DCNR: 4th Fall Foliage Report: Cool Weather Will Bring A Very Colorful Change To Most Areas In Penn’s Woods This Coming Week

On October 17, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources issued its fourth Fall Foliage Report saying consistently cold nights and cool days have spurred a very colorful change in Penn’s Woods! 

Bright color can be found from the southern Poconos though the middle and southern Appalachians. 

The Allegheny Plateau is gorgeous from northwestern Pennsylvania to the southwestern reaches of the Commonwealth. Southeastern Pennsylvania forests are catching up and will provide attractive viewing opportunities, as well. 

The report also includes fall foliage information for six regions around the state.

Weekly Fall Foliage Reports will be issued on Thursdays at DCNR’s PA Fall Foliage Reports webpage.

Viewfinders For Colorblind

Special viewfinders have been installed at 10 State Parks to allow the colorblind to see Fall Foliage colors for the first time.

The colorblindness viewfinders were placed at these State Parks--

-- Bald Eagle State Park, Centre County

-- Black Moshannon State Park, Centre County

-- Colton Point State Park, Tioga County

-- Cook Forest State Park, Clarion County

-- Hyner View State Park, Clinton County

-- Kettle Creek State Park, Clinton County

-- Leonard Harrison State Park, Tioga County

-- Little Pine State Park, Lycoming County

-- Sinnemahoning State Park, Cameron and Potter counties

-- Tiadaghton State Forest, Lycoming County

Click Here to learn more.

Information for Visitors

Click Here for prime locations for viewing Fall Foliage on an interactive map.

Click Here for a Northern Driving Tour.  Click Here for a Southern Driving Tour.

Go to the VisitPA.com website to arrange for your Great American Getaway in PA.

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

Visit the PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

  For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

Related Articles:

-- Nominations Now Being Accepted For 2025 Pennsylvania River Of The Year [PaEN]

-- DCNR Now Accepting Nominations For Pennsylvania’s 2025 Trail Of The Year  [PaEN] 

-- Reminder: DCNR Nov. 7 Online Workshop On How To Apply For Recreation, Conservation Grants, 9:00 a.m.

-- DCNR Grants Newsletter: Members Needed For Trails Council; Youth Sport Equity Grants; Assessing, Advancing Belonging Webinar; Nov. 7 DCNR Grants Webinar; More! 

-- Fish & Boat Commission Now Accepting Applications For Education Programs To Promote New, Renewed Interest in Fishing, Boating  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Now Accepting Applications For Fall Round Of Grants For Canoe, Kayak Access Projects In Western PA  [PaEN]

-- DCNR, Fish & Boat Commission, Partners Plant Stream Buffer In Snyder County To Combat Flooding, Improve Water Quality  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Unveils New Color-Correcting Viewfinders In State Parks So Colorblind Individuals Can Enjoy Fall Foliage 

-- DCNR: Agencia estatal publica nueva guía de recreación en español, ampliando el acceso a parques estatales y actividades al aire libre en Pensilvania  

-- DCNR Releases New Spanish-Language Recreation Guide, Expanding Access To State Parks, PA’s Outdoors 

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Unveils Inclusive Playground At Little Buffalo State Park In Perry County  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership: Susquehanna River Adventures - Then & Now - Rafting, Climbing, Airborne, Paddling - By Darian Jones, AmeriCorps Assistant

-- Shapiro Administration Kicks Off Sustainability Week, Signs Energy Savings Act Contract To Reduce Energy Costs For Taxpayers

-- Western PA Conservancy, DCNR, PHMC: Untold Stories Of PA State Parks & Forests: Laurel Hill Settlement, Slippery Rock Watershed 

-- PA Wilds Center: PA Wilds Makers Market On Oct. 19 Launches Online Holiday Shopping Season With Special Promotions, New Product Releases 

-- Oct. 11 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Fish & Boat Commission Publishes New Requirements To Be A Qualified Endangered, Threatened Species Surveyor  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Altoona Mirror: Ghost Town Trail Marks 30 Years, Continues To Expand, Attracting Nearly 200,000 Yearly Visitors

-- WESA/WPSU: Gov. Shapiro Unveils Colorblindness-Correcting Viewfinders At PA Parks

-- City Of Philadelphia, Partners Cut Ribbon To Officially Open Pennypack Path Connector Trail

-- Altoona Mirror: Trail Link To Canoe Creek State Park In The Works

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: 10 Die In Boating Mishaps Across PA So Far In 2024, Here’s Where, What Happened

[Posted: October 17, 2024]  PA Environment Digest

Penn State Extension Hosts 2 Educator Workshops Nov. 7 On Stream Health & Watersheds In Cumberland County; Stream Health & Acid Mine Drainage In Indiana County

The Penn State Extension has scheduled two Dive Even Deeper educator workshops on  November 7-- Stream Health and Watersheds in Cumberland County and Stream Health and Acid Mine Drainage in Indiana County

Cumberland County

Join a day of hands-on watershed learning through the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience framework. Explore watersheds, riparian buffers, and tree planting to better understand the connections between land use and stream health.

The workshop offers participants an intensive program designed to deepen participants' understanding of the intricate connections between land use and stream health. 

