Bill and I find ourselves back in Confluence, with everything pretty much as we left it. Excitement builds for another biking season on the Great Allegheny Passage. While out for Take a Walk in the Park Day yesterday, I spied a bit of new trail surface stockpiled in the Ramcat parking lot for Ohiopyle. Smooth rides to come!

For our masthead this week, it seemed like a good time to feature Shawnee State Park, our park of the year. Photographer John Soulier was impressed that his favorite park has been recognized and celebrated with a series of six lovely shots on Facebook, and then another set of three (of which the above is one) a few days later. Thank you JoSo. We're glad you approve of the choice of Shawnee!

Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator

News of note

A reminder that next weekend will bring Geology Day and Plein Air Day up at Hammonds Rock in the Michaux. Your taxes will be done, so you should get outside and enjoy a little something different!

Speaking of the Michaux, word came from Forester Roy that part of Birch Run Road will be closing this spring (through the end of June) for some much-needed improvements. Check out our Facebook post for all the details.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned the sighting of spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania and subsequent quarantine of some of our eastern counties in order to contain the potential damage. You'll recall that I noted this nasty bug can get to our peaches. In any event, the Department of Agriculture will be hosting volunteer training over the next several weeks to help interested individuals spot and eradicate this thing. Peaches, people.

At work and play in the parks and forests

April offers nothing if not variety in recreation and volunteerism.

North

Hills Creek State Park's annual Saturday Morning Birding Series is underway beginning tomorrow and throughout May. Come out and see who's just passing through!

South

It's vintage baseball time at Greenwood Furnace, with the annual celebration of the game as it was played in days gone by on display tomorrow. 

East

If a little spring cleaning brings you joy, there's an opportunity for an abundance of happiness at Delaware Canal State Park tomorrow, with the Friends of the Delaware Canal sponsoring a clean-up of all 58.9 miles of towpath! Come find your nook and/or cranny.

West

And speaking of spring cleaning, the Friends of Ryerson Station invite you to their annual spring clean-up at the little gem of Greene County tomorrow. 

No matter what region of the commonwealth you want to visit, our website Events and the DCNR Calendar of Events are great sources for things to see and do. Bookmark them!

Picture of the week

Marci was out on Monday with Philadelphia-based outdoor apparel and gear outfitter United by Blue scouting sites for clean-ups at Benjamin Rush State Park and on the William Penn State Forest's Little Tinicum Island. (Watch the website for those to come.) The visit to Little Tinicum produced this photo of the sandy beach for the Facebook page.

Wait. A sandy beach in a Pennsylvania state forest? Why does that phrase sound familiar? (See Take Five for Trivia below!)

Spotlight on the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community

Congratulations to Walker Carole who will be toting a new Eddie Adventurer backpack from our friends at Eddie Bauer in The Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace on her next training expedition. Carole's on the Hooks, Bullets, Hikers, and Harriers walking team for PPFF - and they are presently the top fundraising team on our roster. 

Time is ticking away! Sign up already!

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation is one of 48 Harrisburg area health and community service organizations whose participation in the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is being underwritten by Highmark Blue Shield. Support our efforts and 100% of your donation is retained by PPFF for our work to make Pennsylvania's state parks and forests havens for good health.

Take five for trivia

The trivia question in our last issue was a complete stumper! Marci asked "which state forest has a sandy beach and where is it located?" Didn't I just read that answer somewhere? If only I could remember where!

That question did wrap up our questions for March, and congratulations (and a bandana) go to Somerset Sandy from our random drawing.

To begin April officially, the to-be-announced stewardship opportunity at Benjamin Rush State Park will focus on the body of water that flows through the park. What is it?

Send in your answer and we'll enter your correct response into our monthly prize drawing. All correct answers each week will go into the hat and at the end of the month we'll draw one lucky winner. The more correct answers you submit in a month (up to four or the occasional five depending on the month), the more chances you'll have to win.

In closing

A recent post on the Book of Faces.

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare and is a Gold GuideStar Participant.