Think Outside with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

“Get outdoors. Get off your iPad and get outdoors because it's way more fun and it's good for your brain.” Our host, Marci Mowery, chats with Lutricia Eberly, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Association (PORA), the trade group representing the state's ski resorts, outfitters, zip lines, and adventure providers. Lutricia grew up on a tree farm in the woods, though neither of her degrees (computer science, then theology) pointed toward outdoor recreation. Almost by accident, she turned a seasonal job at Roundtop Mountain Resort into a career. It wasn't until she moved to Girl Scouts that she recognized outdoor recreation as an industry. PORA began in 1978 as a ski association and rebranded in 2024 to represent the whole sector. Its advocacy work centers less on trails than on the unglamorous machinery behind them. These include utility costs (snowmaking is expensive!), minor-employment law, and safety training run jointly with the state's lift inspectors. The association's most visible project is the Pennsylvania Outdoor Adventure Pass, a $69 digital pass for fourth and fifth graders that unlocks discounts at more than 50 providers statewide. Ski slopes, zoos, caves, and river outfitters are among them. These kids are old enough for real independence, but young enough that parents are still along for the ride. Lutricia's case is that, more than a discount card, the pass is a counter against five-plus daily hours of screen time. It’s a low-stakes way for kids to try something unfamiliar and build confidence, and, eventually, a pipeline into outdoor careers kids don't yet know exist! Key Topics: What PORA Actually Does (3:52) The Outdoor Adventure Pass, Explained (8:31) What the Pass Unlocks for Families (15:16) Showcasing Careers in Outdoor Recreation (18:05) Screens, Loneliness, and the Case for Getting Outside (22:43) Resources: Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Association: https://paoutdoors.org/ Pennsylvania Outdoor Adventure Pass: https://paoutdooradventure.com/ @PaOutdoorPass on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaOutdoorPass PORA on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-outdoor-recreation-association/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“We don't want anyone to ever feel like they're on an island. We don't feel like we are!” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Kate Gundersen-Thorpe, manager of French Creek State Park, and Kim Keller, manager of Marsh Creek State Park, to discuss the third annual Women in the Big Woods retreat and the winding paths that led them both into park management. Neither planned on a conservation career. Kate discovered it through a college internship after growing up camping in New Jersey, where state parks are scarce, while Kim abandoned a research-science track after hating her first lab job and found her footing at a regional DCNR office instead. Kate and Kim offer a candid look at what it means to work as women in a still male-dominated field. Both describe deliberately mentoring newcomers, defending each other's reputations, and building an informal support network that they wish they'd had starting out. Along the way, they give a little tour of both parks. French Creek's CCC-built cabins, 40 miles of trail, and new glamping sites; Marsh Creek's freshly dedicated, ADA-accessible visitor center, replacing a converted residence after 52 years, plus its horse-boarding concessionaire. They round out the conversation by discussing practical notes on Sunday hunting rules, as well as the Bark Ranger leash program. Key Topics: About Women in the Big Woods (07:47) Touring French Creek: CCC History, Trails, and Glamping (11:07) Marsh Creek: From Drinking-Water Reservoir to a New Visitor Center (17:24) Mentorship in a Male-Dominated Field (23:17) Start Small: Gear Swaps and Backyard Camping (27:55) Bark Rangers and the BARK Principles (29:36) Navigating Hunting Season on Two Different Parks (31:12) From Intern to Manager: The DCNR Career Ladder (35:09) Tree Complaints and Feral Raccoons (42:13) Resources: French Creek State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/french-creek-state-park Marsh Creek State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/marsh-creek-state-park Facebook French Creek State Park: https://www.facebook.com/frenchcreekSP/ Facebook Marsh Creek State Park: https://www.facebook.com/MarshCreekStatePark/ Timberline Glamping: https://www.timberlineglamping.com/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"Learning about stewardship and choosing to turn your passion into action is something you can do anywhere and everywhere." Our host Marci Mowery welcomes Amy Hill to explore how Pennsylvanians can “Turn Your Passion Into Action” during Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week, with this year’s spotlight on Bedford County. They share how the initiative connects volunteers, families, students, and outdoor enthusiasts with hands-on stewardship of the state’s cultural and natural resources—across state parks, forests, historic sites, and community spaces. In Buchanan State Forest, volunteers help preserve the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, including an African American CCC camp from the Great Depression. Marci and Amy discuss uncovering remnants of historic camp structures, restoring bridges and stonework, and supporting climate resiliency. These efforts safeguard today’s forest experience while honoring the work that built much of the outdoor infrastructure people enjoy now. Marci and Amy also highlight projects at Shawnee State Park and other Bedford County locations, where invasive plant removal, trail improvements, scrap metal cleanups, and family-friendly “micro-litter” projects at pavilions all add up to healthier ecosystems. Woody invasive plants will be upcycled into fish habitat structures for park lakes, improving aquatic environments rather than heading to a landfill. Running from September 26 (National Public Lands Day) through October 4—during Bedford County’s fall foliage festival—Healthy Lands Week invites participants to sign up at pahealthylandsweek.org, volunteer one day, then