November Around the Corner.

It was a pretty quiet week here in the Laurels, after the wind died down. Much of our most beautiful color is now off the trees and lying on the ground but it has been a surprisingly colorful fall all in all. We hope you've been able to get outside and play.

We'll be away next week as our staff retreat takes place on Wednesday and Thursday (hurray! we'll be at Laurel Hill State Park) followed closely by the annual get together of our western chapters at the regional office near Moraine State Park on Friday and Saturday. The eastern group follows on the 11th and 12th at French Creek State Park but I'm hoping to get a word in edgewise between now and then.

Our masthead this week is Big Red Bug by Clayton Whitenight, critics' choice winner in the Young Photographers (ages 9-14) category. Clayton found him while hiking with his family at Lehigh Gorge State Park and was momentarily convinced they had discovered a new species. After some bug identification work, they decided it is a giant red velvet mite, which definitely does NOT belong in northeastern Pennsylvania! Just a great job all 'round, Clayton!

~ Pam Metzger
Membership & Volunteer Coordinator

News of Note.

As I was writing this on Thursday, word came from our Friends of Milton of the passing of Myron Messinger, as stalwart and dedicated a volunteer as any group could wish. PapMyron will be missed by all.

The buzz is growing for our school based poster and video contest as part of the Anti-Graffiti campaign. There's a big ol' blue button on the PPFF website home page with a link to the campaign and additional information on the contests. Find your favorite middle school, high school, or college student and clue him or her in (and if you have a good contact for the schools that you could share with Amanda as she promotes this far and wide, please do so!)

If it's not in your snail mail box check out the Fall issue of our newsletter, Penn's Stewards, available now at the website.

Picture of the Week.

We Pennsylvanians really are so very lucky to have our beautiful state parks and forests, with their vistas, hiking trails, outcroppings, and great people caring for them. When you've been reassigned to a new park and you're getting your feet under you, the very best way to do it is get out and enjoy what's special about your new gig. So here's to Pine Grove Furnace's new manager, Mike K, chillin' at Pole Steeple.

The Inside Track.

The Inside Track this week is a homework assignment. I received word from John Eastlake, a frequent contributor to our Penn's Stewards newsletter on the Civilian Conservation Corps, that mural artist Michael Pilato has placed a mural of Legendary Bob Webber on a Williamsport wall. John says it is hard to photograph because the parking lot for the building is well-used. But I would love to see it!

John says, "Go to the Genetti Hotel and make a left on Williams Street. Look for the mural on the right in a small parking lot."

At Work & Play in the Parks & Forests.

Lots of scary fun coming up this weekend! The fun won't stop in the new month, either.

Pennsylvania Wilds.

Those scary folks at Sinnemahoning invite you to the 5th Annual All Hallows Eve celebration tomorrow afternoon and evening. (They're really not all THAT scary.)

North.

The Milton Police will be at Milton State Park tomorrow afternoon with a Trail of Treats. I suspect some of the Friends of Milton will be there as well. Then next Saturday, 11/5 join a Wounded Warrior Hike at Cook Forest.

South.

The Friends of Little Buffalo have a scary offering of their own with Haunted Hayride tomorrow evening. A Volunteer Work Day at Kings Gap on the 5th will help tidy things up for the winter months to come.

East.

Tomorrow afternoon is a Bat Costume Party at Nockamixon in celebration of National Bat Week. On Sunday, 11/6 Walk with a Forester at Nolde Forest and learn a bit about the health of Penn's Woods.

West.

How about a little bit of Haunted History right in beautiful downtown Pittsburgh? A walking tour at Point State Park will be the stuff of nightmares! Or, an evening's entertainment! Next Saturday, 11/5, join a Wetlands Waddle at Keystone State Park. (I resent the implication that I waddle, thank you. Oh, wait. Maybe that's the species you'll encounter.)

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.

Correct answer to last week's question about Mira Lloyd Dock and Horace McFarland - they were involved in the City Beautiful movement. Not just a matter of making pretty places for urban dwellers, City Beautiful was a sanitation and safety initiative as much as anything else. This website from Messiah College's history department gives some wonderful background.

Since we are looking at the conclusion of Bat Week on Monday, let us focus our final October question on this mostly misunderstood and much-maligned mammal. We all know they "get around" using echolocation - bouncing sound off obstacles and navigating with the echo that comes back - but who else is an echolocator?

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.

I have definitely been accused of having bats in my belfry but I've never forgotten a retreat weekend I spent several years ago with Bat Conservation International and Game Commission Cal learning about chiroptera. Lovely little darlings they are. Check out this drawing from the BatWeek Book of Faces and I daresay you too may fall in love.

Coming November 18!

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.