Hiatus.

Hello, friends - from the end of another week that lasted 45 seconds.

We'll miss each other next week. The plan had been to go on a train trip in celebration of Bill's birthday but the Train Gods are not smiling upon us and the trip had to be canceled. Nevertheless, the days were marked off on my calendar and it just makes all kinds of sense to take the break. It will be a staycation instead of a traincation but walls will be painted and, I hope, bikes will be ridden. Try to forge on without me!

~ Pam Metzger
Membership & Volunteer Coordinator

The hummingbird moth who stars in this week's masthead was photographed by William King at Moraine State Park and was the Critics' Choice winner in the Nature's Colors category of our photo contest. Have you viewed the gallery of winners yet? Click "Gallery" on the top of our website!

News of Note.

Finishing touches have been placed on the latest issue of Explore PA (launching this weekend and appearing on our website shortly thereafter), which includes announcement of a poster contest for middle schoolers and video contest for high school and college students.

The contests were created with the support of the Alexander Stewart, MD Foundation and are the educational outreach portion of our Anti-Graffiti campaign. We recognized that we can spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars scrubbing graffiti from rocks and other public spaces (the Graffiti Busters are well on their way to that already) but if we don't also include a "teachable moment" or two in the process we are unlikely to be successful in the long run.

We're really looking forward to seeing what the creative students of Pennsylvania can come up with for the contests! Keep an eye on the website for details of the launch of the contest and please do share with any school contacts you may have.

And the Graffiti Busters will be on hand at Hammonds Rocks on Tuesday for a plein air event and will be back scrubbing graffiti on Wednesday. Contact Amanda for details on participation in either or both.

The deadline is rapidly approaching for participation in our chainsaw safety workshop at Shawnee State Park next Saturday. If you are a volunteer working on Pennsylvania's state parks and forests, this is a valuable, high-demand skill to have under your chaps. At a low cost of $30 (and free lunch), you can have our pick of volunteer organizations to befriend!

The Friends of Nolde Forest have sent word that their second annual "Nature of Nolde" student art contest is underway with students from 16 different Berks County schools competing in the contest which will culminate in an awards program and show at the Nolde Mansion in December. Students may also enter the contest individually through a submission to Art Plus Gallery in West Reading.

It will be a big week in Pennsylvania's Conservation Heritage! The official ceremony to rename Lackawanna State Forest the Pinchot State Forest will take place on Wednesday, 10/12 at 11:00 AM at the Pinchot Trail on Bear Lake Road near the village of Thornhurst on the Lackawanna/Luzerne county line. Directions available here. Then on Thursday, 10/13 at 10:30 AM the Penn Nursery in Spring Mills (last year's winner of the Foundation's Joseph Ibberson Government Award) will be renamed the "Mira Lloyd Dock Resource Conservation Center." Directions available here.

Picture of the Week.

You will see the winners of our photo contest again and again throughout the year but I fear at times that many fabulous shots get lost in all the hubbub so I may just exercise my editorial prerogative and feature some of them here on occasion. Regular reader and trivia player Phyllis took home first prize in the Fur Feathers Fins & Scales category with her beautiful shot of a bald eagle at Prince Gallitzin State Park. No question, it is a great shot. But I told Phyllis that personally I was rooting for her green heron. This is an amazing picture (and deserves a click to the original).

At Work & Play in the Parks & Forests.

I'll try and fill in two weeks worth of fun. If you can't find something to do, you don't have your bookmarks updated because it's going to be great out there!

Pennsylvania Wilds.

Definitely festival time - First Fork Festival at Sinnemahoning this Saturday; Black Mo offers a Haunted Lake Trail next Saturday (volunteers needed!).

North.

Saturday at Mount Pisgah State Park is the annual Apple Butter Day with the Friends; next Saturday drop by Parker Dam for the annual Fall Festival & Pumpkin Float.

South.

This weekend is a patented Friends of Prince Gallitzin Campground Extravaganza with Trunk of Treats all weekend; a Harvest Day celebration hits Cowans Gap next Saturday and Fall Furnace Festival at Pine Grove Furnace all through next weekend while the Friends of Little Buffalo are having an Apple Festival. 

East.

Check out Heritage Day at Frances Slocum on Sunday; then Crafts in the Meadow at Tyler State Park next Saturday. Also this Saturday, the Friends of Big Pocono want you to come up the mountain for their open house and fall festival. On Sunday, the Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens are hosting a getting ready for winter bird hike at Nottingham County Park.

West.

Saturday afternoon is the perfect time for a Fall Foliage Hike at Ryerson Station; then join the Amateur Astronomers of Pittsburgh at little known Hillman State Park next Saturday night for a Star Party.

No matter what region you're looking to visit, our website Calendar of Events, the DCNR Calendar of Events and the ever-expanding Get Outdoors PA calendar are all great sources for things to do and see.

Take Five for Trivia.

Our final September trivia question had a very non-trivial answer in its salute to the major legislative accomplishment of former Senator Franklin Kury. Mr. Kury is recognized as the chief architect of Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania constitution - the environmental rights amendment.

Congratulations to all who knew the answer to this one. Salute, Mr. Kury! Congratulations, too, to Kittanning Patricia who is the winner of our September contest and will receive her own Wearable Checklist to the State Parks & Forests.

Let us launch October with a bit of exciting news out of DCNR this week where they announced a link in a "long term strategy for trail development" in the Commonwealth. What is the name of the trail system that got another little pie piece of completion at September was closing its doors?

Send in your answer and we'll enter your correct answer 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.

Leaders from 14 state park foundations gathered in Florida this week ahead of Hurricane Matthew to share information and build skills.

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.