hike, bike, paddle, or explore covered bridges and local farm-to-table food the next. And while the spotlight is on Bedford County this year, Marci and Amy emphasize that stewardship can start in any Pennsylvania community, all year long. Key Topics: What Is Pennsylvania Healthy Lands Week? (Bedford County Spotlight) (00:00:38) “Turn Your Passion into Action” – Personal Meaning and Stewardship Mindset (00:02:21) How Visitor Use Impacts Trails and Natural Areas (00:03:28) CCC Camp History, Hands-On Preservation (00:04:42) Climate Resiliency Projects: Testing Southern Tree Species and Preparing Forests for Hotter Summers (00:06:36) Stewardship Projects: Vegetation Management, Bridge/Trail/Infrastructure Restoration (00:07:53) Shawnee State Park: Invasive Removal and Upcycling Woody Invasives Into Fish Habitat Devices (00:10:04) Wet-Trail Fixes, Scrap Metal Removal, And “Micro Litter” Pavilion Cleanup (00:12:22) Family-Friendly, Student, And Corporate Volunteer Opportunities in Bedford County (00:15:49) Event Details: Dates, How to Participate, And Bedford County as A Fall Recreation Destination (00:16:41) Resources: Pa Healthy Lands Week: PaHealthyLandsWeek.org Healthy Lands Week Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyLandsWeek/ Healthy Lands Week Instagram: @ HealthyLandsWeek 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“It's a forgiving river, but you have to respect it.” Brook Lenker, president of the Susquehanna River Trail Association, traces the origins of Pennsylvania's first formal water trail. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in recent years, the trail encompasses the 52-mile middle section of the Susquehanna between Sunbury and Harrisburg. The idea began with a single canoe trip in the early 1990s that turned a casual acquaintance with the river into a lifelong passion. What followed was years of coalition-building. The middle section's success helped seed a statewide network that today shares in Pennsylvania's more than 83,000 miles of waterways, the second most in the nation. What sets this stretch apart is its geography. It has roughly 500 islands, five consecutive water gaps cutting through the ridge-and-valley mountains (rare enough to earn National Natural Landmark status) and river towns like Millersburg and Harrisburg that have embraced the water rather than turned away from it. Twenty-three designated, numbered campsites along the 52 miles, measured from the river's mouth at Havre de Grace, Maryland, invite paddlers into primitive, forested camping within sight of the State Capitol dome. A dedicated corps of volunteer stewards, working alongside the Bureau of Forestry, keeps the sites usable, all while encountering otters, beaver dams, and at least one paddler who signed every logbook "Squid Billy." Key Topics: A River Rat's Canoe Trip: How the Idea Was Born (02:30) Island Camping 101: Signs, Logbooks, and Mile Markers (08:42) Know Before You Go: Dams and River Hazards (14:01) Primitive Camping and a River That Changes (17:46) Volunteer Island Stewards and Trail Upkeep (21:54) River Encounters: Otters, Beavers, and "Squid Billy" (25:18) Dauphin Narrows: Lady Liberty and a National Natural Landmark (27:14) Resources: Susquehanna River Trail Association: https://www.susquehannarivertrail.org/ Facebook, Susquehanna River Trail Association: https://www.facebook.com/SusquehannaRiverTrailAssociation/ Weiser State Forest: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/weiser Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail: https://www.nps.gov/cajo/index.htm Canoe Camping Fact Sheet: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/canoe-camping.pdf 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“I live in a place where people come on vacation, and my family reminds me of that pretty frequently.” Our host, Marci Mowery, chats with Jim McCorkle who manages Shawnee State Park in Bedford County, a role he's held for five years within a 19-year park management career. Speaking from the park's Historical and Interpretive Center, he describes a place built around its 450-acre lake, kept free of gas motors so paddlers, anglers, and swimmers share the water peacefully. Trails range from the paved, stroller-friendly Lake Shore Trail to Field Trail's unexpected Allegheny Plateau overlook, to a quieter, hillier loop along Forbes, Pigeon Hills, and Tiday trails that most visitors skip. Overnight options span camping cottages, an island lodge once part of the Bowman family's Water Brooks Dairy Farm, and 201 campsites, including "Great Gathering" sites for larger groups and new "buddy sites" arriving alongside a rebuilt yurt for the 2027 season. Historically, Forbes Road once passed through the property, the Shawnee people moved seasonally through the area, and longtime educator Ron Barlik spent 51 seasons amassing a Native American artifact collection now being recatalogued. The park, dammed and dedicated in 1951, marks its 75th anniversary this year with a 75K challenge and an October 17th celebration. Volunteers, coordinated through the Friends of Shawnee and Blue Knob State Parks, sustain much of this through trail work, cleanups, and events like Art in the Park. What Jim hopes visitors take away is that even a place built for tourists can be a backyard worth discovering! Key Topics: What to Expect at Shawnee (01:28) Campsites, Great Gathering Sites, and New Buddy Sites (04:49) Bedford County and the Surrounding Laurel Highlands (10:57) Celebrating 75 Years of Shawnee State Park (15:10) Family Activities (18:26) Overlooked Trails and Quiet Contemplation Spots (19:32) The Friends of Shawnee and Blue Knob State Parks (26:31) Healthy Lands Week and Closing Thoughts (29:44) Resources: Shawnee State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/shawnee-state-park Shawnee State Park Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawneeSP/ Friends of Shawnee and Blue Knob State Parks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsofshawneeblueknob/ Friends of Shawnee and Blue Knob State Parks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfShawnee Discover Bedford County: https://discoverbedfordcounty.com/ Bedford County Development Association: https://www.facebook.com/GrowingBedfordCounty/ Shawnee Boat Rental: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566658509518 Pa Healthy Lands Week: https://pahealthylandsweek.org/ Pa Healthy Lands Week Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthylandsweek/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“We just help tie in all those ownerships. I think we're the largest landowner in the Laurel Highlands.