The following Berks County Parks & Recreation programs are taking place in January:

Saturday, Jan. 10: Owl Prowl, 6 p.m. at the Berks County Heritage Center, Bern Township. Enjoy a moonlit stroll on the Union Canal trail while learning about owls. Free but registration required

Jan. 13: Trail Tales, 10 a.m., Heritage Center. Get wrapped up in a trail tale and discover plants and animal friends in the parks. Geared towards children ages 3-5. Free but registration required.

Jan. 14: Junk Journaling Part 1, 6 p.m.,  Heritage Center. Learn the art of junk journaling. Limited amounts of art materials are provided, but please bring your own book and any supplies you would like to include in your journal. Free but registration required.

Jan. 24: Snowshoeing Pennsylvania Trails,  2 p.m., Bethel Appalachian Trail: Meet at the Route 501 parking lot of the Appalachian Trail on Lancaster Avenue in Bethel. Join Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and county parks staff on an out-and-back snowshoe adventure. Learn tips, tricks and equipment notes. Bring your own snowshoes or reserve a pair ahead of time. In the event of lack of adequate snowpack, the group will hike on foot without snowshoes. Free but registration required.

Register for all programs at countyofberks.recdesk.com/Community/Program. Learn more by emailing LGauker@BerksPa.gov or calling 610-374-2944, extension 2611.

Antiques and appraisals

Chris Papadakis, antique dealer and appraiser, will present a program entitled “Antiques and Appraisals”, at the West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library, 101 Woodside Ave., West Lawn. on Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Included in the program will be a showing of 3D figures of Lester Breininger, well-known pottery maker. Free. Call the library at 610-678-4888 for more information.

Wyomissing Library

The Wyomissing Public Library will hold the first meetings of its Mystery Book Club on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 5 p.m. in the library, 9 Reading Blvd.

Led by William Bellows, the first discussion will focus on “Monks Hood” by Ellis Peters. Set in the 12th century, this is one of the Brother Cadfael Chronicles. Besides discussing this particular novel, the group will discuss what makes a compelling mystery, what defines one and if there are limits to the genre. Bring a list of your favorite mysteries to the meeting, which is free and open to the public..

On Saturday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m., the library presents “Is US Healthcare About to Fall off a Cliff?” with Dr. Charles Barbera and Dr. Mike Baxter. The physicians will talk about affordability, capability, lessons learned from COVID-19 and artificial intelligence’s impact on medicine. This program, the second in the library’s Community Conversation series, will be moderated by David Myers, senior fellow at the Berks County Community Foundation.

Barbera is the president and CEO of Reading Hospital. Baxter is the retired chair of the hospital’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.

The program is free and open to the public; registration is requested and may be done at www.wyopublib.org.

Art exhibition

The WCR Center for the Arts presents an exhibition of landscape paintings by artist Carol Fastuca on view through early February.

A gallery reception will take place on Friday, Jan. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the center, 140 N. Fifth St., prior to the Friends of Chamber Music concert featuring the Daedalus Quartet with pianist Matthew Bengtson starting at 7:30.

Colonial astronomy

To kick off America’s 250th anniversary, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace invite the public to join astronomer Rob Cordivari in an exploration of astronomy now and in Colonial times. Cordivari will provide a look at what the stars were at the dawn of the American Revolution as compared with what they are today.

The free program will be held at the Visitor Center Theatre at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Union Township beginning at 2 p.m.

Redistricting talk

The League of Women Voters of Berks County’s January BCTV program is on “Slaying the Gerrymander–Redistricting Reform in Pennsylvania.” The program premieres Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m. and has repeat airings each Tuesday in January. Watch live or streaming on bctv.org. Guests are Dennis Landon of Fair Districts PA and state Reps. Mark M. Gillen, Dave Zimmerman and Jacklyn Rusnock.

This program will be a conversation about why redistricting matters, why the current process is flawed and the possible creation of an Independent Redistricting Commission.

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