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704 Lisburn Road | Suite 102 | Camp Hill, PA 17011 | 717.236.7644

As we prepare the February Tidbits, snow is falling all across the Commonwealth. I'm not sure the groundhog is going to get out of his burrow tomorrow, much less see a shadow. 

We send out a big "thank you" to all the chapters who have already submitted their annual report. If yours is not in the stack yet, perhaps you can take a snowy afternoon and finish it up. Pam has updated the Conflict of Interest statement to a fillable pdf for the new website. In the meantime, here it is if this is among your outstanding tasks. The plan is to make the entire annual report "fillable" by next year as well as put it into a form that can be completed right on the new website. Progress!

Yours in the Outdoors,

 
Training

Fundraiser Chad is back with another year of great free webinars for you. You can also always find lots of free information on his website, ProductiveFundraising.com

Coming up this month:

Finding Your Social Media Sweet Spot
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, CFRE, for a workshop focused on utilizing social media to boost nonprofit fundraising.  Chad will provide tips to center your messaging with a focus on telling the right stories, in the right format, on the right channel.

2/22 @ 1pm (eastern)

Registration Link = https://productivefundraising.com/event/finding-your-social-media-sweet-spot-free-webinar-2/
Do

As a reminder, COVID numbers continue to influence what we are able to do as friends and volunteers, including how we meet. Please continue to meet via electronic communication until you can meet in person again. If you need assistance setting up a zoom meeting for your chapter, please reach out to Pam.
 
As I am sure you are aware, the following guidelines are in place for DCNR through at least March 31:
 
All in-person programs, services, and trainings with the public are cancelled at least through March 31, 2021.

This cancellation includes all State Park and Forestry-hosted events and festivals. Virtual programs will be offered during this time.  

Visitor centers exhibit halls and interpretive areas will remain closed at least through March 31, 2021.

Effective immediately, external third-party organized events and activities with an approved agreement may continue to take place using the most up-to-date gathering limits as determined by the DOH’s maximum occupancy calculator. Future updates to this calculator will be distributed to park managers and district foresters to review and make the proper adjustments.

Any third-party event or organized activity requiring the presence of DCNR staff will not be permitted to take place during this timeframe.
Know

Thanks to the Friends of Pinchot for requesting the addition of a "I am interested in volunteering" checkbox on their online donation form. Pam is in the process of adding that to everyone's forms with a corresponding "x" in a new column in your online report called "Volunteer Interest." 

Hopefully you've seen (in fact, many of you have already shared on your social media), the polling data surrounding the importance of the outdoors during the pandemic. Certainly, the fact that numbers are up and more people are "around" than ever before is not a surprise. Still, the polling results make very interesting reading and will be used extensively as we message about the importance of parks and forests in the upcoming budget negotiations. Because, yes, the Keystone and Environmental Stewardship funds are once again threatened. Feel free to copy and use this infographic and the others created by DCNR featured on their Facebook page

Share 

Another tidbit worth sharing is the message of the impact of park and forest infrastructure improvements on local economies. The Good-Natured blog on DCNR's website features the impact of construction of a new ranger station at Forbes State Forest's Mount Davis Natural Area. Likewise, PPFF Sarah has conducted some interviews of local business owners near various parks about the increase in business they've seen as more and more people come to their parks. The resulting fact sheets will be included on our new website and appear as entries on the News page of the PPFF website.
Share - Part 2

As noted in last month's Tidbits, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Environmental Rights Amendment to Pennsylvania's Constitution. To that end our photo contest will be an interpretation of the amendment and we will have monthly opportunities for people to contribute poems, short essays, imagery, etc. Please help to spread the work about these opportunities by reposting our social media posts or sharing items that appear in Take Five.
 
On a more somber front, as noted above, bills have already been introduced that would remove the special funds necessary for maintenance in our state parks and forests. Please keep an eye on our legislative tracker at the Take Action page of our website. If there is action needed, we will let you know. For those of you who may have a new member of the PA General Assembly, consider sharing with them information about your park/forest and why these special funds are important. You find our letters and an op/ed from just last November on the News page of our website. 
RESOURCE REMINDER

The PPFF website is a great source of information and guidance with forms you can use and information you should know. Bookmark
 Friends Resources for handy reference.

Please get in touch with any of us if you need help:
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