ANF participated in this year’s Warren County 4th of July Parade with Smokey Bear himself! Also, featured in our float was the banner I created (top left photo)! It was awesome to be able to represent the Forest and create a work seen by so many in my hometown.
I had the opportunity to staff an outreach table at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (top right photo) during their biggest event of the year, the Bark Peelers’ Festival. The festival was hopping with people enjoying live music, wood carving demonstrations, crafts, food trucks, a steam-powered circular sawmill and a birch still! Over a 48-hour period, the birch still produces a quart of birch oil, commonly known as “spirits of wintergreen” (process is shown in bottom left photo). The oil occurs naturally in the bark of the black birch tree and has been historically used as mint flavoring and a topical pain reliever. The museum has teamed up with local businesses to put the traditionally undesirable birch wood into two products – birch oil used to make essential oils – and after processed, the limbs used as mulch for gardens.
Last month, I shot and edited a promotional video as our final push for submissions to our ANF 100 Juried Art Exhibition. We partnered with a local art museum, The Crary Art Gallery, to host an exhibition featuring works inspired by ANF to be displayed in September. I was able to tour Twin Lakes Recreation Area, where our big Centennial Celebration will be held, and the Crary to film shots for this video. In the past, I have always edited other people’s clips, so I was excited for the opportunity to tackle this project by myself from start to finish.
Another artistic opportunity arose when local artist, Chloe Boden, donated some amazing coloring pages she designed for our Centennial! (Available to print on our website) I assembled the pages together in a coloring book format that we’ve been able to print and distribute at various events. The cover pages include information about the Forest and the animals native to it.
An awesome new partnership has been developing with Chapman State Park to get involved with their environmental education efforts! I attended three days of programs, teaching local children from the range of kindergarten to fifth grade (bottom right photo). With the older kids, I ran a 30-minute program about animal adaptations, using cool props like animal hides and 3D printed skulls, explaining how native animals are well suited to their environment. During this lesson we also played two games, the “snake game” and the “thicket game”. During the “snake game” the kids had to find hidden pipe cleaners along the forest edge which taught a lesson about camouflage and the “thicket game” was an adapted version of hide and seek.
With the younger kids, kindergarten and first graders, I ran the “Park Ranger” station for 20-minute increments. This taught a lesson about animal characteristics through an adapted version of “Red Rover” – active, fun and simple – a good activity for young minds! Having never even babysat in my lifetime, it always amazes me how much kids know and learn.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to give the Forest a voice during this incredibly special year!