Fall 2022
Inside this issue:
A Beautiful Day on the Swatara Creek
By Karl Streckewald
The Governor Pinchot Group hosted a kayak trip on the Swatara Creek on Sunday, August 14. The group used Cocoa Kayak Outfitters to shuttle us and to rent any needed kayaks. We spent about 2 hours paddling and drifting on this beautiful creek where we saw a number of blue herons, kingfishers, red-tailed hawks and even a bald eagle. We hope to have a kayak outing on the creek on an annual basis, so look for the event in future years. It's considered an easy trip, so no experience is necessary, but it gives a lot of outdoor enjoyment.
The Governor Pinchot Group is changing its name
At its July 2022 meeting, the GVP Executive Committee voted to approve changing the Group's name. We also decided to give members the opportunity to submit potential new names. From now through the end of 2022, you may submit potential new names and comments through the GVP website contact tab at www.sierraclub.org/pennsylvania/governor-pinchot/contact-us
Boardwalk view point of Monterey Pass
Hiking near Toms Creek and Monterey Pass
By Thomas Au
Friends of Toms Creek is an organization working on a proposed Greenway to develop walking trails, create fishing access, and protect historic and environmental treasures in southwest Adams County. The National Park Service has been supporting the effort with planning assistance and mapping. For the past three years, Sierra Club and Friends of Toms Creek have conducted joint hikes to explore the trails in Michaux State Forest.
With GVP group support, Friends of Toms Creek was awarded a grant of $1,679 from the Huplits Fund to conduct community outreach programs to educate and advocate for the hybrid greenway located in southwest Adams County. The goal is to preserve, protect, and enhance pristine water that supports native brook trout, macro-invertebrates on which the native brook trout depend, and other wildlife.
Members of the Sierra Club, Friends of Monterey Pass Battlefield, and Friends of Toms Creek converged again on Sept. 18 for a fun community hike in the area. Historian Darwin Seiler, an expert on the Battle of Monterey Pass (a civil war battle) was the tour guide for a hike that led to the top of Monterey Peak. A picnic was held immediately after the hike.
Group Chair’s Corner
What has the Governor Pinchot Group been doing so far in 2022?
The Governor Pinchot Group (GVP) held five hikes, which included activities like yoga, observing and learning about wildlife, tree identification, vistas, history talks, and a picnic. On these hikes, GVP partnered with and learned about five other organizations. We had a bike ride on the York Rail Trail and a kayak trip on the Swatara. GVP is fortunate to have three Outing Leaders in the Group that set up and led these outings. We continued maintenance on a tree planting site for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and did highway cleanups for PennDOT. We also tabled at the Ned Smith Nature and Arts Festival.
We even have more events coming up this year, and they include:
- Saturday, November 5th at 9:00 am: Highway Cleanup.
- Sunday, November 13th at 1:00 pm: Join us for a talk about "The Turtles of Wildwood" at Wildwood Park’s Olewine Nature Center in Harrisburg. It will be presented by Gene Wingert, Adjunct Faculty in Biology at Dickinson College.
A complete list of GVP events and meetings are available on our website at www.sierraclub.org/pennsylvania/governor-pinchot. Also find us on Facebook and Instagram
Thanks for all you do for the environment, Bob Rebuck Chair Sierra Club Governor Pinchot Group