See free screening of documentary on Leopold
The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy will hold two free screenings of "Green Fire," a full-length, documentary about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, in January. They will be held:
Tuesday in the Community Arts Center, in partnership with Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College's Cleanwater Institute; and
Wednesday in The Victoria Theatre, Blossburg, in partnership with the Tioga County Countryside Council.
Doors for both showings open at 6:30 p.m., with the film starting at 7.
Although probably best known as the author of the conservation classic "A Sand County Almanac," Leopold also is renowned for his work as an educator, philosopher, forester, ecologist and wilderness advocate.
"Green Fire" portrays how Leopold's vision of a community that cares about both people and land - his call for a land ethic - ties together a wide range of modern conservation concerns and offers inspiration and insight for the future.
The screenings are made possible by the conservancy, Penn State's Center for Private Forests, Larson Design Group, and Andrew Harris, of the Comprehensive Financial Group. For more information, call the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy at 323-6222.
Learn about warbler habitat
WELLSBORO - The Tiadaghton Audubon Society will hold a public program about "Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Enhancement" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center, 134 Main St.
Speakers from the state Game Commission and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service will present the 45-minute program, which is geared toward those who are interested in birding, wildlife habitat enhancement and private land management.
Significant state and federal cost-share funds may be available for landowners interested in creating and-or maintaining young forest habitat on their lands in selected counties. Such management creates excellent deer, turkey and warbler habitat and aids eastern towhees and other animal and plant species that are in decline. Landowners have until Feb. 15 to sign up for young forest management funding.
For more information on th program or funding, contact the Tioga County NRCS District conservationist Ciro LoPinto at 724-1801, ext. 117; Game Commission wildlife diversity biologist Mario Giazzon, 547-7259; or DCNR service forester Steven Hoover, 724-8128.
Beagle club plans rabbit hunt
MUNCY - The Lycoming County Beagle Club will hold a rabbit hunt on Jan. 19. Hunting is not allowed on club grounds.
All participants must register prior to the hunt and may hunt in three-person teams. A separate contest will be held for youth 12 to 16 years old.
Prizes will be awarded based on the weights of individual rabbits. Teams may submit two field-dressed rabbits. Weigh-in ends at 6 p.m. and hunters must be present to win.
A $30 registration fee will be charged per team. Half of the fee will be added to the prize pot.
Food will be sold between 4 and 6 p.m.
For more information, or to register, call Roger Wingfield at 279-1209.
Classes focus on gardening activities
Come beat the January blues and spend two Saturday mornings at the Clinton County Master Gardener Educational Series.
Classes will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on the following topics:
Saturday - composting, making your own terrarium and natural plant arrangements.
Jan. 26 - square foot gardening, urban (city) gardening and seed starting.
Registration is required in advance and the fee is $5 per class. To register, mail your name, address, phone number and email with payment to Penn State Extension, 47 Cooperation Lane, Mill Hall PA 17751 or stop at the office. Checks should be made payable to PSCE-Master Gardener.
The location of the classes was not announced. Contact Master Gardener Coordinator Quentin Stocum at 726-0022, ext. 3828, or qbs5000@ag.psu.edu for more information.
Discover winter birding in Ontario
Wayne Laubscher will present "Frosty Forests and Frozen Fields: Winter 'Birrrding' in Ontario" at the Jan. 23 meeting of the Lycoming Audubon Society. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30. Both will be held in the Lowry Room of the James V. Brown Library
The program highlights the various far northern specialty bird species that appear in Ontario and even the northeastern U.S. during certain winters. Irruptive species of raptors and finches, wintering northern species of waterfowl and gulls, and the occasional western vagrants will be covered. Also, Laubscher will tell attendees where and when to find them and why they show up so far south of their normal range. The emphasis of the program will be on southern and eastern Ontario and a few nearby areas in Quebec.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.lycoming.org/audubon.
Club to hold coyote hunt
GREENTOWN - The Promised Land Sportsmen's Association in Jefferson County will hold its second annual statewide coyote hunt from 12:01 a.m. Jan. 25 through noon Jan. 27. Animals may be hunted in any Pennsylvania county, but trapped or road-killed coyotes are not eligible.
Hunters must pay a registration fee by 8 p.m. Jan. 24 to participate, and half of the fee will be added to the prize pot.
Official weigh-ins will be done from 3 to 6 p.m. Jan. 25-26 and 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 27 at the club pavillion on Route 390, 2 1/2 miles south of Interstate 84.
