Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition Mine Drainage Restoration Along North Country Trail; Celebrate The Blazing Star Prairie Bloom At Jennings July 30

The latest newsletter from Butler County-based Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition includes articles on--

Mine Drainage Restoration Along North Country Trail

On May 4th (May the Fourth Be With You), Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition (SRWC) participant Cliff Denholm from the nonprofit Stream Restoration Incorporated was invited to give a presentation at the Butler Outdoor Club meeting. 

Cliff was asked by the group to give a presentation about the passive treatment systems that are along the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania Gamelands 95 in the headwaters of Slippery Rock Creek. 

Many members of the Butler Outdoor Club were interested in learning more about those orange/red ponds that they see when hiking along the NCT and developed a particular interest during organized hikes last year led by SRWC participant Steve Smith that were conducted while some of these systems were undergoing maintenance. 

Celebrate The Blazing Star Prairie Bloom July 30

Jennings Environmental Education Center and 3MJC are pleased to announce that after a long hiatus, the Celebrate the Bloom Festival is back! July 30, 2022, will be an exciting day of music, fun, food, and amazing nature experiences for young and old, and we hope you will join us to showcase some of our region's best nature-related art and natural artisan products, and delicious eats!

The festival will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Jennings Environmental Education Center, where the main attraction is the amazing blazing star. 

This striking bright, tall, purple wildflower is a rarity for Western Pennsylvania, and its peak bloom is expected to take place during the weekend of the festival. 

The blazing star is as exotic as its habitat: a prairie that was first preserved by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and is now managed by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Jennings, in Butler County’s Brady Township, is the most popular spot in the region to see the blazing star.

We hope you will visit Jennings for this unique nature experience. Past visitors have expressed their appreciation for the festival’s excellent organization, quality vendor items, great music, and beautiful surroundings. 

Please let event organizers know if you would like to apply to be an artisan or food vendor at this year's event by filling out an application on the new website.  Each 10X10 booth space is an affordable $35. 

Other Articles

-- July 12: Aquatic Invasives Program at Cranberry Public Library

-- KIDS Catalyst - Summer Word Search Fun

Click Here to read the entire newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.

For more information on programs, projects, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition website.  Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up to sign up for regular updates.

The Butler County-based Coalition was established in 1994 to restore land, water and wildlife resources in the Slippery Rock Watershed.

(Photos: Blazing Star Prairie Native; Ferris Passive Mine Drainage Treatment System, Venango Twp., Butler County.)

Related Article:

-- Celebrate The Bloom! At The Only Prairie In PA Featuring The Blazing Star July 30 At Jennings Environmental Center, Butler County

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[Posted: June 30.2022]  PA Environment Digest