DECEMBER 2020
STREAMLINES: News and events from BWA
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Price Township man's gift to the future |
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Editor’s note: “Woods and Water” is a new occasional feature focusing on the relation between land and water quality – and the conservation easements that help preserve our environment in the Brodhead watershed.
Bart Bartolacci knows his 40-acre private property along Stony Run in Price Township will be preserved in perpetuity.
It was the dearest wish of his wife, Vivian, to keep this land protected. She loved fly fishing here and at a nearby fishing club, and wanted to be sure this wild woodland would never become lawns and McMansions. Together, she and Bart made plans with a land trust to conserve the land permanently.
But conservation easements take time; fate intervened, and Vivian didn’t live quite long enough to see her wish fulfilled.
“She knew it was in the works. That gave her peace,” Bart says.
The Get Outdoors Poconos series is administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.
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It's time to winterize your rain barrel |
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If you have a barrel that collects rain to be reused around the house, now's the time to winterize it. Drain the barrel and reconnect the downspout to its original drain location. Leave the spigot and lower drain open. Water should not remain in the barrel over the winter, as the fittings may freeze and crack. If you have a painted barrel, you may want to take it inside to protect the artwork. |
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Oriental bittersweet puts chokehold on trees |
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Like so many plants that became pests, oriental bittersweet was intentionally introduced in the 1860s in the U.S. — another proof, if we need it, that messing with Mother Nature rarely works out how we expect!
In the case of bittersweet, the consequences are serious. The vines are extremely aggressive, overcoming a canopy of native trees with its explosive growth, or forming a criss-cross chokehold of vines that can strangle even very large trees.
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Examples of spotted lanternfly egg masses. (Heather Leach photo) |
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Target the spotted lanternfly – even in winter |
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The state Spotted Lanternfly Program asks citizens to remain vigilant about the invasive spotted lantern fly – even in winter!
While the last of the adult spotted lanternfly have died off for the winter, their egg masses remain, waiting for warm, spring days to hatch. Now’s the time to get into our yards, inspecting trees, vehicles, patio furniture and other outdoor items for the telltale streaks of grey that are the egg masses. Each egg mass contains 30 to 50 new lanternflies, each ready to hatch and wreak havoc the coming year.
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The conservancy tentatively plans to open the Van Scott Nature Reserve to the public in spring 2021.
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Want to be a watershed expert? |
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The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program is offering training classes in Monroe County, to be held this spring.
The program provides extensive coursework in water and natural resources with ongoing volunteer and educational opportunities that allow participants to make a difference in their communities.
Training will be held virtually via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 3 through June 2. Optional in-person field trips will be scheduled locally with COVID-19 safety measures in place.
In addition to 40 hours of classroom instruction, candidates must agree to contribute 50 hours of volunteer service their first year, followed by 20 hours per year thereafter. Activities include organizing educational events, designing demonstration rain gardens, organizing stream cleanups, planting riparian forest buffers, monitoring streams and more.
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NEW PLAN FOR VISITORS AT DWGNRA |
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Highlights of Nat'l Park Service's updates |
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The National Park Service has set the final Visitor Use Management Plan for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. The plan is the culmination of a five-year planning effort that began in summer 2015 and included a great deal of time, energy, collaboration, and input by neighboring town governments, chambers of commerce, industry partners, communities, stakeholders, NPS staff, and the public.
Highlights of the plan include:
ENTRANCE FEES: NPS will not move forward with the proposal to charge a parkwide entrance fee. The park will continue with the current expanded amenity fee structure, and additional park sites may be included as amenity fee sites in the future.
TRAILS: Improvements to the park’s trails will link trail networks, enhance accessibility, and diversify trail experiences and will be sustainably designed to protect park resources. Partnership and cost-sharing opportunities will be explored related to equestrian and biking trails.
