Think Outside with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Exploring Pennsylvania's Conservation Landscapes with Meredith Hill, Retired, DCNR, Conservation Landscape Manager

"It's all about co-creation." Meredith Hill spent fifteen years at Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources managing the Conservation Landscape Program before her recent retirement. She believes that no agency, no organization, no community can accomplish conservation at scale alone. Today, Meredith joins our host Marci Mowery to discuss a program that has quietly reshaped how Pennsylvania thinks about land, community, and the relationship between the two. Born out of a visionary leader's statewide listening tour in the early 2000s, the program designated eight multi-county regions across Pennsylvania, each united by shared values but driven by the distinct needs of its place. In the Wilds, the priority was building a sustainable outdoor recreation economy around vast public lands to revitalize rural communities. In the Lehigh Valley, it was stitching green corridors together before open space disappeared forever. The program is driven, says Meredith, by trust. After all, it takes years to build, and it requires DCNR staff to step outside their bureaus and work shoulder to shoulder with local partners. Trust, in turn, produces the remarkable. Think of a network of local artisans selling handmade goods in state park shops; county planners meeting every other month for nearly two decades; communities like Galeton intentionally dimming their streetlights to protect a night sky that draws stargazers from across the world! Key Topics: * What Is the Conservation Landscape Program? (01:42) * Pennsylvania's Eight Landscapes (03:31) * Building Trust Across Diverse Partners (11:25) * The PA Wilds Cooperative: Artisans, Entrepreneurs, and Local Business (14:53) * One Experience Every Pennsylvanian Should Have: Dark Skies (23:16) * Pennsylvania as a Model for Other States (26:30) * Measuring Progress Over Twenty Years (28:30) * Why Conservation Landscapes Matter (31:08) * Agriculture, Solar, and the Hard Conversations (35:08) Resources: * Conservation Landscapes: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/community-outreach-and-development/conservation-landscapes [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/community-outreach-and-development/conservation-landscapes] * Kinzua Bridge State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/kinzua-bridge-state-park [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/kinzua-bridge-state-park] * Cherry Spring State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/cherry-springs-state-park [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/cherry-springs-state-park] * Keeping Dark Skies Dark: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/keep-the-dark-skies-dark.pdf [https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/keep-the-dark-skies-dark.pdf] 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642], or your favorite app [https://pod.link/1808055642] while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! [https://paparksandforests.org/] 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter [https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp] 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast] 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR] 📱 Follow PPFF on: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] * MeetUp [https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/]

Little Buffalo State Park: Connecting History and Recreation with Jim Eckert, Park Manager

“People are building memories… We have foundational memories, and that’s what these people are building day in and day out.” Our host, Marci Mowery, speaks with Park Manager Jim Eckert about why Little Buffalo State Park has become one of Pennsylvania’s most approachable outdoor destinations. Jim describes Little Buffalo as a “starter park,” a place where newcomers can comfortably experience the outdoors without feeling overwhelmed by rugged wilderness. From flat lakeside trails and beginner-friendly archery programs to ADA kayak launches, inclusive playgrounds, and accessible picnic areas, the park is designed to welcome families, first-time visitors, and people of all physical abilities. Visitors can explore the working Shoaff's Mill, the Blue Ball Tavern, covered bridges, and historic rail exhibits, while seasonal traditions like the Apple Festival and “Light Up Little Buffalo” introduce new audiences to outdoor recreation. This eclectic collection of events can provide the small “nudge” that sparks a lifelong passion for parks and nature! Jim discusses the value of shared public spaces. Whether it’s hearing wood thrushes at dusk, skating across frozen lake ice, or sharing hamburgers at a summer picnic, the park becomes a setting where families build traditions across generations. Key Topics: * Little Buffalo as a “Starter Park” for New Visitors (01:40) * Fishing, Birding, and Beginner-Friendly Hiking Trails (04:41) * Accessibility Projects and Inclusive Recreation (06:54) * Seasonal Traditions: Apple Festival and “Light Up Little Buffalo” (09:53) * Hidden Wildlife Gems Around the Lake (14:37) * Camping, Cabins, and Making Parks Accessible to All (16:25) * Fossils, Geology, and “Touching the Past” (19:31) Resources: * Little Buffalo State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/little-buffalo-state-park [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/little-buffalo-state-park] * Little Buffalo State Park Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebuffalostatepark/ [https://www.facebook.com/littlebuffalostatepark/] * Friends of Little Buffalo State Park: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LittleBuffalo/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/LittleBuffalo/] * Little Buffalo Festival: https://littlebuffalofestival.org/ [https://littlebuffalofestival.org/] * Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/tuscarora/wild-and-natural-areas [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/tuscarora/wild-and-natural-areas] * DCNR Events: https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/ [https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/] 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642], or your favorite app [https://pod.link/1808055642] while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! [https://paparksandforests.org/] 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter [https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp] 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast] 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR] 📱 Follow PPFF on: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] * MeetUp [https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/]

