Iditarod race underway in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Hundreds of sled dogs and thousands of fans lined up along Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue on March 6 for the ceremonial start of the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The dogs leaped and barked when it was their turn to leave the downtown chute for an 11-mile run across Alaska’s largest city. Mushers ran with 12 dogs instead of the 16-dog teams they used when the actual competition started the next day in Willow, about 50 miles to the north. Seventy-one teams were entered in the trek to Nome, an old gold rush town on Alaska’s western coast. More than a third of the mushers are from seven other countries and nine other states. Defending champion Lance Mackey is seeking his fourth consecutive win. The 39-year-old Fairbanks resident, among five past Iditarod winners in this year’s field, signed autographs and posed with fans as he made last-minute checks on his dogs. He said he’s hoping to reach Nome first — if that’s what his dogs are up for.
» Full StoryReflections in Nature:
Diary entry: Feb. 27, 2010: “Awoke at 6 a.m. to hear a dove cooing outside our bedroom window.
» Full StorySnow has a lasting effect on grasses, trees, other vegetation
When planting trees around sidewalks and paved areas, it is a good idea to choose plant material that fits into that tough environment.
The most common tree problem in urban settings is the conflict between roots and the pavemen.
Outdoor Briefs
River Symposium returns to city
The fifth annual West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium will be held May 6-7 at the Genetti Hotel.
PPL facilities schedule events for next weekend
Visitors can explore the origins of the practices that welcome spring and how they were influenced by the natural world during a program from 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday at PPL’s Susquehanna Riverlands along Route 11 about seven miles north of Berwick.
» Full StoryIn the parks
Bald Eagle State Park, Howard
March 17 — Signs of Spring Hike, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at the Environmental Learning Center.
Spring is just around the corner and there is proof in the natural world.
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