PICNICKING: Expanded picnicking opportunities will be implemented in a variety of locations throughout the park to better meet demand, including designated areas that can accommodate large groups. Hidden Lake is one area that may be evaluated for use as a group picnic area; other expansions or improvements could take place at park beaches.
IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY: Projects include improvements to the Loch Lomond and Hidden Lake fishing piers and trails; canoe/kayak access points with launch aids; improved online and virtual services; audio descriptions on waysides at Childs Park and Dingmans Falls; ramp access to key public buildings; trail improvements; and a permit system for hunting access.
RIVER CAMPING: The NPS will move forward with charging a $16 per site, per night fee and establishing a reservation system for use of the river campsites. Implementation will be phased in over time, beginning in 2021. The park will continue to maintain existing river campsites; pilot alternative waste management solutions at two river campsites; and restore up to 20 river campsites in clustered groupings using creative solutions for human waste management, improved accessibility for people with disabilities, and ease of access for maintenance.
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NOTE FOR AFTER THE HOLIDAYS |
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Where and when to recycle your tree |
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Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority offers tips for an environment-friendly post-holiday wrapup:
First, recycle your real tree! Check here to see where to recycle a Christmas tree in your municipality.
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BWA is planning a “Water in Winter” photo contest! Photo enthusiasts, start thinking about creative ways to picture the beauty of water in the coldest months: waterfalls, birds in a frosty birdbath, icicles everywhere… Stretch your imagination! The contest will run Jan. 15 to March 15. Details to come!
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BWA wins $500 ... with a little help from its friends
Our Shared Waters, an effort of the Delaware River Basin Commission, recently held a Rate Your Waters web contest. Anyone could enter their water quality rating submission online, and of those entries one would be chosen for a $500 donation to the environmental charity of the winner’s choice.
Luckily for BWA, Carol Hillestad of Cresco, our very own outreach coordinator and hike leader, made the winning entry (about Stony Run in Delaware State Forest, right), and she chose BWA for the donation! Thank you, Carol, for everything you do for us!
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We welcome new members this month: Marjorie Teada-Kiernan of Henryville, Joni Oye-Benintende of Stroudsburg, and Joann Farda of Tannersville
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Considering becoming a member? Now is a good time to do it!
The first five people who join BWA as a perennial member in December 2020 or January 2021 will get a special premium – a metal, reusable drinking straw, with a handy bag and cleaning brush! Perennial members set automatic monthly donations of $10 or more – an effective, efficient and much-appreciated way to support BWA!
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Looking for a great gift for a loved one? Spare yourself the shopping, and give the gift of clean water for generations to come! BWA gift memberships are available. Go to this page and scroll down to the "Give a gift" section. We will send a “welcome” package to your recipient acknowledging you as the donor.
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... AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT |
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Donors like you made Giving Tuesday 2020, in the face of a most difficult year, a huge success for the Brodhead Watershed Association. Thanks to a total of 26 donors, we raised just under $2,000 for water quality monitoring and water conservation!
These donations will help close our budget gap, fulfilling our clean-water mission through science, education, advocacy and collaboration.
If you did not get a chance to help on Giving Tuesday, there's still plenty time to give before the end of the year and take advantage of tax incentives (click here for details)! Thank you for your continued support!
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
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Kelly Gallo
executive director
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Listening to nature's song
Dear friends,
When you enter stores this time of year, you cannot help but hear the sounds of the season as holiday tunes play overhead. These are not the only melodies of the season, though.
Enter Pennsylvania’s winter woods and you will be treated to a symphony of sound. Wind blowing through the boughs, calls of the pileated woodpeckers taking flight overhead, songbirds chattering their displeasure with each other at the bird feeder, the groan of old trees, water trickling under the ice in headwater brooks, the persistent warning of a red squirrel, the shrill cry of a red-tailed hawk. The list goes on and on.
What music will your favorite woodland walk treat you to? Don’t hibernate this winter season. Bundle up, head to the woods and take a moment to tune into the sounds of the winter season.
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