Watershed group plans meeting
BARBOURS - The Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Plunketts Creek Fire Hall.
The guest speaker is Dr. Jonathan Niles, a visiting professor at Susquehanna University. Weeks before Tropical Storm Lee caused extensive flooding in the Loyalsock Watershed, Niles and his interns collected comprehensive ecological data on many of the Loyalsock Creek's headwater streams. Niles will discuss the ecology of the streams prior to the flood, the data he has collected since the flood and his plans for studying the recovery of the watershed's aquatic communities.
Memberships to the LCWA will be available at the meeting.
Learn how to safely control a boat
PENNSDALE - The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Williamsport, Flotilla 15-01, will hold its final safe boating course of the year at Gander Mountain in the Lycoming Mall 5-9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Instructors are volunteers, but a $15 fee will be charged. Advance registration is required.
Participants will receive a USCGA safe boating certificate and will qualify for the Pennsylvania boating certificate upon successful completion of the course.
To enroll, or for more information, contact Joseph Kustanbauter at 435-2193 or jbkusty@verizon.net.
Stormwater management focus of meeting
TROUT RUN - The Lycoming Creek Watershed Association will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Trout Run fire hall. A Penn State Master Gardener will give a presentation on stormwater management.
The meeting is open to the public.
Environmental film series offered
BLOSSBURG - The Countryside Film Series will be held at the Victoria Theater, 222 Main St., at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month through at least June.
The theme of each film will explore some aspect of the notion of "countryside" and will deliver a message of hope and respect for the country and the country folks who live there. Before the feature film, a segment from one of the oral histories gathered by the Pine Creek Watershed Council will be shown to highlight the history and culture of this region.
The suggested ticket price is $5.
Upcoming movies include:
Wednesday - "Taking Root, the Vision of Wangari Maathai"
May 16 - "Blue Planet" and "The Powers of 10"
June 20 - "Hope for Polluted Water"
Garden club plans meeting
JERSEY SHORE - The Jersey Shore Garden Club will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church, 236 S. Main St.
The program will be a succulent wreath demonstration by Sharon Miller.
New members are welcome.
Take a hike with regional group
The Otzinachson Regional Group of the Sierra Club and the Edward Abbey Hiking Society will hold a number of hikes throughout the region in the spring and summer.
They are open to the public, but hikers should contact the hike leader prior to the event. Participants are advised to bring lunch and water on every hike.
Hikes will be held:
Thursday - Bartley Gap Trail, Union County, four miles, moderate with rough footing. Try a mid-week hike for a change and get to know Bald Eagle State Forest. We'll go up a stream valley and onto a ridge, work our way back down along the Halls Pike Trail and loop back along the forest road. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Lewisburg post office parking lot or at 9:45 at the trailhead. The ground is very rocky and there are multiple stream crossings, so wear boots. Leader: Sam Pearson, 522-8159 or sam.z.pearson@gmail.com.
April 22 - The Pinnacle on the Appalachian Trail, Berks County, 13 miles, very strenuous. This loop hike leads to the spectacular Pinnacle, one of the finest vistas in Pennsylvania. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the parking lot behind the Lewisburg post office; at 9:10 at the Sheetz on Route 54 in Elysburg; or at 10:30 at the Hamburg Reservoir parking lot. Leader: Paul Shaw, 717-215-8339 or pshaw@ptd.net.
May 5 - Rider Park, Lycoming County, 6.2 miles, easy to moderate. We will walk a figure-eight loop centered around the parking lot. Hikers can opt to exit after two miles. Rider Park is a good place to see migratory spring songbirds. Meet at 8:30 a.m. on Warrensville Road next to Loyalsock Creek just beyond the Interstate 180 overpass over Warrensville Road or at 8:45 at the parking area 1.6 miles up Calebs Creek Road. Leader: Roy Fontaine, 220-4707.
Mill Cove celebrates Earth Day
MANSFIELD - "Earth Day at Mill Cove" will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Mill Cove Environmental Area north of here. Co-sponsored by Mansfield University and Mill Cove Inc., the event will feature a full day of activities and presentations suitable for all ages.
Demonstrations are planned on fish sampling, muzzleloading, macroinvertebrate (bug) collecting, archery, fly fishing, natural food growing and flora, wildlife and environmental protection. Activities will include canoeing, kayaking, a fishing derby, bird watching and local flora hikes and a BB gun competition.
The event is free, and lunch and refreshments will be sold. Vendors are sought.
For more information, or to submit a vendor/demonstration request, email earthday-millcove@mounties.mansfield.edu. Directions are available at www.millcovearea.org.
