Today's Fridays will be short and sweet, because we are pretty sure there are a lot of four day weekends taking place right now. 

The masthead is from this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by photographer Michael M. Santiago. Pittsburgh doing at the Point what Pittsburgh loves to do any ol' time of the year!

Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator

News of Note

As you know, it has been SO wet and there has been so much rain again that in spite of the increasing heat and the desire to hit the beach, it's a good idea to check with your favorite park to make sure the beaches are open. Pymatuning State Park posted to Facebook on July 3 that Linesville Beach was closed due to high e.coli. Other places may be experiencing other problems so a quick check before you go might save frustration later.

A favorite subject around here is the health benefits of being outside. This recent podcast from Outside magazine further explores the trend of doctors "prescribing" nature for their patients and the, yes, insurance companies embracing the idea. The entire Nature Cure series from Outside is pretty interesting. Read it/listen to it ... outside!

Quick reminder to join Colonel Denning State Park and the Friends of Colonel Denning on Friday, July 12 to reopen the bathhouse and beach at an official ribbon-cutting beginning at 10:00 AM.

At Work and Play in the State Parks and Forests

The calendar is truly packed now. This is just a sample!

NORTH	SOUTH
For anyone who can't get enough of old fashioned fun, R.B. WINTER STATE PARK has just the ticket with their annual Old Fashioned 4th of July. Who's up for a sack race? Tomorrow at the ball field.	One of the most dazzling events on the always packed calendar from the FRIENDS OF PRINCE GALLITZIN is the Children's Decorated Bike Parade. Saturday morning in Crooked Run Campground - come and see the creative kids!
EAST	WEST
How far and how fast do you hike? Learn "ranger beads" skills to Find Your Pace at HICKORY RUN STATE PARK'S temporary amphitheater on Sunday morning. .	Tomorrow morning take a North Woods Walk (5.5 miles) in the FORBES STATE FOREST. Please contact Rachael to register at 724.259.2201.

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Calling all Berks Countians. The Friends of Nolde Forest could use a boost to their web presence. If you are a visitor to this environmental education gem and can share photos and snippets of what's happening, it will go a long way to enhancing the group's profile. Contact Chair Jen Stinson to volunteer.

These and other fun events and fulfilling volunteer opportunities can be found on the PPFF events calendar and DCNR Calendar of Events. Bookmark them and you'll never miss the boat (or hike or festival).

Picture of the Week

This fun photo comes courtesy of the Lackawanna State Park Trail Care Crew who used it to illustrate that they "wheelie need your support" in their fundraising campaign for tools and trail care materials. Clever!

Take Five for Trivia

As I mentioned last week, a rather random news article about "Thunder Beings" or "Pèthakhuweyok" caught my eye and prompted my question about what the living embodiment (perhaps) of these First Nations rulers of the sky, the thunder, the winds and the lightning might be. The article in question rather poetically likened the black wings, golden beak, and white head and tail of the Pèthakhuweyok to the bald eagle.

Congratulations to Becky G, our randomly selected June winner.

To start off our next round of trivia, we are all in agreement (I think) that spending time outdoors is good for our health. Recently "how much time" has been quantified in an Official Scientific Study. Heaven knows what constitutes "enough" is open to personal interpretation; however, what result did this study determine is the minimum for achieving "better health?"

Send in your answer and we'll enter your correct response into our monthly prize drawing. All correct answers each week will go into the hat and at the end of the month we'll draw one lucky winner. The more correct answers you submit in a month (up to four or the occasional five depending on the month), the more chances you'll have to win.

In closing

It's #CleanBeachesWeek through Sunday.

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.

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a proud member of Earth Share and 1% for the Planet and is a Gold GuideStar participant.