Take a hike with regional group
The Otzinachson Regional Group of the Sierra Club and the Edward Abbey Hiking Society will hold a number of hikes throughout the region in the fall.
They are open to the public, but hikers must contact the hike leader prior to the event. Participants are advised to bring lunch and water on every hike.
Hikes will be held:
Today - Gillespie Point Figure 8 Loop, Tioga County, 11 miles, strenuous. From Blackwell, we will climb to the top of Pennsylvania's Matterhorn, Gillespie Point, with fine views of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. After looping back to Blackwell, we will continue on the Bohen Run Falls Trail to the West Rim Trail, then back to Blackwell on the Pine Creek Rail Trail. Meet at parking lot behind Lewisburg Post Office at 7:45 a.m. or boat launch parking lot in Blackwell at 9:30. Leader: Duane Button, 596-3454.
Saturday - Sones Pond and Haystacks, Loyalsock Trail, Sullivan County, 6.5 miles, easy to moderate. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the McDonald's in Hughesville. Leader: Roy Fontaine, 220-4707.
Oct. 7 and 14 - R.B. Winter State Park, Union County, 10 miles, moderate to strenuous. Meet at the parking lot at the breast of the dam along Route 192 at 8:30 a.m. Leader: Joe Rebar, 259-0134.
Hear about tall timber at Montour Preserve
WASHINGTONVILLE - Enjoy an afternoon of songs, stories and photos from 2 to 3 p.m. today at PPL's Montour Environmental Preserve.
Danville native and singer/songwriter Van Wagner will explore Pennsylvania's early logging days when trees stretched to the sky. Lumbermen harvested the trees with hard work and long days. Van Wagner's stories will be great for the whole family. Stay around after the program for his concert from 3 to 4 p.m..
Meet at the PPL Montour Preserve Environmental Education Center. For directions, visit www.pplpreserves.com and click on "Montour." For more information, contact the preserve at 437-3131 or jdbeam@pplweb.com.
Game Commission to conduct game farm tours
The state Game Commission will offer public tours of its four pheasant game farms in Armstrong, Crawford and Lycoming counties from noon to 3 p.m. today, rain or shine.
Tour stops will include hatcheries, brooder houses, and rearing, "grow-out" and over-wintering pens. Workshop discussions will focus on objectives in propagation management, including sportsmen's organizations participating in raising day-old chicks provided by the farms to increase local hunting opportunities and surplus day-old hen chicks that are sold to the public. Also, after registration and before taking the tour, visitors may view a brief DVD highlighting farm operations throughout the year.
When visitors arrive, they will register before game farm personnel take them on a guided tour. In order to maintain biosecurity and minimize human contact with the birds, visitors must remain with tour groups.
For directions to the game farms, visit www.pgc.state.pa.us or call the particular regional office.
Commission to hold quarterly meeting this week
PITTSBURGH - The state Fish and Boat Commission will hold its quarterly business meeting on Monday and Tuesday at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, 300 W. Station Square Drive.
Commission committees will meet at 10:15 a.m. Monday and again at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Formal consideration of the agenda by the full commission will begin at about 10:10 a.m. Tuesday.
All committee meetings and the formal meeting are open to the public.
A complete copy of the meeting schedule and the full agenda for the meeting can be found on the PFBC's website at www.fishandboat.com/minutes.htm.
Last chance to register for PA Wilds workshop
ST. MARYS - Friday is the last day to register for the PA Wilds Planning Team's fall workshop, "Connecting Nature, Economy and Community Character," which will be held Nov. 8-9 at The Red Fern Banquet and Conference Center.
The conference is designed to help communities advance sustainable tourism projects. Participants will hear from state and national experts on topics relevant to the region, and then work as a group in a structured setting to flesh out their project ideas, budgets and next steps.
Conference organizers will accept six to eight teams from across the PA Wilds. The strongest teams will have five to seven people from a variety of backgrounds - small business owners, public lands managers, municipal officials, heritage and tourism professionals and community activists - who together bring a wide range of skill sets and knowledge to the table to help push projects forward.
If you have a project idea but need help identifying potential team members, the PA Wilds Planning Team can provide assistance.
Scholarships are available to help cover travel and lodging expenses. Application packets and a working agenda are available online at www.pawildsresources.org or by contacting Janine Morley at 814-274-4877 or janine@pottercountyedcouncil.org.
For more information or to download an application, visit www.pawildsresources.org/fallconference.
Tour a cemetery
DANVILLE - Iron Heritage Festival Cemetery Tours will be offered from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Fairview and Episcopal cemeteries.
