Stewardship

September 19, 2019

Camera Trap Chronicles: The Pennsylvania Wilds

Staff at The Nature Conservancy monitors wildlife in the Pennsylvania Wilds by utilizing game camera traps on the West Branch Forest Preserve, a 3,000-acre preserve in northcentral Pennsylvania. The cameras caught images of fishers, wood rats, bears and much more!

September 13, 2019

Streetscape project in Bradford a boost for economic development

In Bradford, one of the northern gateways to The Pennsylvania Wilds, local leaders are taking major steps to improve the façade of the downtown while preserving the historic architecture that so many small towns within the Wilds adore. 

August 31, 2019

Maple sugaring at Parker Dam State Park

March is maple sugaring season at Parker Dam State Park in northern Clearfield County near Penfield, PA, part of the Pennsylvania Wilds Elk Country landscape.  Throughout the month, park staff explain what is so special about making pure maple syrup in the park.  You can schedule an informative session today!

August 4, 2019

Two State Parks to host Sustainability Fairs August 7-8

Parker Dam and Clear Creek State Parks will once again be hosting Sustainability Fairs, showcasing local and statewide businesses, agencies, and organizations who promote sustainable technologies, practices or products. The events are slated for August 7th and 8th.

July 17, 2019

Often Heard and Seldom Seen: Birds of Pennsylvania’s Interior Forests

Pennsylvania state forest land includes some of the largest tracts of intact forest in the commonwealth, providing critical habitat for several bird species. While hiking one of these unfragmented forests, you are likely to hear many birds singing and calling, but you would be lucky to catch a glimpse of more than a few. That’s because they remain hidden in the dense forest canopy or shady understory.

July 5, 2019

Timber Rattlesnakes in Pennsylvania

Hiking a state forest trail this time of year brings a higher probability of a snake encounter, and the timber rattlesnake is the species that people generally fear the most.  One of three venomous snakes that occur in PA, the timber rattler embodies the wild appeal of Penn’s Woods.

May 18, 2019

Trilliums of Pennsylvania

Penn’s Woods is home to seven of America’s 39 species of trilliums. These flowers are among the most highly anticipated of the spring wildflowers, and fortunately we don’t have long to wait after a bleak winter. The diminutive snow trillium (Trillium nivale; proposed PA Threatened) is one of the first flowers of the commonwealth to bloom.

April 22, 2019

Celebrate the Earth in the PA Wilds

With its roots extending back to 1970 demonstrations, the annual Earth Day celebration continues to thrive and connect people with the land. And that’s something easy to do in the Pennsylvania Wilds, which offers over 2 million acres of public lands to explore and appreciate.

April 19, 2019

A Frog, a Toad, and a Salamander

April is a great month to observe vernal pools, and logically, some of their most common tenants.  Vernal pools are seasonal pools that appear in the spring as the snow melts, and many of our forest dwellers depend on them. These pools almost always dry up in the summer, but this is of no consequence to vernal pool-dependent organisms because they only need them for a part of their lives.

March 20, 2019

Springtime: A Time of Renewal and Fire in the Forest

Although all creatures react to the onset of spring a little differently, one common theme persists: spring is a time of renewal.