Culture

September 23, 2024

Silver in the Pennsylvania Wilds

Fifteen years ago, I was asked to do a research job that involved lost deposits of silver in Clinton County. I looked into it and discovered that it was plausible, though I didn’t personally find any silver (you’ll notice I still have to work for a living). Recent discoveries have reopened that research job for me, and I’ve spent part of the summer again looking into the possibility of undiscovered silver within the Pennsylvania Wilds.

September 3, 2024

A Watershed Moment: Among the Flowers

Among the flowers and weeds, somewhere in between, is where I sit; hidden under their leaves and holding onto their stems. With whom do I belong? For which one am I? Read this poem about being among the flowers in nature, written by Laurie Barrett for The Watershed Journal.

August 28, 2024

A haunted tour of Lock Haven in the I-80 Frontier

I’ve been working with my current PA Wilds editor, Britt Madera, for a few years now. She’s been a great editor and I enjoy working with her, so when she asked for a haunted tour of Lock Haven, I immediately agreed. She didn’t just ask me randomly - I give tours of Lock Haven all the time. It’s one of the things I’m good at.

August 12, 2024

Creators in the Wilds

Driving through the scenic Pennsylvania Wilds is an incredible experience all on its own, but once you pick up a camera, you begin to notice all of the small breathtaking details all around you. We’ve come to learn that we should always have a camera in hand and ready, because you never know when you’ll come across a moment you want to document.

August 9, 2024

How Cora Brooks saved lives at Austin Dam

A new interpretive panel near Austin Dam tells the story of how one incredible woman, Cora Brooks, spread the word of the breaking of the Bayless Paper Mill Dam - saving lives of many of those in the path of destruction. The Austin Dam Memorial Association worked with the Lumber Heritage Region and their local Scout Club to install and unveil the Cora Brooks / Bayless Paper Mill sign at the Austin Dam Memorial Park.

August 6, 2024

A Watershed Moment: Dedicated Rocks

There once was a man made of water. Like rivers and streams he was swept to the tide. He flowed to the sea, he flowed to the sea, to forces and figures much greater than he. Read this poem about Scripture Rocks in Brookville, written by Jessica Cichocki Weible for The Watershed Journal.

July 31, 2024

“Where are the Totally Ninja Raccoons?”: Bookstore offers community-wide hunt in Wellsboro

For the fifth year in a row, From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro, the local bookstore owned by author Kevin Coolidge, is hosting the “Where Are the Totally Ninja Raccoons?” hunt throughout the community. The raccoons will be hiding in 25 area businesses during the month of August.

July 17, 2024

Get the picture? Outdoor photo advice from the PA Wilds’ photo pros

You gotta love Facebook and Instagram for the endless supply of picture-perfect photos of the vast Pennsylvania Wilds. Opening my phone or laptop every morning provides a daily diet of beautiful pictures from all over the Wilds. Some images come from the pros, while most others come from amateur photographers like you and me. 

July 2, 2024

A Watershed Moment: How The Watershed Journal uplifts and empowers local literary arts

The Watershed Journal Literary Group is an autonomous, grassroots, charitable nonprofit literary organization located in the I-80 Frontier Landscape of the PA Wilds serving storytellers in western Pennsylvania. On the first Tuesday of each month, the Wilds Are Calling blog on PAWilds.com will feature one story and its related image from an edition of The Watershed Journal. This once-a-month feature is called A Watershed Moment, highlighting the talented writers and artisans in our rural PA Wilds region.

June 19, 2024

More than a market – An inside look at buying local food at farmers markets

With the idea of summertime fresh on our minds, many of us find ourselves daydreaming of the glorious days ahead. For some this might mean trips to greenhouses, maybe planting a garden or getting some of those renovations knocked off of that to-do list. For many, this is market season. Weekly farmers markets have forever served as the direct connection between producer and consumer.