I took the photo for this week's masthead on my first-ever visit to Little Buffalo State Park. Had someone asked me, I would have sworn that I had been to the park before. I used to drive past it all the time when my aunt and uncle lived up in Shermans Dale. But as soon as I drove onto State Park Road, I realized that I had in fact not been there before. 

It was a great day for hike so while I waited for Marci and a visit to the Reception Hall where we'll be holding this year's banquet, I did a little strolling about the grounds. 

The rail car pictured above is next on the park's list of historic restorations. PPFF is working with the park and the Friends of Little Buffalo to raise funds for its restoration and proceeds from next month's Women in the Wild event will support the efforts as well. Come to the banquet at Little Buffalo and see this project as well as several others your support has made possible!

Here we'll wrap up April (at least in our look ahead for fun things to do) with a nest full of birding activities to celebrate National Go Birding Day. Erie Bluffs expands the day's reach with an iNaturalist citizen science event.

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

Last week's question was a little tricky apparently. During J.T. Rothrock's tenure with the American Philosophical Society (founded by Ben Franklin in 1743), he delivered a series of lectures named for Andre Michaux, the 18th century French botanist for whom Michaux State Forest is named. Several people guessed the lectures were named after Gifford Pinchot and while that's not a bad guess Pinchot was only 12 years old in 1877 when the lectures began!

According to the most recent National Park Service figures, what percentage of wildfires are human caused?

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.

Quote from George Macauley Trevelyan
"Walking" (E.V. Mitchell, 1928).

Photo by Laura Rush
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, 2022.