2025-12-09 06:20:31
Bird Walks, Foraging Tours, and Forest Wisdom
Long before the term “eco-friendly” ever entered our collective lexicon, Pennsylvanians were already shaping the way America thinks about its wild places. Their vision, passion, and persistence still echo across forests, rivers, and ridgelines — and you can trace their footsteps in the very landscapes they fought to protect and preserve.
In 1681, William Penn named his new province “Pennsylvania,” a tribute to his father and to the Latin sylvania, meaning “forest land.” Penn valued healthy woodlands so deeply that he wrote into law the preservation of one acre for every five cleared, the state’s first conservation measure. By the 1700s, botanist John Bartram, later called the “Father of American Botany,” was collecting native plant species that still bloom today at Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia. In the 19th century, Joseph T. Rothrock, the “Father of Pennsylvania Forestry,” championed fire prevention and reforestation, while in 1906 Ralph E. Brock became the nation’s first Black forester, pioneering nursery and compost techniques. Gifford Pinchot — first U.S. Forest Service chief and governor — later shaped national forest policy. By the mid-20th century, Maurice K. Goddard made conservation access a priority, ensuring every Pennsylvanian lived within 25 miles of a state park — a promise fulfilled in today’s 124 parks.
The legacies of Penn, Bartram, Rothrock, Pinchot, and fellow conservationists endure not just in laws and policies, but in the places we explore. Across the Commonwealth, state parks offer free, year-round programming that blends recreation with environmental education, making it easy for nature lovers to enjoy centuries of stewardship.
In Erie, at Pennsylvania’s only beachy “seashore,” conservation education starts on the water. Naturalist-led pontoon tours navigate the lagoons of Presque Isle State Park, and guides explain how the peninsula’s shifting sands and mix of habitats make it a birding paradise, with more than 324 species recorded. Bring your binoculars to Gull Point to spot an array of migratory shorebirds. The experience continues indoors at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, where interactive exhibits explore everything from amphibian life cycles to the fragile dune ecosystem.
French Creek State Park in Elverson is one of the largest contiguous forests between Washington, D.C., and New York City, and its 7,730 acres hold designations as both an Important Bird Area and an Important Mammal Area. Early morning paddles on Hopewell Lake often come with the soundtrack of wood thrush calls and the possibility of spotting bald eagles, river otters, or migrating waterfowl. Park rangers lead seasonal kayak tours that double as birding trips, teaching participants to identify songs and recognize subtle wildlife signs along the shoreline.
Named for Pennsylvania’s most famous forester and conservation governor, Gifford Pinchot State Park in Lewisberry combines family recreation with environmental education. The Environmental Learning Center offers exhibits on the park’s ecosystems, while hands-on scavenger hunts encourage children to search for insects, identify tree species, and track animal footprints. Outside, a solar array reflects the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ decades-long investment in renewable energy.
A hub of old-growth forest conservation, Cook Forest State Park in Leeper became the first Pennsylvania state park acquired to preserve a natural area, and the towering white pines and hemlocks of its Forest Cathedral was named a National Natural Landmark. Check the calendar at the Log Cabin Inn Environmental Learning Classroom for educational events like fluorescent mushroom identification hikes.
Nearby Clear Creek State Park in Sigel is an example of Pennsylvania’s long legacy of forest restoration. Once heavily logged, the land has been carefully stewarded back into a thriving woodland. Walk the Civilian Conservation Corps–built trails to spot blooming rhododendron (mid- June and early July), or cast a line to catch trout in Clear Creek and Clarion River. Naturalist-led programs at the amphitheater educate visitors on a variety of wildlife, from owls to lizards.
Tucked in Perry County, Fowlers Hollow State Park is one of Pennsylvania’s smallest, but its charm is big. Shaded by hemlocks and threaded by a trout stream, it’s a peaceful spot for picnics, fishing, and wildlife watching. The park also connects to the vast Tuscarora State Forest, opening access to miles of hiking, hunting, and cross-country skiing trails. With roots in the Civilian Conservation Corps, Fowler’s Hollow offers a window into Pennsylvania’s conservation legacy.
And in the wintertime, the Laurel Highlands region transforms into a wonderland of cold-weather adventure. Groomed Nordic trails at Laurel Ridge State Park in Rockwood stretch for over 20 miles. Laurel Mountain ski area, part of Laurel Mountain State Park, offers downhill skiing, while more than 100 miles of snowmobile routes in the area cross state parks, forests, and game lands. Sledding hills at Laurel Hill and Ohiopyle State Parks invite families to join the fun, and their free cross-country ski and snowshoe lessons make it easy for first-timers to get started. (A trail pass fee and rental equipment fee typically apply.)
Across the state and throughout the seasons, Pennsylvania’s conservation story is woven into the places where we now hike, paddle, bike, ski, and learn. These stories live on in every adventure enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.
As the conservation mycologist for Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Hannah Huber is on a mission to preserve Pennsylvania’s funga (thousands of mushroom-producing fungi and more than 600 species of lichens).
“Fungal conservationists seek to provide an equal level of consideration and protection to fungi as is provided to plants and animals,” she explains. Her work starts with cataloging the funga, then evaluating whether these species are secure or threatened, native or invasive, and how they can be stewarded or managed.
For mushroom newbies, Huber suggests starting with easy-to-spot species like chicken of the woods, golden oysters, or the faintly glowing jack o’lantern mushroom— always with safety, ethics, and sustainability in mind. Her top tip? “Go on mushroom walks with mycology clubs to learn how to identify fungi in the field,” she says, noting Pennsylvania’s eight active clubs.
Enthusiasts can also explore festivals like Fungadelphia in Philadelphia, MycoFest in State College, and the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square. Get started with Huber’s recommended reads by PA experts: “The Complete Mushroom Hunter” by Gary Lincoff and “Hunting Mushrooms” by Barbora Batokova.
For Gale Blackmer, geologist for Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, curiosity started young. “As a kid, I was always picking up rocks,” she recalls. “Geology is like history on steroids.”
That early fascination grew into a career spent unraveling the state’s 1.4 billion years of geologic history — plenty to keep her busy, as many Pennsylvania state parks are built around striking natural features. “Some of my favorites are Pine Creek Gorge, the waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park, the Hickory Run State Park boulder field, and Pole Steeple,” Blackmer says.
For those eager to dig deeper, she champions the “walk and talk” approach. Led by Bureau of Geological Survey staff, these guided outings reveal the stories behind the rocks, the way geology shapes the land, and its ties to local history and culture. “People tell me they see landscapes in a more meaningful way afterward,” she says. Find upcoming programs at events.dcnr.pa.gov.
Angela Jaillet-Wentling didn’t plan on becoming an archaeologist. While enrolled at Penn State, she signed up for an Intro to Archaeology class because it sounded “cool.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, she uncovers the hidden lives of Pennsylvania’s past people. “Traditional history focuses on the word, usually written, as its primary source of information, but archaeology looks at the ‘what’ that was left behind and fills in some of the gaps of what we know,” she says. Fieldwork, she adds, is often full of surprises.
Jaillet-Wentling recommends visiting history-rich destinations across the state—from Washington Crossing Historical Park and numerous Civilian Conservation Corps camps to the world-renowned Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Avella. Her only request? Follow Leave No Trace principles. “Leaving our sites as you find them for everyone, including future generations, is so important to maintaining their integrity and the context that allows us to understand them in all their complexity,” she says.
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