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Ed Callahan, who is district forester for the Forbes State Forest, spanning Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset counties in southwestern Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. He arrived in 1999 as assistant district forester and took over the district in 2002; since then, holdings have grown from roughly 58,000 to 64,000 acres. The forest sits in three separated blocks (Laurel Mountain, Mount Davis, and the ridge near Quebec Run), each an hour to ninety minutes apart and ecologically distinct, tied together by neighboring state parks, game lands, and private landowners like Seven Springs and Nemacolin Woodlands. The district's name honors General John Forbes's French and Indian War road, and sites like the 1770s-era Carroll Cabin and the Wharton Iron Furnace have been restored with grant support from the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. Recreation runs year-round. There’s hiking, mountain biking, hunting, native brook trout fishing, and winter sports including 120 miles of groomed snowmobile trail and dog sledding. At Mount Davis, the state's high point, a 1930s-era observation tower is being fitted with new interpretive signage so visitors who can't climb it still get the view. Volunteers are the backbone of the operation: the 22-year-old Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group and a newer Trail Steward Program keep trails assessed and maintained. Key Topics: Mount Davis: The High Point and Its Observation Tower (2:37) Wild Areas and the Shape of the District's Land (6:20) Naming History (9:26) Four-Season Recreation (13:44) Storm Damage and Stream Remediation Partnerships (16:19) Building the Volunteer and Trail Steward Programs (18:42) Wolf Rocks and Spruce Flats Bog (24:19) Accessibility Improvements and the Pollinator Loop (26:36) Roadside Camping Opportunities (32:34) Resources: Forbes State Forest: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/forbes Forbes State Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForbesStateForest Laurel Highlands Trout Trail: https://www.laurelhighlandstrouttrail.org/ Go Laurel Highlands: https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/ DCNR Interactive Map: https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/dcnrinteractivemap/ Reserve America--PA Park and Forest Reservations: https://pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“I hope that any time someone finds a new place that they love, that they want to protect and conserve that place.” Tory Mather is the author of Scenic Natural Wonders of Pennsylvania and the creator of Tory Talks Trails. She came to the project when a leg injury in 2021 gave her the time to write about hikes from her Cleveland years. As her mobility returned, the blog grew. A publisher commissioned her to catalog 84 scenic spots across the state, formatted with practical tips for every kind of visitor. The research consumed most of a year. Tory would leave Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoons, drive to wherever her next cluster of sites was, and spend the weekends hiking and taking notes. Building a platform to bring more people outdoors creates a responsibility to do so well. And so Tory practices Leave No Trace, keeps strict screen time limits to protect her own relationship with hiking, and increasingly uses her platform for conservation stories. A couple of these include land threatened by data center development and volunteer groups doing quiet stewardship. The book is an entry point. What she cares about most is what comes next, when a reader visits a place and decides they don't want to lose it. Key Topics: From Leg Injury to Book Commission (1:37) 84 Places for Everybody in Pennsylvania (3:49) The Spreadsheet Behind the Book (11:19) Tory’s Favorite Place in Pennsylvania (13:24) Hiking for Yourself, Not for Your Feed (17:55) Leave No Trace and Don't Skip the Poncho (21:52) Data Centers, Elk, and What's Coming Next (24:26) Getting People Outside and Getting Them to Care (26:33) Resources: My Trails Are Many: https://mytrailsaremany.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torytalkstrails/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@torytalkstrails?_t=8hxFM2sFpVu&_r=1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@torytalkstrails 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“We're building a quilt. I call it a quilt of state forest land.” Our host, Marci Mowery, chats with Rick Hartlieb, who is the district forester for the William Penn Forest District, covering nine counties across southeastern Pennsylvania. When he arrived in 2008, the district managed 902 acres. Today, that figure stands near 3,000, the result of patient land acquisition that Rick describes as building a "quilt" of public forest in one of the Commonwealth's most urbanized regions. The district's existing holdings are ecologically distinct and historically layered. Goat Hill Wild Plant Sanctuary, on the Mason-Dixon line in Chester County, protects a serpentine barren ecosystem with globally rare plants and lepidopterous insects found nowhere else. Little Tinicum Island, Pennsylvania's only tidal state forest land, shifts between 80 and 200 acres with the tide, carrying history from its role as one of the Delaware River's earliest colonial ports, where ships staged offshore before passengers were permitted ashore, through a World War II dredging operation that reshaped its shoreline. Newer acquisitions, such as the Wertz Tract, Gibraltar Hill, Buck Hollow, and Mullan Hollow along the Horseshoe Trail, continue expanding what the district can offer. Sustaining these places requires year-round vigilance. Rick's team treats 220 ash trees across five sites on a three-year rotation, the only living ash remaining in the surrounding counties. Hemlock woolly