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Snapping turtle is Pennsylvania’s dinosaur

The common snapping turtle is a species that few Pennsylvanians give a second thought, unless they see one crossing the road or digging in their flower bed. This is because, outside the breeding season, they are almost invisible, preferring to spend their time in the water and hidden from sight. But there are still those who pursue these ancient aquatic creatures for both sport and food. Snapping turtles have lived in Pennsylvania lakes, rivers and ponds for thousands of years. Although no one can be sure when they first inhabited the Keystone state, it was long before the first ...

Outdoors community calendar for week of July 7

POLLINATORS IN THE GARDEN WHERE: Little Pine State Park and Hyner Run State Park WHEN: Saturday, July 11 at 3:30 p.m. NOTES: Come by the Environmental Learning Center of Pennsylvania to learn what flowers are coming up this time of the year in our Pollinator Garden at Little Pine State Park, and some of the pollinators you may see during this program. Feel free to stop on in any time between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. All children must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate. The program may be modified or canceled in the event of severe weather or new community ...

Reflections in Nature: Plenty of wildlife takes advantage of others in nature

Every morning after we have our cup of coffee, Mary Alice checks for the word of the day. Today the word was hobnob. Now, most of the time we do not know the meaning of the given word, and that day was no exception. The word hobnob means to associate familiarly. There are many, many words in the dictionary that we do not use. One such word is autolycism. Through the years farmers, who had been cutting their hay and plowing their fields, have told me that they often have an animal or a bird follow the machinery around the field, waiting for a meal of insects and mice to be uncovered. ...

Get your kids outdoors this summer

A very valuable gift you can give your kids, especially this time of year, is to deeply meet them through nature. Of course the most obvious benefits are to physical health. Taking a hike or riding a bike benefit physical health, as opposed to screen time. Numerous less obvious benefits ...

Throughout central Pennsylvania, birds come and they go

I’ve lived in northcentral and central Pennsylvania pretty much all of my life, in large part because of the incredible natural beauty of the area. Hunters, fishermen, hikers, bikers — everyone with a hankering for the green hills of home — can appreciate the draw. Once my wife Joan ...