June is Rivers Month

HARRISBURG  — Highlighting Pennsylvania’s waterways and the economic and recreational benefits they provide, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary John C. Olive announced the start of Rivers Month, throughout June.

Sojourns and educational forums are scheduled throughout the month to raise awareness of the values of Pennsylvania’s 83,000 miles of rivers and streams.

DCNR has partnered with the Pennsylvania Organization of Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) this year to hold 12 sojourns throughout the state. The sojourns, which began in May, will cover nearly 760 miles of rivers.

“This partnership will provide more residents with the opportunity to become personally acquainted with their waterways by participating in a river sojourn,” Oliver said.

The Pennsylvania Rivers Sojourn Program was funded through a $60,000 grant through Gov. Tom Ridge’s Growing Greener initiative, administered by DCNR through its Community Conservation Partnership Grant Program.

A winter scene of the Juniata River is the subject of a Pennsylvania Feature River of the Year poster sent to watershed organizations, local municipalities and interested individuals throughout the state to encourage a statewide focus on Pennsylvania’s waterways.

For more information on June Rivers Month, a calendar of the month’s events or a free June Rivers Month poster, call 717/737-2316 or visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on Pennsylvania Rivers.

Grey Towers shares conservation legacy

MILFORD — Interpretive staff from Grey Towers National Historic Landmark recently shared information about the conservation legacy of Gifford Pinchot with festival goers at the seventh annual Lake Festival held at Gifford Pinchot State Park, in Lewisberry, PA.

An educational display consisting of a mini-Grey Towers was set up for visitors to enjoy. The display was constructed of wood, cardboard and Styrofoam by Bob Wicksnes of the Grey Towers maintenance staff. The Towers displayed photos illustrating the life of Gifford Pinchot. Visitors to the park, many of whom were not aware of why the park was named for Pinchot, learned of his numerous contributions to conservation in America as founder and first chief of the USDA Forest Service. They also learned of his many accomplishments during his two terms as governor of Pennsylvania. One of these accomplishments—the paving of 20,000 miles of roads to “get the farmer out of the mud”—is particularly significant to Pinchot Park visitors because the park is located on an original “Pinchot road.”

In addition to the mini-Towers, the display included a replica of an historic Forest Service uniform, complete with boots, spats and hat, and typical of what a Forest Service Ranger from Gifford Pinchot’s era may have used. Free copies of Gifford Pinchot’s autobiography, “Breaking New Ground,” were distributed to interested visitors.

Lori McKean and Lynn Dennis of Grey Towers Interpretive staff were on hand to answer questions and explain the display.

Architectural evolution

BUSHKILL — Tom Solon will present a lecture entitled “The Minisink, Mistress of Stylistic Blends” on Friday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m., in the Bushkill Visitor Center in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (NRA). The presentation will be about the evolution of architectural styles in the park. From early Dutch settlement to one of the first passive solar homes in the country, buildings in the park have built on the past.

All interested persons are invited to attend. No admission will be charged.

Solon, Historic Architect at Delaware Water Gap NRA, is a native of Auburn, New York, and alumna of the University of Michigan School of Architecture and Design. He began his 23-year career in historic preservation with the National Park Service in 1977.

This presentation is the third lecture in Delaware Water Gap NRA’s Spring Lecture Series. The last lecture of the season will be held in July and will address the past, present and future of Pennsylvania’s elk herd.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Friends of the Delaware Water Gap NRA and by Delaware Water Gap NRA. For more information call 570/588-7044.

A journey for sight

NARROWSBURG — The Tusten Lions Club is holding its annual Father’s Day Journey for Sight rafting trip on Sunday, June 17 at 10:00 a.m., from Lander’s Skinners Falls base. The rafts are courtesy of Lander’s River Trips.

Tax-deductible donations of $20 per person are requested. All proceeds benefit the Tusten Lions Club Sight Fund activities. Participants may arrive on the day of the trip or for more information call Ron at 845/252-6810 or Ed at 570/729-8670.