adelgid, beech leaf disease, stiltgrass, and development pressure fill the rest of the calendar. The Highlands Conservation Act has funded roughly half of the district's acquisitions. Volunteer groups, cycling clubs, and a friends organization at Goat Hill take care of much of the rest. What animates Rick most is a legacy question. That is, how to set up forest land close enough for a King of Prussia resident to reach in thirty minutes, built to outlast any single manager who comes after. Key Topics: Goat Hill Wild Plant Sanctuary and the Serpentine Barren (3:28) Little Tinicum Island: Tides, History, and Big Ships (6:21) The Wertz and Gibraltar Hill Tracts (10:12) History in the Landscape: James Wilson and the Lenape (16:16) Managing Invasive Species and Tree Disease (18:31) Accessible Trails and the Upcoming Delmont Tract (23:49) Community Partners, Volunteers, and the Green Gym (26:20) The Future of the District (27:59) What Rick Hopes Visitors Know About This Work (31:36) Best Places to Visit in the William Penn Forest District (37:14) Resources: William Penn Forest District: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/william-penn William Penn State Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPennSF William Penn Public Use Map: https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=5180381&DocName=D17%20William%20Penn%20Public%20Use%20Map.pdf Spanish Language Map: https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=3849450&DocName=FD17%20William%20Penn%20Public%20Use%20Recreation%20Guide%20Spanish%202021.pdf Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens: https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-the-State-Line-Serpentine-Barrens-100064575826052/ View from the Hopewell Fire Tower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8DiQYlVa1o 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"It's all about co-creation." Meredith Hill spent fifteen years at Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources managing the Conservation Landscape Program before her recent retirement. She believes that no agency, no organization, no community can accomplish conservation at scale alone. Today, Meredith joins our host Marci Mowery to discuss a program that has quietly reshaped how Pennsylvania thinks about land, community, and the relationship between the two. Born out of a visionary leader's statewide listening tour in the early 2000s, the program designated eight multi-county regions across Pennsylvania, each united by shared values but driven by the distinct needs of its place. In the Wilds, the priority was building a sustainable outdoor recreation economy around vast public lands to revitalize rural communities. In the Lehigh Valley, it was stitching green corridors together before open space disappeared forever. The program is driven, says Meredith, by trust . After all, it takes years to build, and it requires DCNR staff to step outside their bureaus and work shoulder to shoulder with local partners. Trust, in turn, produces the remarkable. Think of a network of local artisans selling handmade goods in state park shops; county planners meeting every other month for nearly two decades; communities like Galeton intentionally dimming their streetlights to protect a night sky that draws stargazers from across the world! Key Topics: What Is the Conservation Landscape Program? (01:42) Pennsylvania's Eight Landscapes (03:31) Building Trust Across Diverse Partners (11:25) The PA Wilds Cooperative: Artisans, Entrepreneurs, and Local Business (14:53) One Experience Every Pennsylvanian Should Have: Dark Skies (23:16) Pennsylvania as a Model for Other States (26:30) Measuring Progress Over Twenty Years (28:30) Why Conservation Landscapes Matter (31:08) Agriculture, Solar, and the Hard Conversations (35:08) Resources: Conservation Landscapes: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/community-outreach-and-development/conservation-landscapes Kinzua Bridge State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/kinzua-bridge-state-park Cherry Spring State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/cherry-springs-state-park Keeping Dark Skies Dark: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/keep-the-dark-skies-dark.pdf 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“People are building memories… We have foundational memories, and that’s what these people are building day in and day out.” Our host, Marci Mowery, speaks with Park Manager Jim Eckert about why Little Buffalo State Park has become one of Pennsylvania’s most approachable outdoor destinations. Jim describes Little Buffalo as a “starter park,” a place where newcomers can comfortably experience the outdoors without feeling overwhelmed by rugged wilderness. From flat lakeside trails and beginner-friendly archery programs to ADA kayak launches, inclusive playgrounds, and accessible picnic areas, the park is designed to welcome families, first-time visitors, and people of all physical abilities. Visitors can explore the working Shoaff's Mill, the Blue Ball Tavern, covered bridges, and historic rail exhibits, while seasonal traditions like the Apple Festival and “Light Up Little Buffalo” introduce new audiences to outdoor recreation. This eclectic collection of events can provide the small “nudge” that sparks a lifelong passion for parks and nature! Jim discusses the value of shared public spaces. Whether it’s hearing wood thrushes at dusk, skating across frozen lake ice, or sharing hamburgers at a summer picnic, the park becomes a setting where families build traditions across generations. Key Topics: Little Buffalo as a “Starter Park” for New Visitors (01:40) Fishing, Birding, and Beginner-Friendly Hiking Trails (04:41) Accessibility Projects and Inclusive Recreation (06:54) Seasonal Traditions: Apple Festival and “Light Up Little Buffalo” (09:53) Hidden Wildlife Gems Around the Lake (14:37) Camping, Cabins, and Making Parks Accessible to All (16:25) Fossils, Geology, and “Touching the Past” (19:31) Resources: Little Buffalo State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/little-buffalo-state-park Little Buffalo State Park Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebuffalostatepark/ Friends of Little Buffalo State Park: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LittleBuffalo/ Little Buffalo Festival: https://littlebuffalofestival.org/ Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/tuscarora/wild-and-natural-areas DCNR Events: https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“You never know what you're going to uncover as you walk through, and the questions about its history always spark great conversation.