As our time working on experimental passion blogs comes to a close, I would like to wrap up my series on outdoor life with a thought invoking, hopefully positive note. There is so much more about the outdoor world that I could (and would love to) talk about, and I hope that I will come around to write on this blog again in the near future. However, for the time being, I hope you all have enjoyed my posts.

My passion blog so far has focused on the wonders, adventures, and oddities of the natural world. As you can probably tell by now, I have spent lots of time engaged in outdoor activities, and I hope that you are inspired to do so as well. The point I want to make, though, is that our natural world is a delicate one when faced with the potential wrath of human beings. We need to preserve it in order for me and those like me to continue writing about and enjoying natural life.

Let me tell you a story. In the 19th century, the United States was just catching on to the industrial revolution, and its economy was booming; along with this came the lumber industry.

(George Draffan)

This map shows the depletion of old growth forests in the United States from 1820 to present. Old growth means that the forest had never been logged before. Notice how, by 1920, nearly all of the forested area in Pennsylvania was gone.

Luckily, a large portion of this forestland has made a recovery thanks to policy changes and environmental awareness, and our generation is able to enjoy the serenity it offers. Industrialization and logging are not utterly terrible. In fact, there are actually benefits to logging (which is a whole new article topic), and industrialization is probably the reason that we are able to love the outdoors anyway.

Think about it: I’m able to write this article in a warm building on a device that can access a world of information. The fact that I live in an industrialized society is the reason I can look at the more appealing parts of nature and not have to worry about dying or getting eaten. My point is that we need to find a way to innovate society while conserving our natural world.

Not only can policy change rebuild environments, but a collective effort by individuals in a society can as well. So many of the things we do without thinking can have a horrible effect on the world around us. There is nothing I hate more than encountering litter in the woods; it really isn’t that hard to find a trash can or recycling bin. The selfishness of some people is absolutely baffling to me. Also, I’m sure most of you have seen this picture circulating on the internet:

I think you get the idea; it can be a real threat to our wildlife.

If we as a society can just have consideration for our actions, we will be able to reap the benefits of the industrialized world while also being able to escape to a place that is, in my opinion, just as necessary.

 

It’s autumn in Pennsylvania, one of the best times of the year. Get ready for pumpkin spiced everything, raking leaves, chilly air, and… the rut?

That’s right, October marks the start of the whitetail deer mating season! Why is this important? This is when deer all across Pennsylvania transition from velvet cloaked antlers:

To hard antlers, ready for battle:

(Photos are from PA Wildlife Photographer)

The rut is a time that hunters usually look forward to as whitetails become much more active. Males are in constant competition for territory, dominance, and females; some great sightings such as the one below occur on a normal basis.

This is a video posted on YouTube by Vincent Herberger, and it is a perfect depiction of what the rut is all about. These creatures that, for a majority of the year, seem timid and harmless turn into violent fighters driven by the wild, instinctual desire to reproduce. The bucks in this video were lucky; fights like this have the potential to end much worse.

The rut is quite an interesting season among deer; it is fascinating to see all the extra activity that goes on that cannot be seen the rest of the year. It is also very dangerous, however, as encounters such as this one can, and often do, happen:

(WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO)

This video, posted by Moy Goldberg, is a somewhat disturbing and stark reminder of the capabilities of these seemingly harmless creatures. They may seem adorable, and you may want to get close to one in an encounter, but it is important to remember that, not only are they wild animals, but they also have spears on their head for half of the year; you don’t.

The rut usually dies down in December when bucks shed their antlers and return to their previous life in the herd. Though this season may seem odd and dangerous, it is probably one of the most important of the year. It can be very rewarding to deer and humans in the sense that it produces fawns.

Fawns are extremely important for the future of the deer population in Pennsylvania; they are the replacements for all of the losses due to hunting in the previous winter and fall. They allow recovery in the population so that deer and humans can continue to enjoy each others’ presence without consequence.

If there were no rut, there would be no population recovery. If there were no hunters, the population would increase much more rapidly than its habitat allows, causing food shortages and increased car accidents involving deer.

It is important to know of the rut and the balance it allows in our relationship with whitetail deer. If you would like to know more about whitetail deer or hunting in Pennsylvania, click here for an informative webpage created by the PA Game Commission.