Trail challenge scheduled
HYNER - The Hyner View Trail Challenge and Hyner Ultra Challenge 50K will be held Saturday at the Western Clinton Sportsmen's Association.
The 25K trail challenge will include more than 4,300 feet of elevation gain. In the ultra challenge, runners will have to complete the entire 25K course, but also will branch off and take on a challenging 14-mile loop.
A post-race party will be held at the start/finish area.
Registration is required by calling 814-321-8281. For more information, visit www.hikerun.com.
Help clean up the Loyalsock Trail
Hikers who want to help clean up a segment of the Loyalsock Trail on April 22, May 6 and/or May 20 may sign up by calling Ruth Rode, of the Alpine Club of Williamsport.
Participants should bring their own gloves, lunch and beverage, as well as clippers, loppers and bow or folding saws. Some equipment also will be provided.
Hikers first should register by calling Rode at 322-5878. On each day of the hike, they should meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of the Sovereign Bank, 251 S. Market St., South Williamsport.
Learn about uses of rain barrels
How can you reduce water runoff on your property and also store many gallons of rainwater? Marcia Campbell, Master Gardner and Lycoming Audubon Society member, will discuss water conservation and the use of easy-to-make rain barrels during the society's next meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 25.
The free, public program will be held in the Lowry Room in the new wing of the James V. Brown Library.
Two complete rain barrels will be given away as door prizes.
For more information, visit www.lycoming.org/audubon.
Learn about Lyme disease, infectious diseases
SELINSGROVE - Dr. Michael Ryan, pediatric infectious disease specialist and chairman of the Janet Weis Children's Hospital at Geisinger Medical Center, will present information about immunizations, Lyme disease and infectious diseases at 6 p.m. April 25 at the Degenstein Campus Center, Susquehanna University.
The event is free and open to the public. To register, call 1-800-275-6401 and ask for "CareLink" or visit www.geisinger.org/events.
Help clean up Black Hole Creek
MONTGOMERY - The Great Black Hole Creek Cleanup will be held April 28. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at Hulsizer's Chevrolet. Rain date is May 5.
The cleanup will take place all through Montgomery, from Hulsizer's and past Riverside Campground. Trash bags and gloves will be provided.
For more information, call 547-6289.
ATV safety class planned
An all-terrain vehicle safety class will be held at 8:30 a.m. April 28 at Wheels Of Williamsport Inc., 99 Grey Fox Drive, Montoursville. Student must provide their own ATV and parents must accompany their children.
Class size is limited and registration is required prior to the day of the class.
The class will be taught by state certified safety instructors Bill and Nancy Stugart.
The state requires youths ages 8 through 15 take a safety training course prescribed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and have a safety training certificate issued by DCNR before operating an ATV off their parents' or legal guardians' property.
To register, call Bill or Nancy at 435-0923.
Volunteers needed for community cleanup
Phase two of the Loyalsock Creek Community Greenway Cleanup will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 28. Anyone interested in helping should register in advance by contacting Clinton County CleanScapes Project Director Elisabeth Lynch McCoy at clintoncountycleanscapes@yahoo.com or 726-3511.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Operating personally owned heavy machinery to disassemble debris-laden log jams;
Drive personally owned pickup trucks as debris transport vehicles;
Baking cookies that will be served at the end of the cleanup during the luncheon;
Assembling, delivering or serving lunch; and
Providing photography services of participants in action.
The cleanup will be held rain or shine.
Registrations will be accepted until noon April 25. Those who register will be given a meeting site location, a pair of work gloves, an orange safety vest, garbage bags and lunch and refreshments.
Register now for West Branch sojourn
May 4 is the last day to register for the West Branch Susquehanna Sojourn, an 85-river mile-long expedition from Curwensville to Renovo that will be held May 19-24.
Break out the paddles, get campfire tales organized and organizers for an exciting trip through some of the most remote and lovely sections of the Upper West Branch of the Susquehanna River during a six-day educational canoe and kayak trip. Participants may paddle the entire trip or a few days.
Touted by National Geographic as a "Best Adventure Destination for 2012" and recently designated a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service, the West Branch is a great place for exploration.
Full registration is $325 for adults and $165 for kids 12 and under. Partial registration is $65/day for adults and $33/day for kids 12 and under.
For more information, or to register, go to the www.susquehannagreenway.org/west-branch-sojourn-register-here webpage.
Watershed associations to meet
HUGHESVILLE - The Black Hole Creek Watershed Association and the Muncy Creek Watershed Association will hold a joint meeting at 7 p.m. May 10 at Hughesville Library, 146 Fifth St.
Mark Stephens, a professional geologist with the state Department of Environmental Protection, and Megan Lehman, an environmental planner with Lycoming County, will deliver a presentation about the North Central Source Water Protection Alliance and its efforts to protect public water systems.