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Karli Naugle, who is the district forester of Buchanan State Forest, recently named the Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation's Forest of the Year. She offers an insider's tour of a forest that has, until now, largely kept its charms to itself. Karli's path to forestry began at home. Growing up beside Buchanan, she walked the back forty with her grandfather, who worked for PennDOT and advised her early that a state job was a life well spent. She eventually landed exactly that; though he passed just before she received the district forester title, a promotion she wished she could have shared with him. Spread across three counties (Franklin, Fulton, and Bedford), Buchanan is a patchwork of ridgetop forests, each with its own character. The Big Mountain Overlook commands views stretching from Maryland to Perry County. The Chaneysville area holds rare hard pine stands. The Silent Hill tract quietly accumulates some of the region's best snowfall and harbors a history that surprises most visitors: a CCC camp that later served as a prisoner-of-war facility, its story preserved in a downloadable history hike guide. Karli’s team maintains around 206 miles of trails and approximately 62 primitive campsites. Volunteers have transformed old firebreak paths into proper switchback trails. Plans are underway for a dark-sky stargazing site, accessible hunting areas, and a wheelchair-friendly route to the Big Mountain Overlook. Key Topics: What Makes Buchanan Unique (02:20) Named Forest of the Year (07:11) Challenges: Invasive Species and Wildfire (09:51) Balancing Conservation with Public Use (11:08) Planning a Visit: Tips for First-Timers (23:25) Cultural Resources and History Hikes (31:27) Resources: Buchanan State Forest: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/buchanan Bureau of Geologic Survey: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/about/bureaus-and-offices/geological-survey Buchanan State Forests Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuchananStateForest Fulton Fall Folk Festival: https://fultoncountypa.com/fulton-fall-folk-festival/ Standing Stone Trail: https://www.standingstonetrail.org/ PA Healthy Lands Week: https://pahealthylandsweek.org/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"It's hard to see and notice at the speed with which we move." Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Ben Moyer, who is an author and longtime outdoor journalist from the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. They chat about a life spent paying close attention to the natural world and inviting others to do the same. Ben's connection to nature began early, shaped by his father, who took him fishing at Dunbar Creek, where the pull of a trout on the line left an impression that never faded. Those formative experiences, rooted in the traditional pursuits of hunting and fishing, became the lens through which he eventually found his voice as a writer. High school English teachers who recognized something in him helped point the way. Thoreau's Walden and Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac confirmed it. Over decades of writing (including 559 consecutive columns for Pennsylvania Outdoor News and a monthly column called "The Wild Around" in Pennsylvania Game News ), Ben has argued, quietly and persistently, that wonder doesn't require travel to exotic places. It lives in your backyard, in a squirrel's improvisational genius, in the dusk flight of a woodcock over a boggy meadow in spring. He navigates the grimmer realities of environmental change all with the same philosophy. That is, acknowledge the losses honestly, but never lose sight of what remains. Finally, Ben talks about the opening of Laurel Caverns as Pennsylvania's 125th state park, a moment both men salute as proof that patient, principled stewardship can still win. Key Topics: From Fishing Rods to the Written Word (01:15) Thoreau, Leopold, and the Books That Shaped Him (06:05) Writing for Readers Who Don't Think of Themselves as Outdoor People (10:16) Writing About Environmental Loss Without Losing Hope (13:29) Conservation Partners Worth Mentioning (20:49) What Does a Meaningful Outdoor Experience Look Like? (27:01) Favorite Places: Grandfather's Farm and Dunbar Creek (31:41) Wild Foods, Ramps, and Seasonal Rituals (32:14) Laurel Caverns: Pennsylvania's 125th State Park (40:31) Resources: Chestnut Ridge Trout Unlimited: https://chestnutridgetu.org/ Pittsburgh Quarterly: https://pittsburghquarterly.com/ Quiet Article: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Fall-Newsletter.pdf Ben Moyer | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/ben-moyer 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“I wasn't afraid of the cave, but I was afraid of people.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with David Cale, former owner of Laurel Caverns in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, for a conversation about one of the state's most singular natural wonders. It’s a cave system that became Pennsylvania's 125th state park, and the first underground state park in the commonwealth. David's relationship with Laurel Caverns began before he was born. His grandfather purchased the surrounding land in the 1920s, when the cave, then known as Delaney's Cave, was already a beloved destination for amateur explorers and weekend campers. David's earliest memories are of scrambling through its passages as a boy, naming chambers after Grieg compositions, and dreaming of what lay deeper in the mountain. That dream never let him go. Starting at age 15, David began digging through sand-clogged passages to find a new cave no one had ever seen, eventually opening what his staff named Cale's Canyon. Today, the system spans four known