Have you checked out the new statewide outdoor recreation plan “Recreation for All”? It’s available here to download. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is conducting online webinars to present the vision, priorities, recommendations and survey findings for Pennsylvania’s 2020-2024 Outdoor Recreation Plan. Each webinar will be one-hour in length with a presentation that will occur for the first 30 minutes followed by a question and answer period. After each webinar, participants will be encouraged to vote for your favorite action steps and provide general feedback on the plan’s 20 recommendations and over 100 actions through an online survey.
DCNR is offering these series of webinars to help you learn more about the plan and to focus on the plan’s five priority areas. They are free and will be held in October and November. Dates, topics, and registration info here: https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/workshopwebinar_pennsylvania_outdoor_recreation_plan_public_input#.X3TPXBSSmUk
- Thursday, October 15 – Recreation for All: Ensuring Equity in Access to Pennsylvania’s Outdoors
- Thursday, October 22 – Sustainable Systems: Protecting and Adapting Our Resources
- Thursday, October 29 – Funding and Economic Development: Elevating Outdoor Recreation
- Thursday, November 5 – Technology: New Tools to Improve Engagement
- Tuesday, November 10 – Health and Wellness: Promoting Healthy Living through Outdoor Connections
NATURE NUGGET: The Pennsylvania Environmental Council provides an outstanding “Northeastern Pennsylvania Bicycling & Hiking Map.” Awesome work here! https://pecpa.org/program/northeastern-pennsylvania-trail-map/
NATURE QUOTE: Brightest in 2020: Mars will be at its brightest from Oct. 4 to Oct. 17. As was the case in 2018, this is a spectacular year for Mars. On Oct. 6 at 10:18 a.m. EDT, the planet will be at its closest to Earth in 2020; at that moment it will be 38.57 million miles (62.06 million km) away.
“Porcupine Pat” McKinney is environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District and provides programming for people of all ages with an emphasis on schools, public programming and nature center development. “Porcupine Pat” hails from Marion, Ohio and has a BS with Distinction in Natural Resources – Environmental Interpretation from Ohio State. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sandy Cochran Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Education from the PA Forestry Association, the Schuylkill Pride Award, and the PAEE “Outstanding Environmental Educator Award.”