A $50 bounty reward will be paid for each coyote and a limit of three coyotes per hunter applies.
Prizes will be awarded based on the weight of the top three animals.
For more information, call Bob Larkin at 748-2415 or see www.promisedlandsportsmen.org for complete rules.
Hunter plans fundraiser for Wounded Warriors
MUNCY - Local outdoorsman Barry Sones will raise money for the PA Wounded Warriors organization with a game meal and slideshow of his archery hunts in Africa for elephant and cape buffalo and in Alaska for caribou. The event will be held 1 and 4 p.m. Jan. 26 at Moreland Community Church, 1300 Church Drive.
A new Hoyt bow package, carvings made by Muncy-area artist Steven Shaner and other items will be offered in a silent auction.
Reservations are required and may be made by calling Sones at 419-4749.
Game commissioners schedule next meeting
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's board of game commissioners will hold a quarterly meeting Jan. 27-29 in its headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Dauphin County.
A copy of the agenda for the upcoming meeting will be posted online at www.pgc.state.pa.us in mid-January.
At 1 p.m. Jan. 27, the board will hear public recommendations for 2013-14 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. Doors open at noon. Individuals interested in offering public testimony, limited to five minutes, may register at noon.
At 8:30 a.m. Jan. 28, the board will gather public comments and hear Game Commission staff reports. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony will begin at that time.
At the same time on Jan. 29, the Game Commission board will take up its prepared agenda to give preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2013-14 and establish other meeting dates for the coming year, among other things.
Antlerless deer license allocations for the 2013-14 seasons will be presented for the board to consider at its meeting in April. Harvest results from the 2012-13 deer seasons will be announced in mid-March.
NWTF Hunting Heritage banquet planned
DANVILLE - The Col-Mont Gobblers chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual Hunting Heritage banquet on Feb. 9 at the Elk's Club, north of Danville on Route 11. It is open to the public.
To purchase tickets, call Matt Swartz at 490-2784 before Feb. 1.
In addition, the chapter is looking for volunteers willing to help with habitat projects, youth field days, outdoor show events and seminars and the banquet.
The chapter covers Columbia and Montour counties and is based out of the North Montour Sportsman's Club near Washingtonville.
Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show nears
HARRISBURG - The 58th Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, featuring hundreds of new exhibitors, features and celebrities, will be held Feb. 2-10 at the State Farm Show Complex.
More than 200 new exhibitors showcasing guns, archery, fishing and boating, along with many new products, show specials and a new Tactical Gun and Accessories Section highlight this year's event. In addition, the show has made it easier to navigate the floor with color-coded halls, an online pre-show mapping program, and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Returning by popular demand will be the "Sportsman's Shop Gun Alley" featuring more gun manufacturers, gun representatives and gun retailers than ever before.
For information, visit www.easternsportshow.com.
Sportsman's Show & Flea Market planned
LEESPORT - The Sportsman's Show & Flea Market returns to the Leesport Farmers Market, 312 Gernants Church Road, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 9.
Admission is $8 from 8 to 9 a.m. and $4 after 9. Children are free.
For more information, visit www.ralphsfishing.com.
Club plans coyote hunt
SINNEMAHONING - The eighth annual Sinnemahoning Sportsmen's Association's Coyote Hunt will be held Feb. 15-17.
The hunting area is throughout the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia.
Trapping is not allowed, but calls and dogs may be used.
A registration fee applies and all hunters must be members of the association. Membership dues may be paid upon registration.
Hunters must register prior to Feb. 15. On-site registrations will be accepted at club grounds, 15 Club Road, on Jan. 12, 19 and 26 and Feb. 2, 9 and 14.
Registration also may be done by mail, but envelopes must be postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 2.
For an application, call 814-263-4418 or 570-923-2188 weekdays, 814-546-2835 weekends, visit www.sinnemahoning-sportsmen.org or write to SSA, 15 Club Road, P.O. Box 102, Sinnemahoning, PA 15861-0102.
Official weigh-ins will be done at the club from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 15-16 and 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 17.
Prizes will be awarded after weigh-ins.
Hats and shirts commemorating the coyote hunt will be available for purchase at the club.
Blade group plans 25th annual knife show
LEWISBURG - The Keystone Blade Association will hold its 25th annual knife show at the Country Cupboard Inn from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 23 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 24.
The show will feature new, old, factory, custom, military and related items.
For more information, contact Skip at 387-4955 or Marlyn at 584-4835 or stetson718@gmail.com.