miles, with perhaps four times more still buried in sand. A philosopher by training, holding a doctorate in philosophy from Duquesne University, David ran the cavern for decades alongside his wife Lillian, pioneering bat hibernation protections as early as the 1970s and hosting Carnegie Mellon University researchers testing echolocation-inspired drones underground. His vision for the property was always a state park. He held off developers, resisted offers of quick profit, and ultimately donated the land outright with Lillian. Now that vision is reality. Key Topics: A Family Legacy in the Cave (01:47) The Hall of the Mountain King (03:21) Buying Back Laurel Caverns (08:58) Bat Conservation and Hibernation Closures (12:04) Cave History and Local Legend (15:35) Tour Levels: From Guided Walks to 45-Story Descents (22:27) Pennsylvania's 125th State Park (26:55) Laurel Caverns as a Scientific Laboratory (32:20) Resources: Laurel Cavern State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/laurel-caverns-state-park Laurel Caverns: https://laurelcaverns.com/ Go Laurel Highlands: https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/ London Symphony Orchestra performing Hall of the Mountain King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvHWUZZdP0 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"We want to see everybody enjoying this place. That's where it all comes to fruition." Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Park Manager Mathias Weinzen to talk about one of Pennsylvania’s most ecologically distinctive parks: Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County. "Black" describes the dark, tannin-stained waters of the 250-acre lake, colored as clear water flows through sphagnum moss and bog vegetation. It acts, as Mathias puts it, like a giant teabag. "Moshannon" comes from the Native American name for the watershed, traditionally meaning "moose stream." At the heart of the park lies a remarkable bog, a vast natural wetland home to all three of Pennsylvania's carnivorous plants: pitcher plant, sundew, and bladderwort, alongside wild blueberries, cranberries, and a flyway for over 175 recorded bird species. The fully accessible Bog Trail is Mathias’ top recommendation for first-time visitors, though his personal favorite is the Star Mill Trail, where he keeps a bench for reading. Beyond the bog, the park offers 22 miles of trails, a sandy beach, campsites, and 23 roofed overnight facilities. These include deluxe cottages named Blueberry, Cranberry, and Winterberry in honor of what grows here. The park's calendar runs from a winter festival on a frozen lake to Women in the Wilds, PA Wild Child, the Lumber Legacy event (complete with professional log burling demonstrations), and the wildly popular Haunted Lake Loop Trail each October. History runs deep here, too. The area was a thriving lumber community in the late 1800s before being reforested by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, whose rustic cabins and pavilions (some now converted into warming huts in winter) still serve visitors today. The park is also a gateway to over 43,000 acres of surrounding Moshannon State Forest, including the 40-mile Allegheny Front Trail. Mathias credits his staff above all else, and his message to anyone hesitating about a visit is to “trust us, come out, and we'll show you what it's about!” Key Topics: Trails, Beach, and Recreational Amenities (02:10) The Loaner Program (05:10) Ice Fishing and Winter Recreation (06:31) Festivals and Events Throughout the Year (08:15) Park History: Logging Era and the CCC (11:28) Elevation, Climate, and What to Pack (13:44) Surrounding Moshannon State Forest (16:44) First-Timer Recommendations (19:10) Resources: Black Moshannon State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/black-moshannon-state-park Friends of Black Moshannon: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofblackmo Happy Valley Adventure Bureau: https://happyvalley.com/ 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"Everybody can be a steward of Penn’s Woods in some way." Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Seth Cassell, Director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, also known as the State Forester, to take a sweeping look at one of Pennsylvania's most consequential and quietly essential agencies. Seth came to the role with a deep reverence for the state's remarkable forest heritage and a vision for what stewardship in the 21st century demands. Pennsylvania's Bureau of Forestry oversees more than 2.2 million acres of state forest, but Seth is quick to point out that its reach goes far beyond that number. With 16 million acres of total forest in the commonwealth (70% of it privately owned), the Bureau operates as a statewide resource, providing technical assistance to roughly 650,000 private landowners, coordinating wildfire suppression, planting riparian buffers, and advancing urban tree canopy programs. Pennsylvania holds a rare distinction. It was the first state to certify its entire state forest system under the Forest Stewardship Council, achieving that milestone in 1998, and later added Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification to become dual-certified, a testament to decades of rigorous, accountable management. The Bureau's new strategic plan, Forests for All , signals a meaningful cultural shift, explicitly naming people and communities in its mission for the first time. Recreation across the system runs the gamut from scenic driving and snowmobiling to primitive backcountry camping on river islands, with a particular emphasis on the irreplaceable value of quiet. Wild and natural areas like Allen Seeger and Hammersley offer Pennsylvania's closest thing to true wilderness, while a growing focus on soundscape research reflects a commitment to protecting that stillness. Seth champions the power of partnership, crediting the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and a broad ecosystem of collaborators as essential to delivering on the Bureau's mission. He believes that everyone can be a steward of Penn’s Woods. Key Topics: Ecosystem Management Explained (01:19) The "Forests for All" Strategic Plan (10:12) Incident Management and Emergency