I did try to resist the urge to mention the weather but, okay. Failure. Bill swears it was snowing Tuesday night. 81 degrees as I write this on Thursday afternoon. No matter - the tires are pumped on the bike and I walked to the top of the Army Corps dam of Youghiogheny Lake this morning. 

This week's masthead comes from Discover NEPA's article on the joys of Big Pocono State Park. It's just one of many videos and articles on the website to encourage visitation to the region. Can't argue with the lure of the 17 state parks!

With Earth Day also comes the conclusion to International Dark Sky Week. Cherry Springs Dark Sky Association founder and board member Maxine Harrison wrote a blog post for us on the significance of the dark skies and the welcome expansion of awareness of their importance across the DCNR system. More to come in the summer newsletter!

In case you needed additional reminders about Pennsylvania's dry spring and the heightened danger of wildfire, DCNR shared this photo of the Crystal Lake Fire in Pinchot State Forest and SGL 119 that was burning last week near the town of Mountain Top in Luzerne County. The fire is now said to have been contained but not before the loss of over 2,500 acres. Thankfully, no injuries were reported and no homes were lost. The cause is under investigation. 

Our look ahead takes us into the first weekend of May with an ever-increasing number of fun things to do.

Put a bookmark on the PPFF Events calendar and DCNR Calendar of Events so you never miss an announcement.

We discussed campfires and the wildfire danger we're facing this season and asked what percentage of wildfires the NPS has said are human caused. Most recent figures (2017) say 85%. "Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson."

As Diane wrote in her answer, "C'mon people, do better!" 

Trillium! A visual trillium trivia quiz this week. This beauty is found all over the place. Which of the varieties shown below is NOT a Pennsylvania native?

Photo credits:

(Left): By Fungus Guy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/...

(Center): TN Nursery 

(Right): Mark Pistrang.

Enter each week to increase your chances of a fabulous prize at the end of the month when I'll draw one entry from all correct answers received during the month.

Green boxes are pictures and news; blue boxes are events.

Welcome to Rothrock Week!