek Preserve&#8217;s naturalist and environmental educator, Wildes talked about how a walk through the forest can be like shopping for art supplies for someone who knows how to search.</p><p>&#8220;Most people who walk through the forest don&#8217;t see the vast variety of textures and shapes in nature all around us. free of charge,&#8221; Wildes said. &#8220;Even pine cones come in many different sizes and shapes,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Participants in a Natural Creations Workshop on Sunday at the preserve created wreaths, centerpieces and other decorations using what would normally be put out for disposal, Wildes said. They made table arrangements, gift tags, ornaments and more.</p><p>With the some help from the artists and each other, they adorned vases and pots with various vines, cones and seed pods adding paint, ribbon and glitter to make colorful decorations for the upcoming holidays, she said.</p><p>A little creative imagination resulted in artwork comparable to anything found in the stores. Given the same items to work with, each participant produced a unique and attractive display.</p><p>In addition to the creating, participants get to have some fun and enjoy the social interaction. Each year, the workshop attracts a group of repeat attenders who like interacting with each other and nature.</p><p>Josh Saltmer, manager for the Natural Lands Trust&#8217;s Bear Creek Preserve, said the workshop fits in with the land trust&#8217;s overarching message of reducing waste and working to benefit the environment.</p><p>&#8220;All of the decorations made are compostable,&#8221; Saltmer said. &#8220;Everything goes back to the earth, unlike the decorations purchased from the stores that end up eventually in the landfills.&#8221;</p><p>The land trust seeks to promote any type of activity that enhances environmental sustainability, he added. Making decorations from nature is a good example of using a hands-on approach for that objective, he said.</p><p>The members of the land trust offer an open invitation for anyone interested in taking a self-guided hike to explore the preserve, Saltmer said. With more than 3,400 acres of forest and streams, the Bear Creek Preserve is larger than many state parks and provides local beauty and habitat, he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Pattie Delevan and her daughter Nichole Delevan of Forty Fort work on making a couple of wreaths made from natural materials collected from the forest during a Natural Creations Workshop held at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon.  Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pattie Delevan and her daughter Nichole Delevan of Forty Fort work on making a couple of wreaths made from natural materials collected from the forest during a Natural Creations Workshop held at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon.  Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Eileen Blazie, of Drums, decorates a sleigh with natural materials collected from the forest. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Eileen Blazie, of Drums, decorates a sleigh with natural materials collected from the forest. </caption1><photoCredit1>Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop3-Copy.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Workshop attendees use natural materials collected from the forest to make wreaths and other decorations during a Natural Creations Workshop held at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon.  Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop3-Copy.jpg</photo2><caption2>Workshop attendees use natural materials collected from the forest to make wreaths and other decorations during a Natural Creations Workshop held at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon.  Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2>Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A workshop attendee crafts a decorative wreath. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop3.jpg</photo3><caption3>A workshop attendee crafts a decorative wreath. </caption3><photoCredit3>Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Workshop attendees use natural materials collected from the forest to make wreaths and other decorations during a Natural Creations Workshop at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716workshop4.jpg</photo4><caption4>Workshop attendees use natural materials collected from the forest to make wreaths and other decorations during a Natural Creations Workshop at Bear Creek Preserve Sunday afternoon. </caption4><photoCredit4>Clark Van Orden | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ralph Nardone</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Workshop participants create decorations from nature at Bear Creek Preserve