Response (14:10) Recreational Opportunities in State Forests (15:36) Camping: Primitive, Roadside, and Water Trails (21:08) Wild Areas and Natural Areas (25:28) Forests and Water Quality (27:54) The Value of Planting Trees (29:34) Wildfire Prevention and Spring Fire Season (33:25) Partnership and the Trail Stewards Program (37:31) Resources: Bureau of Forestry: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/about/bureaus-and-offices/forestry Strategic Plan: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/conservation/forests-and-tree/state-forest-management/penn-woods-strategic-plan Role of Quiet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQwXLJRHEqA&t=231s Forests, Clean Water and Craft Beverages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JGwntQQpvc&t=187s Finley Center for Private Forests: https://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/centers/private-forests Take Along Guide to Wild and Natural Areas: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-natural-and-wild-areas-booklet.pdf Mira Lloyd Dock: https://paconservationheritage.org/documentaries/ Burn Bans: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/community-outreach-and-development/wildfire/burn-bans 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“State parks are definitely great places for everybody. We want everyone to feel included and that it's a welcoming, safe place.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Chelsea DePoe, Park Manager at Colonel Denning State Park, nestled in north-central Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Chelsea came to Colonel Denning by way of Ricketts Glen and Delaware Canal State Parks before pursuing the management path, landing the position when it opened last fall. Colonel Denning is a park that rewards those willing to seek it out. Surrounded by the 96,000-acre Tuscarora State Forest, it serves as a quiet gateway to seemingly endless outdoor adventure. The park's Civilian Conservation Corps heritage, dating to the 1930s, remains visible today in its original spillway, dam, pavilions, and campground bridge. All these are living reminders that Depression-era labor shaped landscapes still cherished by generations. The signature draw is the Flat Rock Trail, a challenging 2.5-mile one-way climb that delivers sweeping views of the Cumberland Valley. For families or casual visitors, the gentler nature trail winds around the lake and up a stream, offering diverse ecosystems and rewarding mushroom hunting in fall. Swimming, kayaking, fishing from an ADA-accessible pier, and camping round out a full roster of seasonal activities. The park also carries a piece of Revolutionary War history: it is named for William Denning, a local blacksmith who forged wrought iron cannons for the Continental Army, though records show he was never actually a colonel. It’s just one of history's small, endearing mysteries! "If you're a person that doesn't want the crowds," Chelsea says, "you can come here and find that reclusive feeling." Just 50 minutes from Harrisburg, Colonel Denning is, for now, still a best-kept secret, with mountain-shielded night skies that make pitching a tent and stargazing well worth the trip. Key Topics: What Makes Colonel Denning Unique (01:50) Popular Features and Activities (03:39) Family-Friendly Activities and Swimming (05:41) Leave No Trace and Wildlife (11:46) The Name "Colonel Denning" and America250 (12:30) Campground Opening and Trout Season (14:23) Chelsea's Must-Do Recommendation (16:33) Resources: Colonel Denning State Park Friends of Colonel Denning Visit Cumberland Valley 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“Other people are there, and they're utilizing the parks and hiking as their form of recovery, whether it's from substance abuse, whether it's from a medical issue, whether it's mental health... It's become a part of who they are.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Rob Neitz, Park Manager at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It’s the only state park within the two-county Lehigh Valley region and a quiet sanctuary amid one of the East Coast's fastest-growing corridors. Unlike a typical state park, Jacobsburg's mission centers on environmental education, which means partnering with school groups, civic organizations, and teachers, while remaining open to the public for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. At 1,168 acres, it may be modest in size, but its location near the Kittatinny Ridge makes it an important stopover for migratory birds and a green refuge for hundreds of thousands of nearby residents. The center's cultural history is equally rich. The Henry family, who manufactured the famed Pennsylvania Long Rifle from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War era, shaped the land that would become Jacobsburg. Remarkably, a Henry family member, James Henry, also drafted some of Pennsylvania's earliest riparian buffer legislation, proposing a bill to revegetate the state's waterways. Rob says that visitor stories are what most drive him. A cancer survivor finding peace by the creek. A stroke patient rebuilding strength on the trails, two to three miles each day. "Those stories," says Rob, "are really at the heart of what we do." Beyond its own boundaries, Jacobsburg anchors the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape, established in 2004, a multi-partner initiative connecting Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton through trails and preserved green space. It’s proof that conservation and economic vitality are not opposing forces, but seeds of the same flourishing community! Key Topics: What Makes an Education Center Different from a State Park (03:04) Visitor Stories & the Heart of the Mission (04:42) The Henry Family & Cultural History (08:24) Volunteering & Community Programming (13:14) Accessibility & the Visitor Center (17:14) The Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape (24:35) Conservation as Economic Development (28:44) Loaner Equipment & Getting Started (34:29) Resources: Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape James Henry DCNR Calendar of Events 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

