A short Take Five this week as we continue to process the disappointment brought about by the House's passage of the raid of dedicated environmental funding. We appreciate all the efforts you made in calling your elected officials and the massive amounts of support conservation issues received. If your representative was among those 91 from both parties who stood firm against the raid, please thank him or her. And be prepared to call your senator.

Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator

News of note

Voting is LIVE on the Facebook page for the 2017 Photo Contest! Our Best in Show, Critics Choice winner (by Douglas Clifford at Blue Knob State Park) is our masthead this week. Click to view the original, the other Critics' Choice winners, AND other photos by these photographers (pulled from the contest since a photographer can only win one prize).

Direct links to each category are:

A Bit of Whimsy: http://bit.ly/2017bitofwhimsyvote

Dogs in the Outdoors: http://bit.ly/2017dogsvote

Fun in the Outdoors: http://bit.ly/2017funvote

Nature's Colors: http://bit.ly/2017naturescolorsvote

Young Photographers: http://bit.ly/2017youngphotographersvote

While you are at the Facebook page, get all the information you need for our next happy hour fundraising event, at Middletown's Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works. 

At work and play in the parks and forests

Fall migration is in full swing; birding events are plentiful.

Festivals in the Spotlight

Drat! Just a couple of weeks early for my planned visit, the Kinzua Bridge Fall Festival is this weekend.

North

Feeling athletic? Take on the Step Outdoors TRYathlon at Hills Creek State Park. NOT an ironman competition, this event is great for getting your triathlon feet wet!

South

Try a hike and bike combo on Sunday morning with Trail Treks with a (Pine Grove Furnace) Park Ranger.

East

The Friends of Beltzville invite you to their second annual Art in the Park tomorrow. Food, fun, music - who needs more!

West

If you are ready to exercise your own creativity (and perhaps be an exhibit at next year's Art in the Park), check out Turning Timbers at Yellow Creek. Wood carving and turning with master craftsman Chris Weiland.

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

Here's a stunner from photographer Jeff London at Parker Dam State Park - check out the original. And, no, not entered in the photo contest - more's the pity!

Take five for trivia

Yes, the Keystone Fund (one of the funds raided by the Pennsylvania House) is a legislatively-enacted (nearly unanimously), and referendum-confirmed (67% of voters) funding stream for the projects that contribute to Pennsylvanians' quality of life. Find out more here.

Easy one: how many eligible photos do we have in the Nature's Colors (once again the most popular) category in this year's photo contest?

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.

This does not apply to pants sizes.

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.