Exploring Buchanan State Forest with Karli Naugle

“You never know what you're going to uncover as you walk through, and the questions about its history always spark great conversation.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Karli Naugle, who is the district forester of Buchanan State Forest, recently named the Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation's Forest of the Year. She offers an insider's tour of a forest that has, until now, largely kept its charms to itself. Karli's path to forestry began at home. Growing up beside Buchanan, she walked the back forty with her grandfather, who worked for PennDOT and advised her early that a state job was a life well spent. She eventually landed exactly that; though he passed just before she received the district forester title, a promotion she wished she could have shared with him. Spread across three counties (Franklin, Fulton, and Bedford), Buchanan is a patchwork of ridgetop forests, each with its own character. The Big Mountain Overlook commands views stretching from Maryland to Perry County. The Chaneysville area holds rare hard pine stands. The Silent Hill tract quietly accumulates some of the region's best snowfall and harbors a history that surprises most visitors: a CCC camp that later served as a prisoner-of-war facility, its story preserved in a downloadable history hike guide. Karli’s team maintains around 206 miles of trails and approximately 62 primitive campsites. Volunteers have transformed old firebreak paths into proper switchback trails. Plans are underway for a dark-sky stargazing site, accessible hunting areas, and a wheelchair-friendly route to the Big Mountain Overlook. Key Topics: * What Makes Buchanan Unique (02:20) * Named Forest of the Year (07:11) * Challenges: Invasive Species and Wildfire (09:51) * Balancing Conservation with Public Use (11:08) * Planning a Visit: Tips for First-Timers (23:25) * Cultural Resources and History Hikes (31:27) Resources: * Buchanan State Forest: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/buchanan [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/buchanan] * Bureau of Geologic Survey: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/about/bureaus-and-offices/geological-survey [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/about/bureaus-and-offices/geological-survey] * Buchanan State Forests Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuchananStateForest [https://www.facebook.com/BuchananStateForest] * Fulton Fall Folk Festival: https://fultoncountypa.com/fulton-fall-folk-festival/ [https://fultoncountypa.com/fulton-fall-folk-festival/] * Standing Stone Trail: https://www.standingstonetrail.org/ [https://www.standingstonetrail.org/] * PA Healthy Lands Week: https://pahealthylandsweek.org/ [https://pahealthylandsweek.org/] 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642], or your favorite app [https://pod.link/1808055642] while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! [https://paparksandforests.org/] 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter [https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp] 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast] 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR] 📱 Follow PPFF on: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] * MeetUp [https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/]

