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Chesapeake Bay water quality report card should spark us

As it splashed around in the bottom of a small translucent Tupperware container between being weighed and carefully measured, a hellbender regurgitated pieces of crayfish it recently had harvested from the nearby creek. Obviously, this hellbender had eaten well, especially considering the drastic increase in size of this specific creature over the past several years according to data collected by Dr. Peter Petokas at the site – one of a few dwindling pockets of ideal hellbender habitat in a watershed once thriving with the species. “The high-quality habitat that these creatures ...

Reflections in Nature: Plenty of birds can reach fast speeds

This upcoming weekend I plan to attend the Tri County Sportsmen Club annual picnic. The club will be holding a shoot beginning at 9 a.m.. to test the shooters’ skill by shooting clay birds thrown at different angles and speed. The shooters will usually have an excuse for missing a clay bird. The picnic will follow at noon. I do not plan to shoot, but will certainly enjoy the good food the ladies have prepared. In 1951, several sportsmen gathered for a shooting party on a moor in Southeastern Ireland. The men were hunting for the golden plover, which had eluded them throughout the ...

DCNR announces new district forester for Tioga State Forest

HARRISBURG — Department of Conservation and Natural Resources secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that Benn Carlson has been appointed to serve as the district forester for Tioga State Forest, which covers 161,890 acres in Bradford and Tioga counties. “We are excited Benn’s knowledge of the area and commitment to sustainable forestry leading Tioga State Forest,” Dunn said. “He is a proven leader and someone who is dedicated to managing forests to protect valuable habitat and to provide opportunities to educate the public on the incredible work of district ...

PGC meeting: Adults could accompany additional hunters

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval to a measure that will allow mentors hunting with a mentored youth to accompany up to two additional hunters, be they mentored youth, junior hunters or mentored adults. Previously, no additional junior or mentored hunters could accompany a mentor hunting with a mentored youth. There was a required one-to-one mentor/mentee ratio. That limit has now changed to three. The requirement that limits mentors and mentored youth from possessing only one sporting arm between them remains. The mentor must carry the sporting arm ...

Outdoor community calendar for week of July 30

RIDER PARK BLUEBIRD TRAIL WHERE: Rider Park WHEN: See lycomingaudubon.com for details as date and time are subject to change NOTES: Explore the Lycoming Audubon Bluebird Trail while monitoring nest boxes. You’ll be able to learn about the bluebirds, their calls, nests, habitat and how they raise their young. Please email Bruce Buckle at bcbuckle60@gmail.com beforehand to confirm as the monitoring schedule is subject to change. The program is free and open to the public. RIDER PARK STAR PARTY WHERE: Ryder Park WHEN: Friday, August 9 at 8:30 p.m. NOTES: Rider Park is ...

Reflections in Nature: We all need to experience nature

The one-time essential chores such as growing our own food, pumping our water and the killing and butchering of our meat are now becoming obsolete. Although there are many families that have gardens and grow some of their own food, this is often a hobby and not a necessity. Modern technology has enabled us to supply ourselves with all our physical necessities simply by going to a store. A trip to the store is usually done in an automobile, even if the destination is only several blocks away. We seldom find it necessary to walk anywhere. There are elevators and escalators to whisk us ...