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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 ...

Three dozen vets connect with volunteers, nature while sharing stories

A number of years ago, our previous pastor tried his best to persuade my wife and I into taking over as youth group leaders at our church. One of his selling points: “It will likely bless you more than you realize. You will get more out of it than you put in.” As usual, he was right, and his advice has been applicable to many other projects and initiatives over the years, including our events through the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. None of these more so than the veterans fishing, food and fun day recently hosted at the Central PA Wesleyan Campground near New ...

Reflections in Nature: Plants have ways of defending against insect predators in nature

In last week’s article I promised to tell you about a war that has been raging in nature since the beginning of time. This battle has endured and still rages on in every forest, meadow and planted field. It is a war with no truce, a war between plants and the predators that feed upon them. When besieged by armies of voracious creatures, plants cannot run away or defend themselves physically, however through the years, there are plants that have developed defenses that include deadly poisons and toxic chemicals that give leaf-eaters serious indigestion. Other plants produce ...

Outdoors community calendar for Week of June 30

TROUT OF HYNER RUN WHERE: Hyner Run State Park WHEN: Friday, July 3 at 3:30 p.m. NOTES: Join the park naturalist and learn about the different types of trout of Hyner Run. Afterwards, we may have some time to share fish stories. All children must be accompanied by an adult to participate. The program may be modified or canceled in the event of severe weather or new community guidelines. Those interested should meet at the pool. FIREFLIES WHERE: Hyner Run State Park WHEN: Friday, July 3 at 8:30 p.m. NOTES: Join the park naturalist to learn about fireflies and why they ...