Meet the Barkleavies

Follow Bud, Chlorophyllis, Ace, and Pinelope Barkleavie—a family tree with issues—as they grow wiser each month, facing the challenges and opportunities confronting trees and forests. View the first episode here, addressing the risks of woolly adelgid—a destructive forest pest attacking our state tree, the hemlock.

Spotlight On...

The PBM Group in Lititz, maker of the Compostumbler. This best-selling barrel-style compost bin is available in several models, empowering homeowners and businesses to reduce waste and expeditiously create a rich soil amendment right in their own backyard.

Conservation Resources

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DCNR newsletter.

Subscribe to WRCP's Keystone Wild!Notes.

Trees are in question…but what are the answers?

Find out at iConservePA.org with a new look for 2010 and a new theme—the challenges facing trees and forests. Click on Protect, Plant, Buy or Explore for in-depth information and helpful links sure to expand your knowledge of sylvan stewardship. Submit pressing tree and forestry-related questions to Ask an Expert, hosted by Forester Ed Dix. More features will be added in the coming months, including a growing library of short videos as enlightening as a walk in the woods. And for all of you native plant gardeners—don’t fret. The iConserve native plants content, including the database and garden templates, is still available under the Live Green section of the web site.

Earth Hour returns

Kill the light switch at 8:30 p.m. on March 27 and unite with hundreds of millions of people around the world in the fight against climate change. Go to www.earthhour.org to sign-up and then help spread the word. Save a little energy and savor the night sky or maybe some quality quiet time with friends or family. Earth Hour is a grassroots movement fueled by passionate people like you. Last year, a billion people took part coming together to make a powerful stand for the planet. Help put Pennsylvania on the map for Earth Hour 2010.

Lights, camera, falcons!

The Rachel Carson State Office Building’s famous peregrine pair is back for their sixth year of nesting together outside the 15th floor ledge of the building housing both the departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection, employees in Harrisburg. You can follow their nest sitting, pigeon hunting and brood rearing on the live video cam. In between all the action, one of the falcons is actually doing some Tweeting this year (the electronic kind). Follow him/her on Twitter.

Did you know?

Nearly 20% of Pennsylvania’s elementary school children are overweight, caused, in part, from ‘nature deficit disorder’—spending too little time playing, exercising, and exploring in the outdoors. The National Wildlife Federation and its state-wide affiliate, PennFuture, are encouraging all Pennsylvanians, especially young people, to “Be Out There” during National Wildlife Week, March 15-21. Get wild, child!

Congratulations to Dana Grubb from Bethlehem, the winner of the monthly drawing from the SEEDS subscription list. Ms. Grubb receives a copy of the book It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth Friendly Living.