Category Archives: Uncategorized

My Front Yard

My Front Yard:My front yard is a wood-fenced rectangle about 20 by 24 feet. It has been a multi-use part of my property serving as the “dog yard,” “bird feeding area,” and general buffer between the house and street. I… Continue reading

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Hiking the Laurel Highlands Trail

June 10, 2009: Laurel Highlands TrailDeborah and I had to meet the Pennsylvanian Amtrak train in Greenburg at 6:50 pm and, so, decided to spend the afternoon on a section of the Laurel Highlands Trail nearby. We drove past Ligoneer… Continue reading

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Grackles and Garlic Mustard

I finally got out in my yard yesterday afternoon and tried to get caught up with the changing season. The wind storms have severely pruned my red maples, and I have already gathered enough stick wood to fuel four or… Continue reading

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A View from the Equator

I am just back from Ecuador and the Galapagos. Many long days and so much to think about. It was an incredible trip!There is, though, no “spring” on the equator (nor is there “winter,” nor “autumn,” nor “summer”), there is… Continue reading

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Watching Squirrels and Crows

(for Ed Lenz….Welcome Back! We have missed you!)One week to spring break and it still feels like winter. I am sitting at my writing desk watching a cold front blast across my hillside. The bird feeders are swinging wildly in… Continue reading

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Rise of the Earthworm

All right, there are two inches of snow out there right now and this morning when I woke up the radio announced a minus four degree wind chill. Maybe I started these “Signs of Spring” too early this year. No… Continue reading

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Spring Cleaning

Strong wind gusts are a year-round occurrence up on our Penn State New Kensington ridge top. Summer thunderstorms, spring and fall weather fronts, and winter blizzards can each generate high velocity winds that can do serious damage to our trees…. Continue reading

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Our first hike

To quote George Harrison, “it’s been a long, long lonely winter.”Two weeks ago I took a dozen cub scouts out on the Nature Trail to help them work on their Forestry merit badge. It was hard staying out for even… Continue reading

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Welcome

We love our nature trail at New Kensington. We walk on it, we run on it, we do research on it, and we clean it up at least once a year. We also like to keep track of what lives… Continue reading

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Arboretum Map

Happy Earth Day, everyone! The new arboretum map and brochure are now available on the Virtual Nature Trail web site (http://www.nk.psu.edu/naturetrail)! Go for a walk on the Nature Trail! Check out the beautiful trees!… Continue reading

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