Click here to see the scheduled outings for the months of May and June, along with directions and times.

Registration is NOT required.  Everyone is welcome, including non-members. Trips last 3-4 hours but you can leave at any time.   Bring sturdy walking shoes, water, and an umbrella, if necessary.

.April 12  Sunday at 1:00 PM  Montour Woods Conservation Area, Allegheny         County  Leader:  Sean Brady, Hollow Oak Land Trust, www.hollowoak.org

Directions:  From Pittsburgh, take 376E to Exit 57 Moon/60 Business for I-376BUS.  Continue a short distance to the Ewing Road Exit.  Turn right on Ewing Rd and continue 1.8 miles to “T”.  Turn right onto Coraopolis Heights Rd and continue .3 miles to a second “T”.  Turn right onto Maple/St./Hassam Rd. Continue past Montour St. and travel down a long winding hill for about 1.6 miles.  Toward the bottom, notice a small parking area on your right with Hollow Oak Land Trust sign – park there. (Note: If you reach the bottom of the hill, turn around at the Montour Trail and come back up the hill about 100 yards to Hollow Oak.)

April 19, Sunday at 1:00 PM  Linn Run State Park, Rector, Westmoreland County  Leader: Loree Speedy   (C) 724-518-6022

Directions:  From Pittsburgh, take the PA Turnpike east to Exit 91/Donegal.  Turn left onto PA 31 and then, after a short distance, left onto PA 711 north for about 9 miles.  Turn right onto Darlington Road (this may be unmarked) and travel about 1 mile to its junction with PA 381.  Continue straight onto PA 381 for a short distance and then turn right onto Linn Run road.  Once you enter Linn Run State Park, continue about 1.5 miles to the Grove Run Picnic Area on the right, where we will meet.

April 25, Saturday, 9:00 AM Indian Creek Wildflower Walk  Leader: Lisa Smith     rain or shine.  We cover about a mile and a half at a very gentle pace on relatively flat terrain.  The walk normally lasts until around noon.

Directions: PA Turnpike to Donegal, left onto Rt. 31, Right onto Rte.711, left onto Rt. 381 at Normalville at the “t”, go 2 miles, cross Iron Bridge, Make a right at the sign for Camp Christian.  Go to the end of the road and park to the right by gated trail.

April 26, Sunday, 8:00 AM  Enlow Fork Wildflower Walk by Wheeling Watershed Conservancy.

Directions from Pittsburgh and points North: I-79S to I-70W at Washington, PA.  to Rt. 40E. turn right onto Franklin Farms Rd just past Washington Crown Center.  Go about 1.0 mile make a right onto Rt. 18S, through Prosperity and Old Concord into Greene County.   About a mile after you enter Greene County, Rt. 18 makes a very sharp curve to the left at Beulah Church. Make a right onto the road where there is a sign pointing to Ryerson Station State Park ( be careful not to take the first right turn) just before the cemetery.  Follow that road to Graysville ( there is a point where the main road goes to the right, so be sure to stay on the main road.) When you come to a “T” in Graysville, make a right on an unnamed street and look for the signs that point to Rt.21W.  Take Rt. 21W for a couple miles toward Wind Ridge.   Right before Wind Ridge, make a right onto Nebo Ridge Road ( there is a farmhouse here on the right with stone siding on it). Follow Nebo Ridge Rd. for several miles.  The Road will make a sweeping curve to the left and you’ll come to a group of houses ( old cars and junk lying around).  Turn right onto Walker Hill Road.  Go about 1/8 mile, make a sharp left onto Smoky Row Lane (formerly a rugged dirt road; paved in 2014!) at the sign for the State Gamelands; follow that downhill, through an S curve at the coal mine facility, then onto Enlow Fork.  Go as far as you can, till y o come to a gate, and a parking lot.  Do not stop at the first lot on the left or you’ll have a few hundred yards of walking to do.

Directions from Morgantown, WV and points south and east:   Take the Waynesburg exit off I0-70 to Rt. 21W.  After about a mile, Rt. 21 merges with rt. 19 N.  Follow that into and through Waynesburg.  Be sure to stay on Rt.21 W. Then follow the above directions from Wind Ridge  to Nebo ridge Rd. etc.