"Plant a seed in someone, a young person you know, that this is an opportunity, conservation careers exist, that there's opportunities for you to get involved." Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Ali Bowling, who joined Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) three and a half years ago. Before that, she worked in wildlife rehabilitation in Oklahoma, corporate sustainability, and environmental advocacy through Audubon Pennsylvania. Now serving as executive advisor for climate and sustainability, she coordinates the NextGen Advisory Council, a diverse group of approximately 20-25 young people shaping Pennsylvania's conservation future. The council ensures that younger perspectives inform DCNR's work across outdoor recreation, climate action, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. “Conservation can be an answer to a lot of community issues,” says Ali, “but we have to understand what the issues are.” Unlike traditional advisory boards, this council recognizes that meaningful engagement starts in steps as small as intentionally stepping outside for longer periods throughout the day. Tiny decisions like these, says Ali, can snowball into deeper connections with nature, fostering understanding of how the natural world sustains human health and wellbeing. The council's approach reflects a broader shift in conservation thinking: that sustainability means pausing before making choices, asking "Is this necessary?" and recognizing that protecting Pennsylvania's wild spaces requires hearing from those who will inherit them. Through this work, DCNR acknowledges that conservation is about cultivating relationships between people and place, more than simply managing land! Key Topics: Ali's Background and Path to DCNR (01:30) What the NextGen Advisory Council Is (03:01) Origins of the NextGen Council (07:34) Conceiving Projects (12:29) Barriers to Conservation (15:36) About DCNR’s Think Outside Program (22:37) Plant a Seed! (29:09) Resources: DCNR NextGen Advisory Council website: Apply to Serve on the NextGen Advisory Council | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania DCNR Climate Change and Adaptation Plan DCNR Think Outside Program Pa Outdoor Corps DCNR Internships PPFF Friends Groups 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“The more you get to use state parks and see what they have to offer, the more you’re going to want to make sure they continue in perpetuity.” When Greg Sassaman arrived at Leonard Harrison State Park in 1978, he found a rundown facility with a chain-link fence and a trail barely worthy of the name. What followed was a decades-long labor of love that transformed Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon into the destination it is today! The Turkey Path rehabilitation stands as Greg's crowning achievement. Without modern battery-powered tools or motorized wheelbarrows, his crew relied on manpower and, remarkably, horsepower. Working with naturalist Greg Hornsby, they convinced Harrisburg to hire a draft horse to haul timbers, concrete, and stone down the treacherous canyon trail using a wooden stone boat! The innovation worked. Youth Conservation Corps and Pennsylvania Conservation Corps teams built platforms and steps that have endured over 40 years, reducing injuries while protecting the natural landscape from erosion caused by shortcuts. Greg championed interpretation, helping visitors understand what they were seeing, and fought to preserve the area's wild character. He believes that Pennsylvania offers far more than its cities. The remote sections, the wild places, deserve protection and advocacy. Once state parks, always state parks. Key Topics: Condition of Park in 1978 (01:18) Turkey Path Trail Development (02:57) Changes in Park Interpretation (07:26) Bald Eagles Return to the Area (13:37) Train Fires in the Canyon (14:58) Camping Evolution at Colton Point (19:18) Bear and Porcupine Encounters (22:08) Advocacy for PA's Wild Spaces (24:20) Resources: Leonard Harrison State Park Colton Point State Park Pine Creek Rail Trail Turkey Path 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp

“It's kind of amazing to think that almost any challenge that you have, there's some brilliant, intelligent person out there doing the research to come up with a solution to it.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Membership Coordinator Pam Metzger. When Pam’s husband Bill was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, staying active became his lifeline. After cycling thousands of miles on traditional bikes, he transitioned to a three-wheel hand cycle. That adaptive equipment opened new possibilities but also revealed gaps in accessibility. The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation is working to close those gaps through innovations like accessible kayak launches, colorblind-correcting viewers, and more. Beyond mere accommodations, they're examples of universal design that benefit everyone, from parents pushing strollers to hikers using trekking poles for knee support. Pam recalls the moment Bill used an accessible kayak launch at Laurel Hill State Park. Just like that, he’d rediscovered an activity he thought was lost forever! "He still talks about it," she shares, describing how the launch works seamlessly for wheelchair users and non-wheelchair-using visitors alike. True inclusion requires partnerships. The Foundation collaborates with AARP, friends groups, occupational therapists, and local organizations to identify needs and test solutions. Their latest initiative equips libraries across Pennsylvania with borrowable recreation equipment. Effectively, they’re removing financial barriers alongside physical ones! Key Topics: Bill's Adaptive Recreation Journey (02:12) Accessible Kayak Launch Experience (06:45) Colorblind Viewers Bring Colors to Life (09:57) Library Equipment Lending Program (11:14) Universal Design Benefits Everyone (18:07) Resources: PPFF Outdoors for Everyone Friends of Laurel Hill State Park Friends of Nockamixon State Park 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify , Apple , or your favorite app while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau 📱 Follow PPFF on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube MeetUp