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Reflections in Nature: Jack Frost seems to have come early this year

Jack Frost came to the mountains early this year. We had scattered frost in some areas of Bradford County by the beginning of October. Usually, we will not have a frosty visit from Jack Frost until late October. Have you ever wondered why the name Jack is used in many of our sayings, such as Jack Frost, jack o’ lantern and jack of all trades. “Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost, Came in the night. left the meadows that he crossed, All gleaming white.” According to a popular Scandinavian legend, Jack was an elf that the Norse Vikings named Jokul Frosti, meaning Icicle Frost. ...

Outdoor community calendar for week of Oct. 21

MAPPING YOUR ADVENTURE WHERE: Rider Park WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 5:30-7 p.m. NOTES: Lunar’s Outdoor Adventures will show you how to use multiple hiking apps to plan and record your trip. Come prepared to hike. To register, visit lunarsoutdooradventures.com. Audubon Event: Chapter Meeting WHERE: Taber Museum in Williamsport WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. NOTES: Join Lycoming Audubon Society for a program about Bird Town Pennsylvania presented by Heidi Shiver. This state-wide grassroots conservation program works with municipalities to engage, educate and ...

Early successional habitat for birds program set for Oct. 18 at Rider Park

There are numerous birds that are in the area for birders to watch and listen to. Anyone who uses the MerlinID bird app can attest to that. Robins, warblers, chickadees. The list goes on throughout Central Pennsylvania. And on Friday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon, birders can join Josh ...

Forest management plan beneficial for Rider Park

Recently the Mid-Atlantic Audubon Society wrote up a large landscape-type scale forest management plan which included Rider Park. For Rider Park manager Sara Street, her park is going to get a forest management plan written by one of the foresters and it’s something she is more than excited about. “I need a new management plan. They’re good for every 10 years and I know ours is outdated and they’re really expensive because a lot of data is collected.” Street noted that it can easily run $10,000 for a forest management plan. What the plan itself does is go through the ...

Devastation of wooded landscapes topic at meeting

The Eastern hemlock is the Pennsylvania state tree and plays a vital role in the health of cold-water streams with native brook trout populations, but like many trees throughout the state, it is under siege. Sara Johnson, Forest Health Program Specialist, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, spoke to the devastation of wooded landscapes during the October meeting of Susquehanna Trout Unlimited. Eastern hemlocks are very vulnerable to invasive species. The trees, marked by their massive trunks and lush evergreen foliage, provide canopy for streams, introducing cooler water temperatures necessary ...

Has PA fallen victim to invasive trouts?

Pennsylvania anglers have faced more than their share of invasive species. Flatheads in the Susquehanna. Snakeheads in the Delaware River. Rusty crayfish border to border. The list goes on, and adding another name to the list should come as no surprise – but trout? Keystone anglers and outdoor enthusiasts alike are accustomed to seeing three forms of trout — brook, brown and rainbow. Four is the golden rainbow. They are a stable of the Pennsylvania fishing experience, and it is hard to imagine a season without the Fish and Boat Commission’s fleet of stocking trucks ...