April 30, Thursday, 10:00 AM  Raccoon Creek State Park Wildflower Reserve, Beaver County, Hookstown, PA Leaders: Dianne and Bob  Machesney                 (C) 412-523-0368

Meet at the parking lot of the wildflower reserve for this outing in search of early spring migrants, early wildflowers, courting amphibians and other signs of spring.  Bring a bag lunch.

Directions:  It is about 25 miles from Pittsburgh.  Take Parkway West to US 22, exit to Rt. 30 .  Stay on Rt. 30 for a long distance (20+ miles) . Then turn into the wildflower parking lot is on the right hand side.  there is a sign immediately before the turn.

The new list of  scheduled hikes for the 2015 season is here.  Click to see it.

All hikes are free and open to the public.  Hope to see you on the trail!

At our last meeting of the year, Meg Scanlon, North Park naturalist, gave a presentation about the park’s nature center, highlighting some of the recent projects such as the remedial wetland area near the ice rink, where beavers have taken up residence.  28 members enjoyed the array of cookies and hot apple cider and Meg’s hands-on display of items from the nature center.

Thanks to members Monica Miller and Dianne Machesney for crafting the ornament favors.  “WHO” wouldn’t love one of these for their tree?

Have a safe Winter and see you at our next meeting on March 5th.

Steve Leitkam ended his powerpoint presentation with some “hands on” time.

Nineteen members had the opportunity to hold Steve’s pet Whip Scorpion.  Thanks, Steve, for a great meeting.

Are you brave enough to hold a tarantula?  Our members are fearless! Thanks to Sarah Lyle, who shared her knowledge of arachnids and brought some of her pets for us to meet at the October meeting.

Hartwood Acres Mansion

Fall Outing to Hartwood Acres, Allegheny County

Outings are not exclusive to members.  Everybody’s invited to walk with us.
Dress for the weather.  Wear boots or good hiking shoes and a hat.  Bring
binoculars and field guides.

October 24, Friday, 10:00 a.m. – Noon.  Hartwood Acres Park, by Marlow Madeoy
412-364-0195  madeoyma@aol.com and Judy Stark  412-327-9537   starkj2@aol.com
Come out for a lovely fall walk to enjoy the colors of late wildflowers and
learn how to identify trees.

Directions:  From Route 28, take Route 8 N for 1.8 miles, turn Right on
Saxonburg Boulevard, go 4.6 miles (crossing Harts Run Rd), turn left into
Hartwood Acres Park and drive up the hill to the parking lot for the Mansion.

Or set your GPS for:  Hartwood Acres Park, 200 Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh, PA
15238

Bring a picnic lunch if the weather is warm, otherwise there are several
restaurants on Harts Run Road.

Join us on our annual outing to Jennings Prairie in Butler County, PA on Saturday, July 26th.

This is the perfect time to see Blazing Star, Whorled Rosinweed and sunflowers. American Goldfinches, Indigo Buntings, flycatchers, Common Yellowthroats and Cedar Waxwings make the prairie their summer home. Expect to see an amazing array of glorious butterflies. We may come across a Red Eft or catch a glimpse of the elusive Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake.

Meet leaders Dianne and Bob Machesney at 10:00am at the Jennings Environmental Education Center (across from Prairie parking lot) on the right (east) side of the road.
Google Maps: 2951 Prospect Rd. Slippery Rock, PA 16057, (724) 794-6011

Directions from Pittsburgh: Take I-79 North to Exit 99/Butler. Drive east on US 422 roughly 5.8 miles to the Prospect Exit, and turn left (north) onto PA 528. Continue on PA 528 for about 7 miles.

The Prairie is hot and shadeless. Wear a hat, sunscreen and appropriate hiking shoes. Bring binoculars and field guides. Bring a lunch and beverage, water and a snack for the trail. We will picnic together after the hike.

Outings are free and open to the public.

For more information, call Judy Stark, Outings Coordinator (412)363-0462

10:30 AM Saturday, July 12, 2014

Marcy is graciously inviting club members to her yard to check out the flora and fauna.  She lives in Clarksburg, PA.  Bring a bag lunch and we will socialize after the tour. If you think you are able to attend, contact Judy Stark, Outings Coordinator, at starkj2@aol.com and  she will email exact directions to you.