Plans Underway for 5th Annual Walk in Penn's Woods

Pennsylvania’s woods bring us a wide array of benefits—some values we see clearly; others are a little more hidden. The trees and ground cover provide nutrients for the soil, food and homes for wildlife, clean air and water, wood products that we use in our daily lives, and peace and tranquility for us to enjoy. Walk in Penn’s Woods raises awareness about the importance of forests to our lives and the effort that goes into caring for them.

Since 2017, the first Sunday in October has been set aside for the public to join hosted walks to learn more about Penn’s Woods and gain easy access to expert forestry, wildlife, and natural resources professionals. While guided walks weren’t able to happen last year, public parks around the state had an abundance of visitors as we threw open the entire month of October to celebrate Walk in Penn’s Woods. But for 2021, guided walks are back! Some walks will have children’s activities; others will highlight managed wildlife habitat or watersheds; you may see the results of harvesting activities or plantings of native trees and shrubs; still others may demonstrate the effects of urban tree cover or riparian buffers. Walk in Penn’s Woods also features a growing number of sites that are wheelchair and stroller accessible. For individual walk locations, times, descriptions, and more, go to www.walkinpennswoods.org. The website is regularly updated as new walks are added, so keep checking through late summer and into September!

Hosting a Walk

Interested in hosting a walk? Find infor­mation at www.walkinpennswoods.org on how to register your walk. Consider part­nering in your community with woodland owners associations, environmental education centers, state- or municipal-owned land, or other landowners to make a walk happen. And if you have potential loca­tions that will allow for greater accessibil­ity, consider partnering to add some “roll.” We want to get multitudes of people out to learn about and love the woods.

Walk in Penn's Woods Partners

The 2021 Walk in Penn’s Woods part­nership includes the Pennsylvania For­estry Association, the Center for Private Forests at Penn State, Penn State Forestry and Wildlife Extension, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Forest Stewards, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters, the Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. These partners invite you to participate by volunteering at a venue, being a mentor, demonstrating a skill, showcasing your stewardship, contributing, and sharing posts on social media to help get the word out! And don’t forget to put Sunday, October 3 on your calendar and join a Walk in Penn’s Woods near you!

Find out more about Walk in Penn’s Woods at:

• Website: www.walkinpennswoods.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/walkinpennswoods

For more information about Walk in Penn’s Woods, contact Abby Jamison at alj191@psu.edu.