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November 19, 2024

How to get kids started with fishing

When my wife was pregnant with our first child, friends told me my life was going to change in ways I wouldn’t always appreciate. Sure, many things would change for the better, and my life would no doubt be full of the joys of parenthood, but what they really meant was that I wouldn’t be able to fish as much as usual – if at all. I didn’t listen, of course. Fishing was a huge part of my childhood and is a cornerstone of my adult life, and more than anything in the world, I looked forward to someday sharing the outdoors with my kids.

November 18, 2024

Things we’re thankful for in the PA Wilds

The Thanksgiving season reminds us of the things for which we are grateful: family, friends, health, prosperity, creative endeavors and the awe-inspiring landscape that surrounds us. Our Pennsylvania Wilds region gives us plenty to give thanks for, especially with its rich history and endless variety of natural beauty. Let’s take a moment and remember the things we are much thankful for in the PA Wilds!

November 15, 2024

Forest Fridays: Thank a veteran and thank a forestry veteran

Veterans Day calls on us to thank the members of our community that defend our American way of life. This Veterans Day we honor all the veterans who have served in our armed forces and the forests of the Commonwealth with a brief history of World War I and how it affected Pennsylvania’s forestry professionals. 

November 13, 2024

Pennsylvania Wildlife Habitat Unlimited: Stewards rebuilding in the PA Wilds

The Pennsylvania Wildlife Habitat Unlimited (PWHU) is an amazing group dedicated to protecting, enhancing, restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat in north central PA, established almost 40 years ago. One of our marquee events is the annual Adopt-A-Stream restoration project on Medix Run in Elk County. Medix Run is an incredibly picturesque stream in north central PA, located in Medix Run, within the Township of Benezette. But sadly, this year’s Adopt-A-Stream will be dramatically different due to recent flooding damage.

November 11, 2024

A hidden cost of our wild places – A few true stories in honor of Veteran’s Day

Writer Jim Hyland shares stories of the price just a few of our fellow Pennsylvanians paid for the lifestyle we enjoy. But there are many others. Some stories are still unfolding today overseas, and many are gone without ever having been told. Hyland's Uncle Elwood didn’t tell his until his last years. We’ve all heard the cliché “freedom isn’t free”, but all Americans must continue to understand these simple words. The next time you’re out in our forests, remember that the solitude, beauty, serenity, and peace you feel was, and is presently paid for with the strength, sweat, bravery, and blood of those of our society who defend our great country with their lives.

November 8, 2024

BIRD LORE: Keeping an eye on the sparrow

On Seven Mountains Audubon’s October bird walk just outside the Pennsylvania Wilds, I was thrilled to spot four birds I wouldn’t have noticed or identified without the help of more experienced birders: a Red-shouldered hawk, a Yellow-rumped warbler, and two Nashville warblers. Always eager to see less-familiar birds, I’m grateful to those who can spot and identify them better than I. But of the thirty species tallied that day, the one that delighted me most was one I heard but didn’t see: a White-throated sparrow, calling somewhere in the tall grasses: “Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody!”

November 7, 2024

Jimmy Carter in the PA Wilds

On October 1st, 2024, Jimmy Carter turned one hundred years old. Carter, former president and humanitarian, is respected for plenty of reasons. Many people believe he was a good president, and his work since with Habitat For Humanity has been notable. He served in the Navy, and was governor of Georgia. And in the Pennsylvania Wilds, he is respected for having once stayed in the I-80 Frontier. In fact, he stayed in Clinton County for a short time, and has since said that Lock Haven is one of his favorite places in the world.

November 4, 2024

Hickory Creek Wilderness in ANF celebrates 40th anniversary

Happy 40th anniversary to Hickory Creek Wilderness in the Allegheny National Forest! The USDA Forest Service, which oversees the Allegheny National Forest and other national forest areas throughout the country, announced the 40th anniversary of the designation of Hickory Creek Wilderness as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System on October 30, 1984. Located near Tidioute, Warren County, the wilderness protects 9,337 acres of heavily forested area home to black cherry, oak, beech, birch, and eastern hemlock trees. Two major creeks run through the wilderness, East Hickory and Middle Hickory.

October 31, 2024

Ghosts of the PA Wilds: A Haunted Publication in the Dark Skies

If you’re looking for interesting haunted stories in the Dark Skies landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds, you should look at the books of Robert Lyman. In the early 1970s, he wrote two books about legends mostly in Potter County: Forbidden Land and Amazing Indeed. Both of them contain multiple chapters with ghosts, UFOs, ancient curses, and other interesting legends. And, evidently, one of the books seems to have been haunted during publication.

October 30, 2024

Nominations for 2025 PA Trail of the Year due by November 1

Pennsylvanians now have the opportunity to nominate their favorite trail for the 2025 Trail of the Year through the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Nominations are due by November 1, 2024.