 

Today it was brought to my attention that Pennsylvania has one of the best cave networks in the country. I knew we were an awesome state, but I didn’t know we were quite that awesome.

(Pennsylvania Commonwealth)

This is a map of limestone deposits in PA. Notice the dark blue that ranges across the central and eastern part of the state. These are all areas where caves have been, or may some day be, etched out due to limestone weathering. If you’ll also notice, a thick portion of this area lies right in the bounds of Centre County. This makes State College a great place to go spelunking!

Spelunking is a fancy word for cave exploring. This video is a perfect example; it was posted on Youtube by Mahlon Kile in the summer of 2016 and features a group of friends embarking on a journey underneath Lancaster, PA in a formation known as “Cold Cave,” or “Wind Cave.”

Cold Cave gets its name from its abnormally chilly year-round temperature; it remains at a constant 30 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. (Underground caves usually have a temperature of around 50 degrees due to geothermal heating.)

If you ever want to visit Cold Cave, there are great directions and lots of information provided here by Visit Lancaster PA.

There are also great public caves much closer to campus than Cold Cave; Penn’s Cave is a popular destination that is much more tourist-oriented than Cold Cave. It features a Cave Cafe, a “miner’s maze,” and a tour experienced entirely by boat. The Penn’s Cave website provides much more information and details on cave activities, history, features, etc. The best part is, it is less than a 30 minute drive from University Park.

I have never been cave exploring before, but after a bit of research I am definitely going to try it out. I would like to visit Penn’s Cave during my time in State College; I’ve heard great reviews of it. I just don’t know if I like the tourist appeal of it. My goal while I am here is to find a less broadly known spelunking location and check it out. Judging by all of the videos I’ve seen, it can be an exciting activity (assuming you don’t get lost).

The natural world encompasses much more than the things we see around us. It is not just the forest or the animals in them, it is also everything above and below them. I realized this during my exploration of spelunking; there is so much more to this world than meets the eye. It occurred to me that I had just been “scratching the surface” (pun absolutely intended) of exploration and adventure up until this point.

I hope that you have come to this realization as well and are no longer content with hanging out up here on Earth’s surface. Get out there, find a cave, and begin spelunking!

 

Everyone in Pennsylvania has at least seen some level of wildlife. Squirrels, rabbits, and deer, among others, snuggle up to human civilization and we seem to get along quite well. There is wildlife in PA, however, that is quite solitary and unbeknownst to many people: the Rocky Mountain Elk.

Now, if this sounds kind of peculiar at first, you may not know the whole story. Back in the 19th Century, the eastern elk was common in the state of Pennsylvania, and the entire Eastern United States from New England to the Midwest.

(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia)

As European settlers arrived, the elk population dwindled, with the last in Pennsylvania disappearing in 1867. Then, between 1913 and 1926, almost 200 rocky mountain elk were trapped and relocated to previous herd ranges: not surprisingly, Elk County.

In 100 years, the population has flourished, growing from just under 200 to over 1,000 according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and now spans over four counties in Northwestern PA. You can learn more about the history of elk in Pennsylvania by clicking here.

(Photo Courtesy of PA Game Commission)

Now these elk are enjoying the lifestyle of their late eastern ancestors; who needs the Rockies, anyway?

Being from Elk County myself, I have interacted frequently with the elk herds, and I can say from experience that they are absolutely stunning. A great thing about them is that, since they have no natural predators here in Pennsylvania, they are very lax when it comes to people. You can get great shots of them up close; just don’t get too close or the animal will become uncomfortable and possibly hostile.

If you ever get a chance, I would highly recommend taking a visit to Elk or Cameron County to see these beautiful creatures. A good starting point would be the Elk County Visitor Center, which can give you a complete history of PA wildlife and conservation, along with great up close views of the elk. Then, venture out to Cameron county, where there has to be more elk than people. (This isn’t true, but once you’re there, it sure seems like it.)

Also, for any hunters, there is a chance every year to apply for an elk license. These are extremely hard to attain, however, because nearly 30,000 hunters apply and only 108 tags are given in a lottery. I’ve never been elk hunting myself, but I imagine it is quite a thrill. Since hunting is severely restricted, some of the older bulls can achieve an impressive rack of antlers.

(Photo by Jake Dingel for the PA Game Commission)

You can even see them on a Live Stream provided by the PA Game Commission!