Stewardship

January 26, 2024

Forest Fridays: Life below the snow

For many of us, thoughts of winter are inseparable from snow-covered landscapes. While we enjoy the beauty and softness of snow, along with the winter activities it supports, other creatures appreciate the snow for a different reason. For those small enough to enjoy it, a persistent layer of snow presents an exclusive world of resources and protection beneath its surface. That world is known by scientists as the subnivean environment. 

January 23, 2024

How to Leave No Trace during the winter in the PA Wilds

Wintertime is one of the most beautiful times to visit the Pennsylvania Wilds: the landscape sparkles with snowy white dust, the air is crisp and clean, and familiar views suddenly look more magical. New adventures, like skiing or snowshoeing, become possible in the snow. As you’re enjoying outdoor recreation during winter in the PA Wilds, follow the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace to ensure that you and others have the best experience possible, while also respecting the beautiful natural world and wildlife that we are so fortunate to have.

January 18, 2024

National Wild and Scenic Rivers of the PA Wilds: Allegheny and Clarion

The Pennsylvania Wilds region has some of the best flat water paddling and fishing in the United States! When anglers and paddlers research the PA Wilds, they come across these words: “two Wild and Scenic Rivers.” They often ask where those two rivers are, why the words “wild” and “scenic” are capitalized, and why only two rivers out of the many PA Wilds waterways are called out as such. The term comes from the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, a registry that was created with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The Allegheny River and the Clarion River within the PA Wilds are on the Wild and Scenic Rivers registry, and for good reason.

December 29, 2023

BIRD LORE: Appreciating our feathered friends

Peek outside your window any day in North Central Pennsylvania and you are certain to see a variety of beautiful birds.  For instance, having a family of cardinals as your neighbors is one of the privileges of living in our rural area.  Birds are in such abundance here that it is easy to lose perspective of how truly blessed we are to have so many of them living amongst us.  

December 27, 2023

Red in the winter woods

This time of the year, even the woods are decked out for the holiday season! Red is used in celebrating and decorating for winter solstice, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, and symbolizes many things. There are many plants with red berries or stems that add a festive contrast to the neutral whites and browns of a winter woods.

December 20, 2023

Wrapping your holiday gifts in an eco-friendly way

The holiday season is here! No matter how you choose to celebrate, everyone can choose sustainability this season. Wrapping paper, gift bags, tape, and tags often get tossed after their first use. Here are some ways to help make your gift wrapping and gift giving more eco-friendly, as well as some tips for making sure the gift inside that wrapping paper is also a smart and sustainable choice.

December 15, 2023

Participate in the 124th Christmas Bird Count

Love birdwatching? Consider signing up to participate in a Christmas Bird Count near you! Data collected from the Christmas Bird Count helps inform ornithologists and conservation biologists about how the birds of the Americas are faring over time. The Christmas Bird Count will be conducted from Thursday, December 14, 2023, through Friday, January 5, 2024. Although the counts are held during that time period, counts are held on only one specific day during that time for each area, so check your area for more information.

December 7, 2023

BIRD LORE: Finches are returning this winter

If you haven’t already done so, get your feeders filled and ready.  Winter finches are returning.  Moderate to good flights of some species are occurring now and more are possible.

November 24, 2023

Celebrating the holidays in an energy-friendly way

The holidays are a time of love, warmth, compassion, joy and reflection. However, the holiday season also brings an increase in energy use and household waste. Each year, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste in the U.S. increases by more than 25 percent.

November 22, 2023

BIRD LORE: The wild turkey

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and it is time to acknowledge the splendor, as well as the goofiness, of the central character of the feast! Wild turkeys are very large and heavy game birds, native to North America.  This is probably part of what made them so attractive for the first Thanksgiving.