Economic Development

March 13, 2024

Want to test out living in the PA Wilds? Applications open for Wilds Are Working in Saint Marys and Williamsport

For two years now, remote workers from all over the world have applied for the chance to temporarily live in the beautiful Pennsylvania Wilds, in a program called “The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience.” Now in its third year of the three-year grant-funded program, the Wilds Are Working is offering yet another two host communities where remote workers can apply for an opportunity to test-drive living in the PA Wilds: Saint Marys and Williamsport.

August 30, 2023

Remote workers welcomed to Warren as part of the Wilds Are Working

This August, as part of the Wilds Are Working: Remote Lifestyle Experience, four individuals and their families with the capabilities to work remotely are immersing themselves in Pennsylvania Wilds life. Visiting from three states in addition to Pennsylvania, these remote workers are trying out what it really means to live, work, and play in Warren — in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds Landscape of the PA Wilds. 

August 14, 2023

Full Circle Bioconversion uses fly larvae to transform food scraps

Have you ever seen food waste literally disappear as it's digested by larvae? Full Circle Bioconversion is food recycling service that uses black soldier fly larvae to create compost, dried larvae and frass. It serves Lycoming County, and owner Aubrey Fornwalt collaborates with many businesses around the area to reduce their waste!

August 4, 2023

2023 PA Wilds Champions receive awards at July 27 dinner

On July 27, the eleven recipients of the 2023 Champions of the Pennsylvania Wilds Awards were recognized for their efforts to help grow and sustainably develop the region’s outdoor recreation economy and nature tourism.  Approximately 200 people from across the 13-county PA Wilds region and Harrisburg gathered to celebrate the award winners during the 2023 PA Wilds Dinner & Awards, held at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County. The event is organized by the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. (PA Wilds Center) and the PA Wilds Planning Team, and the theme for this year’s dinner was “Celebrating Decades of Conservation and Innovation.”

July 19, 2023

Welcoming the 2023 Wilds Are Working participants to Cameron County 

What would you do with the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new community to live and work remotely for an entire month? This month in Cameron County, as part of the Wilds Are Working: Remote Lifestyle Experience, five individuals and their families are doing just that. They’ll learn all about small-town living, easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities, and find out if a rural lifestyle is for them in the Pennsylvania Wilds region. 

July 12, 2023

What you should know about the Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience

The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience initiative seeks to raise awareness about the PA Wilds being a great place for remote and non-remote workers to live, work, and play. Communities apply to be a part of the program, and two communities are chosen each year to host up to six remote workers, allowing the participants to “test drive” what it’s like to fully immerse themselves in the PA Wilds and live in a rural community. So what should applicants, residents, business owners and community members know about the Wilds Are Working?

May 24, 2023

Planning a trip to the PA Grand Canyon? Here’s what you need to know for summer 2023

While the Pine Creek Valley and the PA Grand Canyon landscape within the PA Wilds region will be just as picturesque as ever, ongoing renovations at one of the state parks mean that you’ll want to see the views of the PA Grand Canyon from a different perspective this year. You’ll also need to visit the PA Wilds Conservation Shop mobile unit in a new location for this summer if you’re looking to pick up some special souvenirs to celebrate your trip.

May 16, 2023

The Wilds are Working is back in 2023: See the small towns poised to transform WFH culture

In 2022, The Wilds are Working was unveiled as a chance for remote workers to experience life in a charming downtown in Pennsylvania’s Wilds while enjoying outdoor adventure, all while working remotely. The opportunity provided paid housing and a stipend for local experiences that ranged from dining to recreation. More than that, it created the chance for remote workers to visualize their life in a place where livability, outdoor recreation, and close communities lived hand in hand. After two successful experiences in Bellefonte and Kane, The Wilds are Working is back in 2023 with opportunities in Emporium and Warren.

April 13, 2023

Test out living in the PA Wilds this summer for free

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the PA Wilds? Are you paying rent in a large city but you have a remote job and are thinking, “Why should I live here when I could do this job from anywhere?” If you live outside of the PA Wilds but want to “test drive” what it’s like to live there, you have the opportunity to apply for The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience. After a successful pilot program in 2022, remote workers have the chance to apply to test out living in two new communities for 2023. Those communities will be Emporium and Warren.

March 15, 2023

Emporium and Warren will host remote workers in 2023 Wilds Are Working initiative

If you live outside of the PA Wilds but want to "test drive" what it's like to live here, you have the opportunity to apply for The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience. The 2023 communities are Emporium (Cameron County) and Warren (Warren County). Applications open on March 15 and are due by May 3, available at WildsAreWorking.com.