Stewardship

August 5, 2020

Allegheny woodrats: A Pennsylvania native

Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) have been present in Pennsylvania for millennia, occupying rocky outcrops along ridgetops and boulder fields throughout the Appalachians and Allegheny Plateau.

July 17, 2020

Allegheny National Forest opens new ‘Black Bear Trail’ on the Morrison Trail System

The Allegheny National Forest is proud to announce the opening of a new trail segment called the Black Bear Trail.

July 9, 2020

Katydids: Unforgettable Sounds of Summer

Ch-ch.  Ch-ch-ch. Ch-ch.  Ch-ch-ch.  And over and over again.  The noise begins just after dark and hails like a chorus from the treetops, and if you listen long enough, fades into the ambiance of the nighttime experience in Penn’s Woods. It's the katydids.

June 16, 2020

Pennsylvania Fireflies: Signals of Summer

June flashes in the night sky signal the arrival of summer. Did you know the firefly is designated as the state insect of Pennsylvania?

June 6, 2020

New website to help people protect state parks, forests

The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF), a non-profit with a mission geared towards Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, recently unveiled a new website --  ProtectOurParksandForests.org -- designed to help mobilize the public to protect state parks and forests.

May 22, 2020

Rushing to the Front Lines

If there is one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it is that we are all in this storm together. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry has had no shortage of heroes in this battle.

May 9, 2020

Take a Pass on Grass

The idea that homes be surrounded by expanses of lawn is older than America itself. Conversion of forests to lawns always results in a net loss of carbon-capturing capacity, biodiversity, and habitat for animals. Reducing acreage of lawn by planting native trees and wildflowers or growing a vegetable garden can have many benefits.

April 24, 2020

Of Earth and Trees

After many weeks of quarantine, it has never been clearer. Oh, how we need our earthly treasures! Our earth and trees do so much for us, but they need our help.

April 22, 2020

Earth Day and The Wilderness Act: Deep Roots in the Pennsylvania Wilds

It was 50 years ago, April 22, 1970, that our annual observance of Earth Day began with 20 million people demanding change for a cleaner, healthier, sustainable environment. However, there was another environmental movement underway long before that, beginning right here in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds, by Tionesta’s Howard Zahniser. He wrote the 1964 National Wilderness Act that directed Congress to establish and protect wilderness areas on national forest land.

April 17, 2020

Earth Day 2020: ‘It’s not a day, it’s a movement!’

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in the U.S.  This month, groups across the region, and across the world, were hoping to host a multitude of outdoor activities in honor of our planet -- until the coronavirus forced their cancellation.  But a cursory look at the Internet promises that a major global event will take place across our digital platforms from April 22nd to 24th. The three-day mobilization to address the climate emergency will include teach-ins, musical performances, community building, story-telling, voter registration, and multiple opportunities for engagement.