Get up close and personal with the men and women who once walked this valley. Hear their stories and imagine what it was like to live in this community when they did.
Walking shoes required and flashlights are needed at dusk.
A fee applies. For more information, call 275-6700 or visit www.ironheritagefestival.net.
Fall Festival coming to Susquehanna Riverlands
BERWICK - PPL Susquehanna Riverlands will hold a Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
It will be a day of fun, food and community appreciation. There will be hayrides, face painting and other children's activities. The Spinners and Needles Fiber Art Guild will demonstrate how to spin raw fleece into wool. Folk's Butterfly Farm will teach kids and adults all about butterflies, and the Susquehanna Beekeepers Association will display a working beehive.
Perimeter tours of the nuclear plant also will leave from the center throughout the day.
The festival will be held at the Susquehanna Riverlands and the Susquehanna Energy Information Center. For more information, call 1-866-832-3312 or email pplpreserves@pplweb.com. For directions, visit www.pplpreserves.com, click on "Susquehanna Riverlands," then select "Contact Us and Directions."
Learn how to avoid survival situations
WASHINGTONVILLE - Learn how to avoid getting into a survival situation from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at PPL's Montour Preserve.
Being able to identify hazards that can put you in an outdoor survival situation is one of the first steps in preparing for an outing. Join outdoor enthusiast Fred Gast as he explains events that could turn an outdoor trip into a hazardous situation. The program will help people of all ages learn how to avoid becoming a victim of circumstances.
Meet at the PPL Montour Preserve Environmental Education Center. For directions, visit www.pplpreserves.com and click on "Montour."
For more information, contact the preserve at 437-3131 or jdbeam@pplweb.com.
See vehicles from years gone by
EAGLES MERE - The fourth annual Bi-Planes, Trains & Antique Cars Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Eagles Mere Historic Village in Sullivan County.
An admission fee applies for those ages 13 and older.
For more information, email emgreenevents@gmail.com or call 525-3370.
Guide, author to discuss fall trout fishing
Don Daughenbaugh, noted fishing guide, author and fly tyer, will discuss "Trout Fishing In The Fall" at the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited's regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church of Williamsport, 102 E. Third St. The meeting is open to the public.
Attendees should use the rear entrance. For more information, call David Craig at 971-4744.
Family fun day scheduled
MILLERSBURG - The Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art will hold a Fall Family Fun Day on Oct. 13.
The annual event is designed to increase awareness of the natural world with many activities for children and families. See live animal presentations, get your face painted, visit the pumpkin patch, create a fall decoration at the Art Creation Station, try your skills with a round of pumpkin bowling or stroll across the Wiconisco Creek on the footbridge.
For more information, call 717-692-3699.
Annual harvest festival planned
PENNS CREEK - Shade Mountain Winery's annual Harvest Festival will be held Oct. 13-14 at the winery, 16140 Route 104.
On Oct. 13, T & D's Cats of the World will be on hand with a display. Grape stomping will be held in a handmade vat at 1, 2 and 3 p.m., food vendors will be set up and The Pepper Street Band will perform outside from 3:30 to 6 p.m., weather permitting.
On Oct. 14, carriage rides through the vineyards will be held from noon until 4 p.m. and guided tours of the facility by the winemakers will be offered at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
The vintner's pig roast and special bean soup available for a fee.
For more information, call 837-3644.
Snowmobile safety course planned
HANEYVILLE - Registrations are being accepted now for a free snowmobile safety course planned for Nov. 17 at the Hyner Mountain Snowmobile Club lodge, along Route 44, about six miles north of here in Clinton County.
State law requires that children ages 10 to 15 earn a safety certificate before lawfully operating a snowmobile, except upon lands owned or leased by their parents or legal guardians.
The goal of the course, which was developed by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is to develop safe attitudes in all Keystone State snowmobilers. Student manuals and workbooks will illustrate the sport's basic principles and safety concepts. Course content will cover winter clothing, machine safety and snowmobile laws and regulations. Class participants qualify for a certificate by completing their workbooks and achieving a score of 80 percent or better on the final examination.
Course instructors will be Henry Hartman, of Hanover, and Harrison Langley Jr., of Palmyra.
Parents must accompany their children to registration so required forms may be completed. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Class starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. The club will provide lunch.
Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 30 students. Registration priority will be given to those between the ages of 10 to 15.
Students who register in advance will be guaranteed a seat until 8 a.m. Walk-in students, including adults, only will be accepted if the class is not completely filled or if the registered students do not arrive by 8.
To register, contact Louise Davidson at 368-2288 or tomkat1952@verizon.net.
