Mark Your Calendar for April 2009 "Caring for Communities" Programs
Caring for Communities: Earth Month Celebration
Click here to download schedule in .pdf format.
Click here for detailed schedule on-line.
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Scheimreif and Eisenhauer Winners in “Art for the Environment” Contest
Lewisburg Area High School students Hannah Scheimreif (below) and Cody Eisenhauer (above) have been recognized for their outstanding artwork created for the Conservancy’s Art for the Environment competition. Conservancy Board member Geoff Goodenow presented both students, who worked under the direction of Lewisburg art teacher Cynthia Shaffer, with $50 awards at the school’s undergraduate honors program held in June.
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Intermediate Students Take Honors in Conservancy Poster and Essay Contests
The Linn Conservancy challenged area intermediate school students to address global warming in its “Confronting Climate Change” poster and essay contests held this past spring. Mifflinburg Intermediate School students, under the direction of Ralph Moyer, fifth grade communications teacher, wrote essays that focused on the nature of climate change, how it is affecting Central Pennsylvania and what can be done to mitigate it. Michaela Auman (center) was named First Place winner, receiving a $25 award. Second Place winner Philip Berkheiser (right) and Third Place winner Gillian Allen (left) both received books related to the environment.
(Click here to read Michaela Auman's winning essay in .pdf format. Adobe Reader required.) 
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Linntown Intermediate School art teacher Patrick Burns worked with his students to explore climate change through art in the Conservancy’s third annual poster contest.
Kennedy Snyder was named Grand Prize winner, receiving a $50 award from the Conservancy at Linntown’s honors ceremony held Tuesday, June 10. First Place was awarded to Haley Stanko, who received $25. Jack Temple, Amanda Johnson and Natalie Westling received Second, Third and Fourth Place honors respectively. Each received a book. The posters were judged on the basis of originality, artistic ability, and understanding of the subject matter.
The Conservancy’s contests are designed to raise awareness of critical environmental issues among young people in our community, while providing an educational experience that emphasizes reading, vocabulary, and sciences.
The Linn Conservancy, which has over three hundred members, seeks to preserve land and waterways in Union and upper Northumberland Counties and contiguous areas.
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Mifflinburg Student Ryan Stush Is Honored at Annual Dinner
A special stewardship award was presented to Mifflinburg High School student Ryan Stush (right) in recognition of his outstanding work and effort on expansion and improvements of the Koons’ Trail in Mifflinburg, PA. Conservancy member Joe Southerton (left) presented the award at the Conservancy’s annual dinner meeting.
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Dale/Engle/Walker House Grounds Cleanup
Several times a year, members of the Linn Conservancy, volunteers from Bucknell University, and Bill Deitrick, Union County Conservation District Manager, gather at the 1792 DEW House to clean up and improve the grounds. If you are tired of football by that time, please join us on Saturday, November 8, for a fun and productive time at the house. We will be starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and working until 1 or 2 p.m. Pitch in!
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New Board Members Announced
The Linn Conservancy announces the election of two new members of the Board of Directors. These individuals bring a wide variety of skills and community knowledge to the Board, and we extend to them a warm welcome.
Patricia K. Arduini has been a Mifflinburg resident for 28 years, and for 26 of those years has been a fifth grade teacher in the Mifflinburg Area School District. After retiring from active teaching, she is now an environmental education staff member with the fifth grade outdoor education program. Patricia has been active in community institutions, including the Mifflinburg Planning Commission, as board member for the Mifflinburg Heritage/Revitalization Association, and on the Mifflinburg Community Initiated Development Team (with a focus on business retention), as well as on the Heritage Area River-Towns Task Force (SEDA-COG), and Director of Community for the Mifflinburg Rotary Club. Patricia attended the PA Land Trust Association convention last spring, representing the Linn Conservancy, and she is now Chair of the Conservancy’s Education Committee.
Chris Bergesen-Peeling, a graduate of South Williamsport High School, completed course work in wildlife science at the Pennsylvania State University in the late 1980s. Since 1988, she has been employed at Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, and from 1990 to the present, has served as the Business Manager there. She has produced promotional videos publicizing Reptiland, set up appearances with a variety of national talk shows such as “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee”, and expanded the merchandizing department and membership for Reptiland.
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Tom Travis Receives 2008 Stewardship Award
Site Stewardship Committee chair, Geoff Goodenow (right), presented Tom Travis (left) with the 2008 Stewardship Award at the Conservancy’s annual dinner meeting held last spring. Travis was honored for his stewardship, his commitment to the Linn Conservancy and his enduring love of nature and the outdoors.
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Conservancy Honored by Union County Conservation District
At its 49th Annual Awards Banquet this spring, the Union County Conservation District presented the Merill W. Linn Land & Waterways Conservancy with the District's "Directors' Award for Environmental Awareness." On hand to accept the award from presenter, Ben Marsh, were Conservancy co-founders Jeannette Lasansky and June Hoyle. Also representing the Conservancy at the Banquet were President Wayne McDiffett, Coordinator Ben Hoskins, and newsletter editor, Ruth Burnham.
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Photography Exhibit Benefits Merrill Linn Conservancy
An exciting photography collection of images from the trails of the Merrill W. Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy has been assembled by the Lewisburg Studio, 525 Market Street in Lewisburg. The framed photographs are on exhibit at Emma's Food for Life, 11 S. Market Street, Selinsgrove. In October, the exhibit will move to Cherry Alley Cafe, 21 N. 3rd St., Lewisburg.
Wildlife, floral, and scenic photographs by Maggie Gardner, John Tonzetich, Eric Lawton, and John Gardner are available for sale. Twenty-one different images captured at the Dale’s Ridge Trail, the Mary Koons Trail, the Shamokin Mountain Trail, and the Merrill Linn Trail are offered for sale with proceeds going to the Linn Conservancy.
Click here for more.
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Cultivating Community Planning for Future Growth on Track
Union County and its municipal partners continue to work on Cultivating Community: A Plan for Union County’s Future as fall approaches, according to Shawn McLaughlin, director of the Union County Planning Commission. In the spring, three public forums were held for residents to view and respond to future growth scenarios and a recommended growth management framework. The recommended growth framework, which was derived from months of public input and working with advisory teams and municipal officials, emphasized directing future development to designated areas in and around the county’s existing towns and villages.
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Linn Conservancy Adds New Easements
The Conservancy has recently received conservation easements on two parcels of land, according to President Wayne McDiffett.
Click here for details.
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Stay Up-to-date with Email Notices
The Merrill W. Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy is interested in contacting its 300-plus members periodically throughout the year with a “conservation update” that will bring members up-to-date with critical, time-sensitive conservation issues related to Pennsylvania. If you wish to receive these email messages, send your email address to Ben Hoskins at linn@ptd.net, indicating your interest. If you do not have an email address and wish to receive the notices, mail Ben Hoskins, PO Box 501, Lewisburg, PA 17837.
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Development Committee Plans Fund Raising Activities
The annual Linn Conservancy Native Plant Sale, the natural fiber T-shirt sale, biennial raffles of handmade quilts or pieces from local artisans, and now photo images captured on the Linn Conservancy trails and printed and mounted by Lewisburg Studio are among the Conservancy’s most successful fund-raising efforts.
Click here to learn how you can help.
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