Please note that the Friends of Ohiopyle's Winterfest scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled due to lack of winter. Gray and rainy do not a sledding hill make.
 The need for our Year of the Trees fundraising and educational campaign is so depressingly illustrated by yet another picture of what emerald ash borer does to our ash trees, weakening them from within. Facebook friend Lynda noted that "Ash buds are covered in the finest soft black satiny skin. One of the small and lovely sights of Spring that few of us will ever see in the future."
We do hope she's wrong. A study published in Science News Daily in September relates the existence of a plantation of ash trees on the Penn State campus which may provide genetic material for a stronger ash tree, destined to foil the ash borer in the end. Planted in the 1970s by Kim Steiner, Professor of Biology at PSU and director of the University's Arboretum, this once impressive 1,700+ plantation was, as of the article's writing, down to 13 specimens. But this lucky 13 HAS survived, providing researchers a means for identifying what might have allowed them to survive the punishing onslaught.
Dr. Steiner's assistant, Lake Graboski, noted "Dr. Steiner planted those ash trees long before I was born, and the ultimate fate of the ash species may not be decided in my lifetime because the trees must evolve to survive attacks by the invasive beetles."
"That is just the reality of working with trees."
Can you think of a better illustration of the adage, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is NOW?"
The Year of the Trees campaign is designed to support efforts to raise the money needed to replace trees that are removed because of things like the ash borer, or storm damage, etc. - and also to help to raise a new Volunteer Tree Army ("Roosevelt's Tree Army" being the historic nickname given to the CCC back in the 1930s). Part of that VTA could go to work in the Tioga State Forest. Check out this Facebook post for information on caring for young trees in the Ansonia area.
And because we all could use a chuckle every now and then, check out the post "For the Love of God, Don't Wear Heels" by hiker Christine Klocek-Lim. I've seen some weird stuff out there, too; funny that she and I share a tropical bird in the outdoors story. |
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Did you have a chance to visit 
As I was writing this on Wednesday word came that the Lackawanna River has been named our 2020 River of the Year. Congratulations! Keep an eye on the 
