Latest South Mountain Partnership Stories

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rhyolite, a geological feature of South Mountain, will be the topic of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on Wednesday, April 10, at Penn State Mont Alto in Franklin County. This is the fourth year for the South Mountain Speakers Series, envisioned as a revival of the talks given by Joseph Rothrock in the late 19th century as part of his work to preserve and restore Pennsylvania's forests and natural...

February Event Focused on Spring Pools that Host Amphibians HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The fourth season of an innovative series of speakers will begin Thursday, Feb. 28, at Messiah College with a talk on a unique feature that dots the landscape in the South Mountain region: seasonal wetlands, known as vernal pools. Additional topics in 2013 will include South Mountain rhyolite, native pollinators and conservation law. "The South Mountain Speaker...

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Efforts to keep fruit healthy in the orchards around the southcentral region will be the topic of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Penn State University Fruit Research and Extension Center at 290 University Drive, Biglerville, Adams County. The brown marmorated stink bug has caused considerable crop losses for fruit growers at the same time populations of native pollinators...

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Snakes and bats will be the topic of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on Sunday, Aug. 26, at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center in Carlisle. At 2 p.m., state wildlife biologists Aura Stauffer and Jim Chestney will present a free lecture entitled "Fierce Friends." "Snakes and bats are mysterious, elusive creatures that are sometimes misunderstood but play an important role in the ecology of...

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The third season of an innovative series of speakers will begin Sunday, May 20 at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The series is intended to engage citizens in conserving the South Mountain region's natural landscapes by exploring lessons from the past. The discussion, entitled "Pine Grove: Connecting Geology and Human History," runs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Furnace Stack Pavilion at the park and is free and open to the...

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan today announced that the South Mountain Partnership has mini-grants available that communities and organizations can use to protect and promote natural and cultural assets in the south-central region of the state. For 2012, up to $100,000 in grants will be available with a required one-to-one match. The maximum individual grant award is $25,000....

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The health and economic benefits of promoting and buying food produced locally will be the focus of the next South Mountain Speakers Series lecture on Nov. 10 in Chambersburg, Franklin County. Mark Winne, nationally-known author of "Closing the Food Gap" and "Food Rebels, Guerilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin' Mamas," will offer a free public lecture, "Closing the Food Gap in South Mountain" beginning at 7 p.m. at the...

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard J. Allan today announced that 1,077 acres in Penn and Cook townships, Cumberland County, including more than three miles of Irishtown Gap Hollow Run, will be added to Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. There will be a public ceremony celebrating the acquisition at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23. "This new addition is almost completely forested and has been...

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The history and importance of transportation lines in the region will be the focus of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on Sept. 29, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said today. Dr. Paul Marr, a professor of geography and earth science, will offer a free lecture, "Highway Lines: Transportation Change from Braddock's Road to I-81" beginning at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Auditorium on campus....

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The importance of protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed will be the focus of the next lecture in the South Mountain Speakers Series on May 12, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said today. Jonathan Doherty, of the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office, will offer a free lecture, "Conserving Treasured Landscapes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed," beginning at 7 p.m. at the Adams County Agricultural and Natural...