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Outdoors community calendar for week of July 28

BLACK BEARS WHERE: Little Pine State Park WHEN: Friday, July 31 at 4 p.m. NOTES: Join the park naturalist at the table to learn more about the “Black Bears” around Pennsylvania. Topics will include adaptations, diet and a brief overview of the natural history of the black bear within Pennsylvania. This is designed to be an informal program. Feel free to stop on in anytime between 4-5 p.m. All children must be accompanied by an adult to participate. The program may be modified or cancelled in the event of severe weather or new state or community guidelines. Those interested ...

Not everything is game

A quick review of either the Pennsylvania Game Commission or Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission summary of regulations, the paper booklet provided to every license buyer, will find that not every species of wildlife or fish has a season. When even lifelong outdoorsmen realize the Commission spends license dollars on these species, one of which cannot be legally taken with said license, there is often confusion. What they do not understand is how important these non-game species are to the overall natural landscape, the health of our streams and forests, and even the survival of the ...

Outdoors community calendar for week of July 22

MOON AND MOUNTAIN PIES WHERE: Little Pine State Park WHEN: Friday, July 31 at 9 p.m. NOTES: Enjoy an evening walk on the dam to see and learn about the rising moon in moon and mountain pies. Topics will include the moon phases, some folklore and other stars and constellations that are in the sky. On the other side of the dam, there will be a fire ring set up to make mountain pies on. This program is limited to 15 people and pre-registration is required to participate. A confirmation e-mail will be sent after registered. If you have not received it, call 570-753-6005. The cost ...

Reflections in Nature: A look at the bison in the United States

Recently I saw on the news where a man had been attacked by a buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. He was thrown eight feet into the air, but luckily survived and is now recuperating in the hospital. Watching the buffalo charge after the man, with the dust flying, reminded me of the time Mary Alice and I were in the middle of a Buffalo herd stampede. We were on a trip out west and stopped at Kearney, Nebraska, where we saw a museum built in an arch over I-80. The museum was made up of many rooms with each depicting a different phase of pioneer life in the west. In the first room, we ...

A look at fishing with your grandfather’s fly-fishing rod

So your grandfather’s or father’s or uncle’s old bamboo fly rod has been passed on to you. What do you do with it? If you ask a fly fisherman what he thinks about bamboo fly rods, he is likely to respond that they look nice hanging over the mantel, but are too heavy, fragile and ...

Reflections in Nature: Month of July brings forth a lot in nature

Although summer arrived on June 21, we had only needed to use our air conditioner a few days. Then we turned the calendar page to July and a heat wave hit us, with temperatures rising into the double digits for four days straight. Opposites must attract because Mary Alice does not like the heat, and I thrive on the heat. I love July days when temperatures hover in the 90 degrees and late afternoon rumblings of thunder are heard in the distance, along with lightning streaks across the sky. Next come the rain drops, sometimes pouring so hard the storm drains overflow. The storm passes ...