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FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS
Our Mission: Inspire Stewardship of Pennsylvania's State Parks and Forests

Milky Way Over the Lake - Black Moshannon State Park
Photo by Dan Yosua

We hope this email finds you well this Friday morning and inching ever closer to the top of the COVID-19 vaccination wait list. Bill has had both of his now with no ill effects beyond a slightly sore arm after the first one. I am awaiting my chance for the stick but am just a hair shy of the age limit for Phase 1a. Hard to reconcile being disappointed that I'm not 65 yet!

I can never resist those dark sky shots and this one by Dan Yosua is quite the thing, isn't it?

Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator
Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation

News of Note

Love a sense of humor, don't you? Then you'll enjoy, as we did, the blog post of Elysha, a/k/a Yard Sale and her take on the Mid State Trail. In fact, you'll undoubtedly enjoy most of the content of The Trek blog on which it appeared.

PPFF recently became an OFFICIAL Leave No Trace Community Partner, which means we spent a little time this week becoming familiar with some of the resources on the LNT webpages. Fascinating stuff - and if you have little ones to entertain and educate the Youth Partner content on the website has some great things. Check out the 100-inch hike created by the Sanborn Western Camps in Florissant, Colorado. It's one of a series of "Nature Nuggets" from the Camp.

Can't get enough of eagles? Elk? The Cameron County Conservation District and Pennsylvania's Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau have you covered with their new Cameron County Elk & Eagle Watching Guide - and a host of other free downloadables for your visit to the northern tier. VisitPAGO.com and check them out.

Speaking of blog posts, guest author Ryan Reed of the Bureau of Forestry shared some information with us on the prescribed burns you'll see happening in the Forest system this season. Counterintuitive as it may seem, wildlife like this rare and lovely Henslow's sparrow benefits from a controlled burn.

As we move closer to the statewide opening of trout season, I thought it was a good time to share what is still one of my favorite ever entries into the Parks & Forests Through the Seasons photo contest - this shot of a fisherman on Laurel Hill Creek by Stokes Clarke. It took my breath away the moment I opened the email and it still gets me every time. So. Here's to the fisherfolk. And it's this week's jigsaw.

Pictures of the Week

Lots of new members are joining the Exploring PA Parks and Forests Book of Faces nearly every day. And so we are getting lots of great new shots like this one by Michael Shertza of the Tunnel Trail at Lackawanna State Park. Noted there also the hard work of the volunteers like the Lackawanna State Park Trail Care Crew (a PPFF chapter) and the PA Interscholastic Mountain Biking group to care for the park's trails. Right on!

Can't wait for the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail to be as dry and the weather as sunny as in this shot of the bike trail at Swatara State Park from Greg Tremper. I know - it won't be long but the wheels are anxious. Ride on!

I have no answer for Jeremiah Gadsby's seemingly rhetorical question: "Isn't it crazy how the super sophisticated human needs a tool to cut down a tree, but a simple ol' beaver just needs a big set of chompers?" This one was busy indeed at M.K. Goddard State Park. Bite on!

This one comes from a series of shots taken by Sandy Ogozalek Britt at one-half of the newest group (as of last night) of PPFF friends group volunteers - Locust Lake State Park. With Tuscarora State Park sharing the focus, you are welcome to come along. Join in!

Where Are We?

Click for a larger view.

Take Five for Trivia

August 9, 2007 was a happy date on the environmental calendar. It was the date when eagles were officially deemed to be out of danger and delisted from the federal Endangered Species List, although they were (and continue to be) protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Act allows prosecution of anyone (other than specifically exempted indigenous people) who harms or kills or disturbs or molests a bald or golden eagle. And, no, you may not keep an eagle feather that falls from the sky. You would be hard-pressed to prove you came into its possession by something other than nefarious means.

For this week's quiz, name two examples of forest communities where prescribed burns help in their regeneration.

Enter each week to increase your chances of a fabulous prize at the end of the month when I'll draw one entry from all correct answers received during the month.

In Closing

Celebrating World Water Day on Monday with a cinquain. Thanks, Mary Ann, for the beautiful words. Send in your water inspiration to PAEnviroRights50@PAParksAndForests.org.

SUPPORT PPFF

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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