Stewardship

September 4, 2024

Smokey Bear turned 80 years old!

If you think you’re getting old, look no further than our beloved Smokey Bear for affirmation. On August 9th, 2024, Smokey turned 80 years old! So to recognize his birthday, I thought I’d recount his distinguished career and update his enduring message during this year of extreme wildfire behavior and unprecedented warm temperatures. If you were born after 1940 or so, Smokey Bear has been around as long as you can remember. Whether you first saw him strutting in a parade, campaigning on TV, or posing for one of his many posters, Smokey has had a full life campaigning against the dangers of wildfire.

August 30, 2024

Forest Fridays: Roadside treasures

On a late summer day in Sproul State Forest, a colleague and I were monitoring for invasive plants from a vehicle along some state forest roads. We slowly drove with windows down and eyes peeled for invasive species that don’t belong. Oftentimes, due to previous disturbance, these species have taken hold and we do everything in our power to rapidly eradicate them. Although we often find what we don’t want to see, it is amazing how this level of scrutiny reveals many hidden native plant surprises.

August 23, 2024

Forest Fridays: The Incident Management Team response in Westfield, PA

The worst of the remnants of Hurricane Debby passed through Pennsylvania on Friday, August 9, 2024. Although much of the Commonwealth received some much-needed rain, other areas received too much in too short a time. Such was the case in the Cowanesque Valley in northern Tioga County, where four to six inches of rain triggered massive flooding, wiping out homes, businesses, and turning life upside down for many in the town of Westfield (population approximately 1,200).

August 16, 2024

Resources for visitors and residents in PA Wilds communities impacted by flooding

Remnants from Hurricane Debby brought severe rain and flooding to much of the Pennsylvania Wilds region, especially the northeastern section that includes Tioga, Potter, and Lycoming Counties. Learn how you can get keep up-to-date about advisories and recommendations, as well as how you can find resources if you were affected by flooding or how you can donate to those in need.

August 2, 2024

BIRD LORE: Birding for Beginners – A Gateway to Nature and Adventure

I was standing along Pine Creek at 7:15 a.m.; the light was exquisite, the birds were singing their morning songs, and I was chatting with another photographer. As both of us visited, two birds flew over and into the trees behind us. Their quick flash of color and movement caught our attention. One was yellow olive in color; the other was bright red with black wings. My friend turned to me in surprise. “What was THAT?”

July 8, 2024

Habitat rehabilitation partnership in Allegheny National Forest is a win for wildlife

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service recently partnered with multiple organizations to rehabilitate and enhance existing wildlife habitat in the Allegheny National Forest. On Saturday, June 1, 2024, three dozen participants worked in the Farnsworth watershed to improve wildlife habitat by restoring fencing, installing bird boxes, and planting trees and shrubs.

July 5, 2024

The rare beauty of synchronous fireflies and the PA Firefly Festival

Imagine this: as you’re camping in the middle of a dark forest, you spot something unusual - a series of twinkling lights that are all in sync with one another, appearing like a string of Christmas lights or an eerie almost-sentient creature flashing out a message. As strange as it might seem, this is the Photinus Carolinus firefly, a type of Synchronous Firefly. Synchronous species of fireflies are rare, so rare that they can only be seen in a handful of places around the world… including the Pennsylvania Wilds.

May 31, 2024

Forest Fridays: Cicadas

The appearance of the periodical cicada (genus Magicicada) is an extraordinary event that can evoke feelings of wonder. Their choruses that dominate the soundscape certainly remind us to pay attention to our oft-ignored six-legged neighbors. Endemic to eastern North America, these cicadas occur in distinct broods with 13-year or 17-year life cycles. As if by magic, periodical cicadas suddenly materialize in a synchronous mass emergence, take flight on glittering, orange-veined wings, and sing in an exuberant ensemble just before a final disappearing act. Except for the occasional straggler, they are not heard again for well over a decade.

May 21, 2024

Urban Connections – Allegheny National Forest offers overnight backpacking experiences

For those who live in places like Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, the Allegheny National Forest can be a daunting place to take a first backpacking trip. The forest is a far cry from city life… trees as tall as buildings, the constant songs of birds or chittering of squirrels, roots and rocks for your feet to navigate, and inky-black darkness at night. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service offered its first Urban Connections backpacking program at Allegheny National Forest in 2023, and they plan to offer several more similar programs in 2024. 

May 9, 2024

Volunteers stop the spread of invasive garlic mustard in Allegheny National Forest

Community volunteers helped with the  successful removal of invasive plants from the Allegheny National Forest with help, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. On Thursday, April 25, 2024, a group of seven volunteers removed 24 lawn bags full of garlic mustard from the Buckaloons Recreation Area at the forest’s annual garlic mustard pull.