Take Five: Taking a Break


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FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

Our Mission: To inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania's state parks and forests

Little Buffalo State Park
Photo by Pam Metzger

Ah, the masthead and opening message are of a piece this week. I've claimed it for myself, a view of the lake at Little Buffalo taken at our staff retreat.

We took a beautiful walk through the park to look at some of the projects we have been involved with here over the last several years (like the accessible playground - see below). Pictured here: (top) Martha, Marci, Katie, Tasha and (bottom) Bernadette, me. (Photo by Jenna.) We ended our day with a taste of a "mindful outdoor experience" led by Marci.

My quiet time was spent up on the dam gazing out to the lake and while we were instructed to leave the phones in our pocket I was struck with the need to share this view. Marci asked me to admit that I did NOT follow instructions!

So I hope you enjoy it!

This will also be a "farewell message." No, not for long. Just taking a week off for some R&R. I plan to be back in action for October 25. Please remember to take some R&R for yourself during this time. As you can see, it's beautiful out there!

Pam Metzger,

Membership Coordinator

pmetzger@paparksandforests.org

814.233.5703

NEWS OF NOTE

Intern Martha's latest contribution to the PPFF blog is a profile of Native American storyteller Dovie Thomason.

After reading Martha's blog, I am really hopeful of having the opportunity to see Dovie in person. In the meantime, I look forward to visiting her TEdTalk just as soon as I can.

As noted above, we spent a lovely day at Little Buffalo for our staff retreat on Wednesday and then on Thursday we held the official ribbon-cutting for what we believe is the first completely ADA compliant playground in the state park system! The playground is truly wonderful and the cushy, easy to roll on surface is too.

Kudos are due so many people for the installation of this marvel - from the donors whose funding made the purchase possible to the crack maintenance crew who put it together without anything in the way of installation instructions. It is their creativity and perseverance that saw the project through. Spend a moment with the press release (which will appear in the blog by Monday) that more fully outlines all the work that went into the playground's completion and do pay it a visit (near the swimming pool) when next you visit the park.

In 2021, then student Alyson Rotello approached PPFF to see if she could work with PPFF to submit a grant as part of a class that she was taking. We agreed and worked with her to apply to National Fuel to make improvements to the amphitheater at Sinnemahoning State Park. The park added some additional funding to not only improve the amphitheater, but to move it to a more accessible location for visitors. PPFF then supplied additional funding to landscape around the amphitheater, using native Pennsylvania trees and shrubs. The result? A lovely setting for programs!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Sorry to short-change you this week with only two photographs but I am using a library internet connection and it is terribly terribly slow. (NOT that I am not very grateful for it being available in the FIRST place.)

Allegheny Islands State Park

This week Beverly Dellinger completed her "Seen 'Em All Challenge," completing her visits to all 124 state parks. She did it with the hardest of all parks to visit. Her post to the Pennsylvania State Parks Book of Faces includes this lovely shot just before she made her left turn to shore.

Varden Conservation Area

It feels like this photograph from Dave Cummins' visit to Varden this week sums up this autumn pretty nicely. Some fall color, some green. Sometimes all at once!

In honor of my sweetie's birthday today, I'll include this fantastic shot by Jack Belle of a train moving through Yough Gorge at sunrise, posted to the Hiking & Backpacking PA Book of Faces. If you are a member of the page, visit the original with a click to the pic. Regardless, enjoy it as a jigsaw puzzle, too.

Happy birthday, Pookie.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

So much fun to enjoy over the next couple of weeks! Big festivals and then, at the end of the month, spookiness descends!

Don't forget to bookmark both the PPFF events calendar and the DCNR Calendar of Events so you don't miss anything you'd be sorry to miss!

NORTH

Fall Festival
October 19 | 11:00 AM
Parker Dam State Park

Kids' Craft: Coffee Filter Bats
October 27 | 1:00 PM
Sinnemahoning State Park

SOUTH

Little Buffalo Apple Festival
October 19 / 20 | 10:00 AM
Little Buffalo State Park

Fall Furnace Fest
October 19 / 20 | 11:00 AM
Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Pinchotween
October 26 | 3:30 PM
Gifford Pinchot State Park

EAST

40th Anniversary Party
October 19 | 10:00 AM
White Clay Creek Preserve

A Walk in the Dark
October 26 | 7:00 PM
Marsh Creek State Park

WEST

Fire Tower Tour
October 19 | 3:00 PM
Laurel Ridge State Park

Geocaching for Beginners
October 26 | 10:00 AM
Pymatuning State Park

WHERE ARE WE THIS WEEK?

Blue boxes show photos and news locations and purple are events.

IN CLOSING

(I used this one two years ago, but it seemed kind of an appropriate repeat. See you again soon!)

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Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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