So, first, a correction or, perhaps, jumping off point for discussion. Hawk-eyed Phyllis Terchanik (pun intended) noted that the Red-tail in Brian Berchtold's photo last week actually looks to her to be a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. 

Let the party begin!

This week's masthead is from photographer Rita Marie whose Lake Erie sunsets appear here quite frequently. She traveled a bit down I-79 and got this great shot at Moraine for your viewing pleasure. And mine! If you belong to the private Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests Book of Faces, a click to the pic will get you to the original.

Yesterday we bid farewell to Jason Lenker, our summer intern from Shippensburg University's sustainability program. One of his projects was an overview of the Return on Environment of open space in the Commonwealth and it is in the News blog right now. Really great information and one of several terrific projects he finished up this summer. Stay tuned for more!

We don't want News of Note to be nothing but warnings, but the story this week of three people killed in Washington, DC when they took shelter from a thunderstorm under a tree is a timely reminder about lightning safety. WITF's SmartTalk on August 9th covered the topic in more detail.  

It's Perseids Meteor Shower time again - likely viewing will be diminished this year not by weather (although that's definitely a factor) but the slowly waning full moon. 

From the Friends of Worlds End comes word of a new backpacking guide, Falls & Views Loop: Exploring the Wildness of Worlds End State Park and Loyalsock State Forest. 

And don't forget the Bonfire tee and sweatshirt campaign. Check out the "print to order" selections on offer and learn more with a click to the pic (or to HealthyLandsWeek.org). 

Another bonus picture this week just because. Photographer Mike Glass paid a visit to Sinnemahoning State Park and posted to the Hiking & Backpacking PA Book of Faces (again, alas, a private group).  Amazing to contemplate the sheer number of trees in this picture. Maybe you can count them as you work the week's jigsaw puzzle.

Thanks to those who followed the link and learned that:

Healthy Lands Week was designed to meet the following goals:

• Build an understanding of our individual roles in the stewardship of public areas and open spaces.
• Strengthen volunteerism in the outdoors by engaging the public in volunteer events.
• Create a sustainable system of public lands.
• Engage volunteers in projects that include tree planting, trail maintenance, painting, invasive removal, litter removal, etc. while building understanding of the value of these activities
• Develop an understanding of our individual actions on public spaces, both helpful and harmful.
• Have fun and make friends [emphasis mine]!

We hope you'll join us or one of our other partners in this celebration of the lands that make us healthy (and help us do them same for them in return).

This week, we compare two beauties of the [mostly] aquatic world. Who has a larger litter, the snapping turtle or the hellbender?

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.

There are a bunch of night sky and monarch butterfly events featured this "advance notice" weekend of August 27th. 

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

Blue boxes locate events; green photographs and news.

A photo that passed through my Facebook feed this week. Too adorable not to use!