Highlights include tours of functioning stormwater control measures, a visit to a riparian buffer with live demonstrations of tree and live stake planting, and training in the First Investigation of Stream Health (FISH) protocol, Penn State Extension’s stream assessment method.

Who Is This For?

This workshop is designed for educators and volunteers who wish to learn more about watersheds and stream health and how to weave these subjects into meaningful educational experiences for the audiences they work with including:

-- Teachers

-- Nature Educators

-- Master Watershed Stewards 

-- Youth Group Leaders

-- Conservation Professionals

What will you learn?

-- What a watershed is

-- Why natural resource managers care about watersheds

-- Using Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in your work

-- The connection between watersheds and stream health

-- Best management practices (BMPs) that improve stream health

-- How riparian buffers protect streams

-- How to plant riparian trees and live stakes

-- How to evaluate stream health

This in-person workshop will be held at the Penn State Extension Cumberland County Office, 310 Allen Road in Carlisle from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Indiana County

Join Penn State Extension educators and partners for a hands-on experience exploring Pennsylvania's streams and their challenges in this outdoor workshop. Learn to assess stream health and discover how wetlands treat abandoned mine drainage.

Participants will learn how to assess stream health using the F.I.S.H. Protocol, covering riparian areas, water quality, and wildlife. 

Attendees will also learn how wetlands are being used to treat water pollution from abandoned mines, helping to restore local ecosystems and improve watershed health.

The afternoon will be spent outdoors at the Tanoma Wetlands and AMD treatment site, where participants will conduct measurements and make observations. 

Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear proper footwear. 

Breakfast refreshments and beverages will be provided; participants are asked to bring their own lunch.

Since 1994, Hedin Environmental has been assisting non profit groups, government organizations, and mining companies with the assessment and passive treatment of polluted mine water. 

Ben Hedin has worked with Hedin Environmental since 2015 and has co-owned the company since 2023. Ben will discuss mine drainage treatment basics and the process of mine drainage restoration projects.

Who is this for?

-- Formal and non-formal educators seeking to learn more about assessing stream health and understanding the impact of abandoned mine drainage.

What will you learn?

-- Basics of Stream Ecology

-- Assessing Your Local Stream

-- How Wetlands Are Used to Treat Abandoned Mine Drainage

-- Resources Available from Extension

This in-person workshop will be held at the Penn State Extension Indiana County Office, 827 Water Street. In Indiana from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- PennVEST Makes $216.3 Million Investment In 33 Drinking Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction Projects In 21 Counties  [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick: PUC Considering Emergency Order To Have Aqua Pennsylvania Take Over 6 Rhodes Estate Water Companies [Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill 15 Months Ago In Venango County]  [PaEN] 

-- EPA, PennVEST, Aqua Pennsylvania Highlight Importance Of Taking Action Against Lead Water Service Line At Chester County Event  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Awards $3.4 Million To Support 12 Local Projects To Improve Water Quality, Fish & Wildlife Habitat In 8 Counties  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR, Fish & Boat Commission, Partners Plant Stream Buffer In Snyder County To Combat Flooding, Improve Water Quality  [PaEN] 

-- Conservation Innovation Fund Announces 2nd Round Of Farm Enrollment For Climate-Smart Commodities Market Program  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training: Dec. 12 Webinar On Project Management For Agricultural Conservation  [PaEN] 

-- Wildlands Conservancy & Partners Celebrate Success Of Bushkill Creek Stream Restoration In Northampton County  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: New Plans In The Works For Cleaner Streams In Centre, Lancaster Counties  [PaEN] 

-- Master Watershed Steward Sue Nielsen Emphasizes Conservation In Her Volunteer Work In Warren County  [PaEN] 

-- Assn. Of State Drinking Water Administrators Recognizes DEP’s Lisa Daniels With 2024 ASDWA Excellence In Service Award 

-- Reclaimed Abandoned Coal Mine Land In Clinton County Dedicated In Memory Of Joe Schueck, DEP Hydrologist With PA's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program  [PaEN] 

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Invests $2.2 Million In Research On Climate Resilient Farming; Pollinator Protection; Sustainable Weed Management; More

NewsClips:

-- Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance 2025 Mine Pools As Beneficial Resources Conference Agenda Now Available

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Releases Lead Pipe Inventory; Much Of City Left Undetermined

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Kettle Run In Brickerville May Be In Danger Of Reclassification From DEP  [PDF of Article]

-- Lancaster Farming: Proposed Wet PennsBoro Warehouse Project Remains Under Review In Cumberland County

-- Reading Eagle: 3,000 Free Native Trees Shrubs Distributed In Southern Berks County Event

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Guardian Newsletter: Stream Assessments; Pay-For-Success Grants; Fee Changes; Water Saving Win-Win 

-- Centre County-based ClearWater Conservancy Annual Meeting & Celebration Oct. 17 

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: ‘Groundbreaking’ Stocking Brings Freshwater Mussels To Kiski, Clarion Rivers 

-- Lafayette College: Reintroducing Water-Cleansing Mussels To Bushkill Creek

[Posted: October 17, 2024]  PA Environment Digest