Forest research from the city

WATERSHED — Forest ecologists are finding benefits from New York City’s recent land acquisitions in upstate watersheds. Information about the trees on these protected water supply lands is adding to a growing body of knowledge about Catskill forests.

“Our research suggests that watersheds with lots of oak and beech trees are releasing less nitrate into streams than areas with maple and birch,” says Gary M. Lovett, Ph.D., a leading ecologist at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook. “New York City’s foresters have been helping us figure out how the forest differs from place to place. This will help us better understand ecological processes at a landscape scale in the Catskills and beyond.”

The Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) has been working for several years on a project to map the vegetation in the Catskill Mountains. This has never before been done in a way that would allow for an analysis of species composition. The project, funded by the U.S. Forest Service, combines on-the-ground tree measurements with information from satellite images to create a graphic representation of the various forest types.

Information about the location and density of different tree species will be registered with the IES satellite images to improve the accuracy of the final map. Encouraging scientific research of this kind is one of our goals for city-owned lands in the watershed.

Under provisions of the 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement, New York City is acquiring watershed lands that are important for the protection of drinking water quality. The program involves purchase of lands or conservation easements at fair market value from willing sellers only. The city pays assessed property taxes once lands are acquired. Lands acquired are protected for water quality purposes, with many parcels opened up for public access and recreational use. To date, more than 400 landowners have chosen to work with the city to protect more than 30,000 acres.

Information about the programs is available by calling 800/575-5263 or by visiting www.nyc.gov/dep. Information about IES is available at www.ecostudies.org.

Strawberry festival

GREELEY — The 25th annual Strawberry Festival will be held on Father’s Day, June 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Route 590. The price is the same as for the past 25 years, $4 for adults and $2 for children. For more information call 570/685-7560.

Stormwater management

HAWLEY — The Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) and F. X. Browne, Inc. are sponsoring day and evening seminars on Stormwater Management on July 26.

The day seminar, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Wallenpaupack Area High School, is geared toward designers of stormwater systems who need to learn new techniques for addressing water quality issues. Beginning with an overview of managing stormwater for quality, experienced stormwater design professionals will discuss a range of new and emerging best management practices for improving the water quality of stormwater runoff, including bioretention systems, infiltration swales and constructed wetlands. The seminar will conclude with a field trip to Bakker Marine Detention Basin Retrofit.

The evening seminar, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Palmyra Township Building, is geared toward municipal officials and carries much the same format as the day seminar, with the exception of the field trip.

For more information call 215/3623878 or visit www.fxbrowne.com.

What’s your watershed address?

HONESDALE — On June 19 the Northeast PA Audubon Society will present the free public program, “Do You Know Your Watershed Address,” at 7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce Building. Sally Jones and Grant Turano of the Wayne and Pike County Conservation Districts will explain how to identify your watershed address and discuss factors which influence water quality and quantity within a watershed.

How to be skeeter free

REGION — West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis, a brain infection. Mosquitoes acquire the virus from birds and pass it on to other birds, animals and people. Although most mosquitoes do not transmit the virus, it is important to take steps to reduce your risk of being bitten. Mosquitoes can develop in stagnant water that lasts for more than four days.

Help reduce stagnant water and mosquitoes around the home by taking these easy steps:

• Clean roof gutters
• Dispose of cans, buckets, pots and other containers that can hold water
• Remove old tires and turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools
• Drain water from pool covers
• Drill holes in bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors
• Change water in bird baths
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.

It is not necessary to limit any outdoor activities, unless local officials advise you otherwise. However, you can and should try to reduce your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. In addition to reducing stagnant water in your yard, make sure all windows and doors have screens, and that all screens are in good repair.

To protect you and your family from being bitten by mosquitoes:

• Take safety precautions during outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when many mosquitoes are active
• Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are most active.

For more information in New York State call the Department of Health at 800/458-1158. Or, in Pennsylvania, call the Penn State Cooperative Extensions of Wayne or Pike Counties at 570/253-5970 or 570/296-3400.