The alliance protects the region's drinking water sources from all potential sources of contamination by proactively evaluating susceptibility to contamination, working to minimize or eliminate specific potential threats, creating long-range strategies to protect sources, encouraging local planning and inter-municipal coordination efforts, and educating the public about source water protection.
The meeting is open to the public.
Fishing derby planned in Black Hole Creek
MONTGOMERY - The Black Hole Creek Fishin' Derby will be held May 19, unless the weather is inclement. The rain date is June 2.
For more information, call Becky at 547-6289
Anglers club to stock trout, hold fishing derby
TROUT RUN - The Lycoming Creek Anglers Club will stock trout on May 26. Volunteers should meet at 9 a.m. at the Trout Run Fire Co.
The club also will hold a children's fishing derby June 2 at the Sheshequin Campgrounds, north of here on Route 14 at the Marsh Hill Bridge. It will be held rain or shine.
Girls and boys up to age 13 may compete and each will receive a derby prize.
Registration times are:
3-4 years, 8:30 a.m., fishing 9 a.m.-10 a.m.;
5-6 years, 10 a.m., fishing 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.;
7-9 years, 11:30 a.m., fishing noon-1 p.m.;
10-13 years, 1 p.m., fishing, 1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Group plans motorcycle ride
CASTANEA - The Durty Dabbers Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride will be held June 2-3 at the Castanea Fire Hall Picnic grounds, across the field from the William T. Piper Memorial Airport.
The ride involves about 100 miles of off-road, street-legal motorcycle riding.
For more information, call 748-9456 or 726-3343 or visit www.durtydabbers.com.
Women in the Outdoors event planned
DANVILLE - The White Deer Jakes, Col-mont Gobblers and Sun Area chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold a Tri-Chapter Women in the Outdoors event on June 9 at Montour Preserve/North Montour Sportsmen's Club. A fee will apply.
Advance registration is required by going to www.womenintheoutdoors.org, clicking on "PA WITO Event Manager Calendar" and then searching the calendar.
Through expert instruction and hands-on education, the NWTF's Women in the Outdoors program helps women develop outdoor skills in a safe environment.
For more information, contact Leslie Smith at 484-634-0069 or lsmith@nwtf.net or visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org.
ATV ride to raise funds to fight cancer
RENOVO - The second annual ATV Cruise for a Cure will be held June 9. The 50-mile guided tour will begin in Renovo's Heritage Park, traverse the Bloody Skillet ATV Trail Park and return to Renovo.
It will start with a pancake breakfast at 6 a.m. at the Renovo Fire Hall.
Registration will be available noon-8 p.m. June 8 and at 7 a.m. June 9, but is available online now at www.renovo.eventbrite.com.
Vendors, organizations and businesses will be on hand to support those dealing with cancer.
For more information, call 923-1000, ext. 2191, or email snestor@bucktailmed.org.
Athletes prepare for adventure triathlon
LOCK HAVEN - The sixth annual Great Island Adventure Triathlon will be held June 23 at the Woodward Boat Launch, across the Jay Street Bridge.
Participants will paddle, pedal and run through a 23-mile course in the heart of the PA Wilds.
For more information, call 748-6727 or visit www.lockhavenymca.com.
Bass tourney registrations sought
BERWICK - The Columbia County Bassmasters is accepting registrations for the third annual Bassmasters Fishing Tournament, which will be held Jane 23-24 at the Berwick Test Track Park boat launch.
The boundaries on the Susquehanna River extend from the Danville/Riverside bridge to the Nanticoke bridge.
Teams of two anglers may register, but there is a limit of 100 boats. A fee of $140 per boat includes breakfast and a T-shirt. Registration forms are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Once the 100-boat limit is reached, all other applications will be returned.
Cash prizes totaling $12,500 will be awarded. The first-place team will receive $5,000. Each day, lunker prizes will be awarded for adults and junior anglers.
Applications and rules may be downloaded from the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau's website -www.iTourColumbiaMontour.com/Bassmasters - or the Columbia County Bassmasters website - www.ColumbiaCountyBassmasters.com.
Applications also are available at Bo's Bait Barn, 1312 Raspberry Ave., Nescopeck; Smith's Outdoor Connection, 1901 Orange St., Berwick; Laubach's Sporting Goods, 547 E. Eighth St., Berwick; Halls Marine, 890 Lycoming Mall Drive, Muncy; and visitors bureau offices, 121 Papermill Road, Bloomsburg, and 316 Mill St., Danville.
For more information, call Mike "Chuck" Monico, tournament director, at 752-3223.
