I Love My State Parks Week kicks off on Sunday and our friends at New Trail Brewing Company are bringing back I Love My State Parks Hazy IPA.

Say the brewers: I Love My State Parks is a national initiative dedicated to State Park advocacy and public land stewardship. A portion of proceeds from this beer will be donated to support that mission. This Hazy IPA is brewed with a mixture of pale malts and oats, then hopped heavily with Azacca, Amarillo and Cascade. You'll find notes of faint pine, tangerine zest, and fresh cut mango. Go support your favorite State Parks, then keep it going with I Love My State Parks Hazy IPA. 6.5%

Thank you, New Trail! Now how ELSE do you plan to show your love for your state parks? Keep an eye on our social media all week long, beginning on Sunday, for the theme of the day and how you can celebrate (even just by paying attention). When you post your pictures use the #ILoveMyStateParksWeek and #PaParks so everyone nationwide can follow along!

The Centre Foundation's annual Centre Gives day of giving for Centre County nonprofits begins this Thursday, May 14, and 8:00 AM and continues through 8:00 PM on May 15. Once again this year all donations made to the PPFF page will be split evenly between the Friends of Black Moshannon and the Trails Fund at Moshannon State Forest. 

At [roughly] the same time (noon on May 14 to noon on May 15), the Schuylkill Foundation's Schuylkill Gives is likewise taking place. Here, gifts to the PPFF page will support placement of an accessible kayak launch at Locust Lake State Park. 

Donation matches. Stretch pools. Great fun and good feelings are part of both of these initiatives.

We always like to thank you for the impact your donations  (like those to the campaigns above) have on behalf of the parks and forests - and congratulate you on your wonderful accomplishments. Take the money given to the Ruffed Grouse Habitat project in the Bald Eagle State Forest. 

Habitat restoration can be a slow and sometimes incremental process so it is always wonderful to find out that the support is having a real impact. 

This week we received a note from Matt Null of the Ridge Country Ruffed Grouse Society. Matt writes, "I ran my portion of the route Sunday and heard a couple drumming birds, and Jessie Sauder (local volunteer for PA Bird Atlas) and I have been seeing grouse on the road with regularity. Thanks again for your hard work in our local area. When I first moved to Snyder County six years ago, it was extremely rare for me to encounter grouse on Shade Mountain, but now I see them on nearly every trip up there--and a lot of local people are taking notice of that, too." 

Like the mama grouse pictured - it was reported she had several fledglings in her company.