How the Land Shapes Us: Ben Moyer Reflects on Writing and Place

"It's hard to see and notice at the speed with which we move." Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Ben Moyer, who is an author and longtime outdoor journalist from the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. They chat about a life spent paying close attention to the natural world and inviting others to do the same. Ben's connection to nature began early, shaped by his father, who took him fishing at Dunbar Creek, where the pull of a trout on the line left an impression that never faded. Those formative experiences, rooted in the traditional pursuits of hunting and fishing, became the lens through which he eventually found his voice as a writer. High school English teachers who recognized something in him helped point the way. Thoreau's Walden and Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac confirmed it. Over decades of writing (including 559 consecutive columns for Pennsylvania Outdoor News and a monthly column called "The Wild Around" in Pennsylvania Game News), Ben has argued, quietly and persistently, that wonder doesn't require travel to exotic places. It lives in your backyard, in a squirrel's improvisational genius, in the dusk flight of a woodcock over a boggy meadow in spring. He navigates the grimmer realities of environmental change all with the same philosophy. That is, acknowledge the losses honestly, but never lose sight of what remains. Finally, Ben talks about the opening of Laurel Caverns as Pennsylvania's 125th state park, a moment both men salute as proof that patient, principled stewardship can still win. Key Topics: * From Fishing Rods to the Written Word (01:15) * Thoreau, Leopold, and the Books That Shaped Him (06:05) * Writing for Readers Who Don't Think of Themselves as Outdoor People (10:16) * Writing About Environmental Loss Without Losing Hope (13:29) * Conservation Partners Worth Mentioning (20:49) * What Does a Meaningful Outdoor Experience Look Like? (27:01) * Favorite Places: Grandfather's Farm and Dunbar Creek (31:41) * Wild Foods, Ramps, and Seasonal Rituals (32:14) * Laurel Caverns: Pennsylvania's 125th State Park (40:31) Resources: * Chestnut Ridge Trout Unlimited: https://chestnutridgetu.org/ [https://chestnutridgetu.org/] * Pittsburgh Quarterly: https://pittsburghquarterly.com/ [https://pittsburghquarterly.com/] * Quiet Article: https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Fall-Newsletter.pdf [https://paparksandforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Fall-Newsletter.pdf] * Ben Moyer | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/ben-moyer [https://muckrack.com/ben-moyer] 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642], or your favorite app [https://pod.link/1808055642] while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! [https://paparksandforests.org/] 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter [https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp] 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast] 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR] 📱 Follow PPFF on: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] * MeetUp [https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/]

The Story Behind Laurel Caverns with David Cale

“I wasn't afraid of the cave, but I was afraid of people.” Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with David Cale, former owner of Laurel Caverns in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, for a conversation about one of the state's most singular natural wonders. It’s a cave system that became Pennsylvania's 125th state park, and the first underground state park in the commonwealth. David's relationship with Laurel Caverns began before he was born. His grandfather purchased the surrounding land in the 1920s, when the cave, then known as Delaney's Cave, was already a beloved destination for amateur explorers and weekend campers. David's earliest memories are of scrambling through its passages as a boy, naming chambers after Grieg compositions, and dreaming of what lay deeper in the mountain. That dream never let him go. Starting at age 15, David began digging through sand-clogged passages to find a new cave no one had ever seen, eventually opening what his staff named Cale's Canyon. Today, the system spans four known miles, with perhaps four times more still buried in sand. A philosopher by training, holding a doctorate in philosophy from Duquesne University, David ran the cavern for decades alongside his wife Lillian, pioneering bat hibernation protections as early as the 1970s and hosting Carnegie Mellon University researchers testing echolocation-inspired drones underground. His vision for the property was always a state park. He held off developers, resisted offers of quick profit, and ultimately donated the land outright with Lillian. Now that vision is reality. Key Topics: * A Family Legacy in the Cave (01:47) * The Hall of the Mountain King (03:21) * Buying Back Laurel Caverns (08:58) * Bat Conservation and Hibernation Closures (12:04) * Cave History and Local Legend (15:35) * Tour Levels: From Guided Walks to 45-Story Descents (22:27) * Pennsylvania's 125th State Park (26:55) * Laurel Caverns as a Scientific Laboratory (32:20) Resources: * Laurel Cavern State Park: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/laurel-caverns-state-park [https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/laurel-caverns-state-park] * Laurel Caverns: https://laurelcaverns.com/ [https://laurelcaverns.com/] * Go Laurel Highlands: https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/ [https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/] * London Symphony Orchestra performing Hall of the Mountain King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvHWUZZdP0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvHWUZZdP0] 🎧 Listen to the Think Outside Podcast on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0pUbbLFGpDKdTwLrw1BtS6?si=0d5d715914a2478f], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-outside-with-the-pennsylvania-parks/id1808055642], or your favorite app [https://pod.link/1808055642] while on the go! New episodes drop bi-weekly on Mondays, and you may occasionally find a bonus episode, as well! The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation inspires stewardship of YOUR state parks and forests through volunteerism, education, recreation, and philanthropy. Learn more, find events, download outdoor resources, and get involved! [https://paparksandforests.org/] 👉 Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter [https://ppff.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppff/subscribe.jsp] 🎥 Watch outdoor tips and stories on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] 📸 Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ThinkOutsidePPFFPodcast] 🎶 Podcast music provided by Evan Mongeau [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ucu1BrtjW0Q2EPLTvf5UR] 📱 Follow PPFF on: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsylvaniastateparksandforests/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/paparksandforests] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-parks-and-forests-foundation/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/PAParksAndForests] * MeetUp [https://www.meetup.com/ppff-events/]